What the papers said about leasehold houses and energy efficiency

The Guardian revealed this weekend that thousands of homeowners are finding themselves trapped in new-build properties they cannot sell, due to a clause in their lease which allows for a doubling in ground rent every 10 years. Many mortgage lenders now refuse to lend on these properties, making them almost impossible to sell. In December the Government announced a ban on leaseholds for newly built houses and stated that ground rents on future long leases would be set to zero, to help homebuyers avoid onerous charges. Critics say this does not help those who bought before the ban however. In the Buy-to-Let market, the Telegraph reported on upcoming changes to energy efficiency, which will require landlords to upgrade their properties to a minimum E rating by April, or face a fine. The Government’s ‘Clean Growth Strategy’ aims to upgrade every home to a C rating by 2030, but currently only 26% of private homes meet this requirement.