February 2026
Starting from:
£99 + VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference will examine next steps for leasehold and commonhold policy in England and Wales.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess provisions in the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill published in January, including practicalities of implementing a ban on leasehold for new flats, approaches to market preparation and transitional arrangements, measures to strengthen rights for existing leaseholders, and how the commonhold legal framework might best be designed to support future adoption.
The agenda will also examine key issues for ongoing implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Longer-term reform priorities set out in the Commonhold White Paper will also be discussed, including proposals to enable the transition towards commonhold as the default tenure for multi-unit residential buildings. With recommendations for a phased and pragmatic start, the legal infrastructure required to support commonhold adoption will be considered, alongside priorities for market readiness, long-term stewardship, retrofitting existing stock and financing frameworks.
Leaseholder rights, certainty for developers & support for commonhold
Attendees will examine the Government’s proposals in draft legislation, including the inclusion of a ground rent cap, with discussion expected on the impact on leasehold property sales, alongside concerns over market interference and potential damage to investor confidence. Scope and timing of leasehold restrictions will also be considered, including implications for mixed-use buildings, as well as priorities for the abolition of forfeiture and ways forward for addressing barriers to adoption of commonhold. Delegates will assess how commonhold can be effectively scaled in the UK, and what is needed to provide certainty to developers, investors, and lenders, particularly around dispute resolution, financing, and enfranchisement valuations.
Areas for potential further legislative clarity will also be discussed, including mechanisms for enabling leaseholders to extend leases, acquire freeholds, and assume management responsibilities, and how these rights can be made more accessible and enforceable. Priorities for implementation and transitional arrangements will be considered, looking also at how valuation methodology will be applied, and implications for existing management structures.
Service charges, the 2024 act & wider housing policy
With government considering responses to the recent consultation on implementing new LAFRA 2024 requirements through secondary legislation, it will be an opportunity to assess next steps for improving transparency in service charge regimes, clearer routes to challenge costs, and options for developing consistent standards for building management and maintenance.
Further sessions will draw on implications of the recent High Court ruling on future valuation methodology and balancing the interests of both leaseholders and freeholders, which upheld provisions in the LAFRA 2024, rejecting a legal challenge brought by freeholders.
Wider policy considerations will also be discussed, including how reform aligns with broader housing objectives with the ascension of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and the Government’s commitment to build 1.5 million houses by the end of this Parliament, as well as consumer protection frameworks and long-term models of ownership and building management.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include parliamentary pass-holders from both Houses of Parliament and officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for Transport; Department for Business and Trade; National Audit Office; Health and Safety Executive; Ofwat; Ofcom; Government Legal Department; and the Welsh Government.
