Leaseholders are more concerned about rising service charges than ground rents, according to a new survey that challenges some of the priorities of the government’s leasehold reform programme.
The findings, published in The Leaseholder Intelligence Report 2026, are based on an independent survey of 2,000 leaseholders commissioned by Justice for Property Rights and carried out by Censuswide.
According to the research, 38.5% of respondents said service charges were the housing cost that had increased most unexpectedly, compared with 21% who identified ground rent.
The survey also found that 65% of respondents considered their ground rent affordable, while just 14% said abolishing ground rents would be the single government reform that would make the biggest difference to them.
Overall, 83% of leaseholders said they were either satisfied with, or neutral about, their experience of leasehold home ownership. Meanwhile, 16.4% said making it easier to buy the freehold would be the reform with the greatest impact.
Alongside the survey, Justice for Property Rights has called on ministers to publish a full economic impact assessment before Parliament considers proposals for a 40-year sunset period on existing ground rent income. The group argues that reforms affecting established contractual property rights should be accompanied by an assessment of their legal, economic and investment implications.
Richard Merrin, spokesperson for Justice for Property Rights, said: “Government has rightly engaged with leaseholders and campaign groups throughout its programme of reform. This independent research adds another important perspective by capturing the views of 2,000 leaseholders from across the country.
“The findings suggest that while leaseholders clearly support reform, their priorities are broader than the current public debate often suggests. They are telling us that the issues affecting them every month are service charges, transparency, accountability and confidence in the management of their buildings.
“This is not an argument against reform. It is an argument for ensuring that reform reflects the evidence and addresses the issues leaseholders themselves identify as having the greatest impact on their everyday lives.”
Justice for Property Rights is urging government to publish a comprehensive Economic Impact Assessment before progressing the proposed 40-year sunset period for existing ground rents.
+ The total value of ground rent assets affected.
+ The profile of affected owners including individual investors, pensioners, charities, resident owned freeholds, family trusts and pension funds.
+ The impact on investment confidence and residential property markets.
+ Potential implications for lending and future investment.
+ Any compensation implications arising from the retrospective alteration of existing contractual rights.
Merrin added: “The proposed 40-year sunset provision is one of the most significant interventions in existing property rights for decades. Parliament should fully understand the economic consequences before implementing legislation of this scale. We are not arguing against reform.
“We are arguing for evidence-led reform. Before Parliament legislates to fundamentally curtail those contractual income streams, it should have a comprehensive assessment of the likely economic impact and the opportunity to scrutinise that evidence in full.”
The full Leaseholder Intelligence Report 2026 has been submitted to parliamentarians and policymakers to inform the next stage of the leasehold reform debate.
