Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to prevent price-fixing in service charges by providers of retirement homes.

Brandon Lewis

The law provides a framework of rights and protections for residential leaseholders where service charges and the management of their property are concerned.

These rights allow leaseholders to hold their freeholder and managing agent to account. They include the right to be consulted about proposed major works and long term agreements, to challenge the reasonableness of service charge demands at an independent tribunal, to seek the appointment of a new manager and, in some cases. to take over the management of the block of flats where they live.

Price-fixing is a serious matter and any evidence of this should be reported to the Competition and Markets Authority for consideration.