8. Leasehold Problems

Problems are inherent in the system. They are built in and they will not ‘go away’ with a new Act of Parliament.

Acts of Parliament simply change the rules of the game. The playing field is the same with the fictional division of a property between the land owner and the lessee.

This inevitably leads to disputes in which the leaseholder is at a disadvantage. The Rules are full of expressions like ‘eligibility criteria’, ‘qualifying rules’, and ‘requirements’

All these criteria are for leaseholders. There are no similar ‘criteria’ for freeholders.

For example there are two equal sets of promises (covenants) in leases. One set for the lessees and an equivalent set for the freeholders

If a leaseholder breaks a promise (breaches a covenant) then the freeholder can ask for forfeiture. What if the freeholder does the same? there is no equal set of rules for a leaseholder to forfeit a freeholder - only the other way around.

Some of the ways in which Parliament has attempted to answer the problems are complete nonsense. They are also against Social Equality and Social Justice.