Government drops pledge to abolish new-leasehold flats this parliament as Pennycook flags Land Registry hurdles

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said on 29 April it is "highly likely" the ban on new leasehold flats will not switch on before the next general election in mid-2029, citing complex Land Registry and mortgage-market trade-offs. The draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill, published 27 January, still caps ground rents at £250 a year and makes commonhold the default tenure once enacted. For flat sellers, ongoing leasehold mechanics keep weighing on buyer hesitancy and pricing; for buyers, the day-one switch to commonhold is off the table for at least three years. The caveat: the cap on ground rents and step-by-step reforms remain in the pipeline.