Barbara is calling on the Government to take urgent action to protect local home-owners who own their home as leaseholders and are finding they are being ” stung” by the terms of their lease.

New government statistics show that there are four million leasehold dwellings in England.

Owners who own their home as leaseholders have no protection from soaring ground rents and unfair charges imposed for consent to carry out home alterations. They can also face steep increases in the purchase price of freeholds.

Barbara is campaigning for action to help local home-owners affected by the leasehold scandal. She has joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold Reform to raise local concerns. Barbara is calling on the Government to reform the system so that unfair practices are stopped, as Labour has now pledged to do.

Barbara said:

“The Government’s new figures show the extent of leasehold ownership in England. Owners who own their home as leaseholders are unprotected and the way that many are being treated by developers and management companies is completely unacceptable. A number of constituents have contacted me to tell me how they are being affected and about the anger and distress they feel.

“Labour wants to end these deeply unfair practices. When we were in Government we gave leaseholders more protection but it is clear that problems with leasehold continue. Urgent action is needed to help those affected.

“Labour would give leaseholders security from unfair ‘ground rents’ and end the routine use of leasehold ownership in new housing developments. We would cap rising charges that leaseholders have to pay to rule out the large rises that have hit some new home-owners and give leaseholders security against unforeseen rises when they come to sell their home.

“We need to see real action on this issue as soon as possible. I am calling on the Government to reform the system, as Labour has pledged to do, so that these unfair practices stop.

“If you live in Worsley and Eccles South and are one of the households affected, please let me know by sending me an email through my website here.“