Leaseholders and Service Charge in Former Local Authority Flats

As the Right to Buy has progressed an increasing proportion of properties sold have been flats rather than houses. Sales of flats grew after the introduction of higher discounts for flats in the Housing and Planning Act 1986. The buoyancy of the housing market in the late 1980s also encouraged sales. When flats are sold by local authorities the freehold is retained by the landlord who is responsible for providing and charging for a range of common services. This research was concerned primarily with the administration and delivery of those common services. It addresses three main objectives: to provide data on the number of leaseholders experiencing problems; to assess the scale and nature of the difficulties involved; and to provide information on which to base good practice guidance.