Westminster Hall Debate: Residential Estate Management Companies

On Tuesday 22 April 2025, Roz attended the Westminster Hall debate on Residential Estate Management Companies. Although she wasn’t called to speak in full, she came prepared with a speech highlighting key concerns from residents across the South Cotswolds. She was, however, able to make a short intervention during the debate  - you can watch it here. Her full speech can be found below.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I congratulate the hon. Member for South Devon on securing this important debate. The stories she has highlighted illustrate both the urgency of this issue and the strength of feeling from our constituents. 

What we're discussing today is justice for people who already have homes but are being systematically exploited by unaccountable management companies.

While Labour promised to "bring the injustice of 'fleecehold' private housing estates and unfair maintenance costs to an end," we've seen minimal progress on reforming our outdated leasehold system – a feudal arrangement that persists only in England, Wales, and Australia.

In the South Cotswolds, my team has handled over 40 cases involving serious issues with these companies. Residents face poor maintenance, unfinished work, and extortionate service charges with absolutely nowhere to turn.

The human impact is severe. One constituent reported that replacement of a broken lift was costed at a hundred thousand pounds, after a year of it being out of action, during which disabled residents were trapped in their flats unless carried down numerous flights of stairs. Another informed me that their charges have risen from £1500 per 6 months to £2100 per 6 months without warning or justification. 

These aren't just inconveniences – they represent a fundamental power imbalance that undermines people's security in their own homes.

When residents seek help, they're caught in an endless cycle between developers, management companies, and councils – each refusing responsibility. Battles go on for months and years, leading to increasing levels of frustration and stress at the injustice of it all.

I'm currently running a petition calling for government action because this isn't about isolated incidents – it's about systemic failure affecting countless homeowners.

I urge this Government to look beyond building new homes and address the exploitation happening in existing developments. We need to end leasehold tenures, replacing them with freeholds or commonholds, and implement robust regulation of management companies.

As this government lays plans to build 1.5 million new homes, let’s not forget the people who deserve protection from exploitation in homes they already have, and where they are paying for services that are not being delivered. This is daylight robbery, and I call on this Government to act decisively.