A prominent leasehold reform campaigner has described freeholders as a “property mafia” whilst criticising recent parliamentary reforms as insufficient, raising questions about the future of leasehold tenure in England and Wales.
Harry Scoffin, founder of campaign group Free Leaseholders, made the comments on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, calling for a universal right to manage that would give leaseholders direct control over service charges without lengthy tribunal battles.
“The Prime Minister needs to make sure he talks very powerfully about taking back control, devolving power to the people,” Scoffin said. “He’s got to do that with a universal right to manage, so that leaseholders don’t spend years in tribunal fighting this sort of property mafia.”
The campaigner also advocates for full enfranchisement rights, allowing leaseholders to purchase their freeholds. He characterised freeholders as “very sophisticated investors that have hitched a ride on ordinary people’s homes” and stated they have “preyed on people’s desperation for owning their own home”.
Recent regulatory changes
Five sets of regulations were laid in Parliament this week, implementing protections from the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. The government’s latest leasehold service charge reforms focus primarily on transparency and controlling legal costs, according to Scoffin, though he acknowledged they represent “a start”.
When challenged that leases are contracts freely entered into and that abolishing the system interferes with market principles, Scoffin countered: “Parliament’s always interfering in private property rights. Taxation is a form of that.”
The campaigner identified the upcoming Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, due before Christmas, as the real test of government commitment. He warned against repeating what he termed “the same slop” from earlier this year.
Industry response
The Residential Freehold Association disputed Scoffin’s characterisation, stating his comments “are deeply misleading and fail to recognise the important role professional freeholders play in the long-term management of residential buildings”.
A spokesperson told The Negotiator that leasehold “remains an important form of tenure, particularly in complex, multi-occupancy buildings where residents benefit from specialist expertise and oversight”. The association cited the latest English Housing Survey, which found 93% of leaseholders satisfied with their tenure.
“Professional freeholders do not profit from service charges,” the spokesperson added. “Furthermore, the costs of maintaining, insuring and keeping buildings safe are unrelated to whether a building is leasehold or not, and those would still need to be met by residents under a commonhold system.”
Legal challenges continue
The regulatory landscape remains contested. A group of freeholders is appealing an October 2025 Divisional Court ruling that dismissed their challenge to the 2024 Act. The Court of Appeal granted permission in April 2026, with a hearing expected late this year or early next year.
Scoffin acknowledged campaigners face “a multi-billion pound industry” with lobbying groups briefing politicians and civil servants. He claimed previous governments “ran scared of vested interests that fund political parties and threaten judicial review”.
The debate highlights ongoing tensions in the UK property market between leaseholder rights and investor interests, with implications for property values and investment strategies in the residential sector. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for comment.
