Campaign to improve housing in later life
What we want
Better Retirement Housing, formerly the Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation, exists to promote good practice in the retirement housing sector.
The elderly should be able to downsize, enjoy the benefits of stress-free homes, and live communally.
The advantages of this form of living to achieve mutual reliance and combat loneliness are obvious.
Sadly, the UK’s retirement housing sector has been beset with poor practice and has an appalling reputation. It has been the subject of critical tribunal rulings, two investigations by the Office of Fair Trading, and one Law Commission report.
It has also been debated in Parliament, and at the All Party Parliamentary Group meetings organised by the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership.
That there is a problem is not disputed by impartial observers, although retirement housebuilders’ do their best to minimise the issues.
It is scandalous that the most vulnerable in our society have been beset by sneaky and dishonest fees widespread in leasehold, or systematically cheated, as the OFT found in the Peverel / Cirrus collusive tendering scandal.
However, we acknowledge that the retirement housing sector is varied and there are good operators within it. Better Retirement Housing is delighted that new overseas companies are moving into the market, and that care providers are producing housing solutions. This has introduced a welcome change of culture.
Nonetheless, the standard retirement leasehold flat remains a dubious proposition. It is absurd that it can be the single worst residential property investment one can make, with plummeting re-sale values bearing no resemblance to the local housing market.
The worst practices are made possible by leasehold tenure, and is widely acknowledged that in Scotland, where leasehold does not exist, retirement housing is more harmonious.
Better Retirement Housing aims to improve this sector and, with the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, seeks to make reforms to residential leasehold law.
We assist with individual problems and provide an editorial service of the sector, which aims to be accurate and fair.
Sebastian O’Kelly
sok@leaseholdknowledge.com
Martin Boyd
martin.boyd@leaseholdknowledge.com
Press / admin / urgent 07808 328230
Find everything
McCarthy and Stone: Thought for the day
Latest news from Leasehold Knowledge Partnership
- Government’s leasehold reform announcement was low key, but this is why we think it will deliver November 29, 2024
- Why it is going to be so important to shout in 2025 – and loudly – when government sets the leasehold Deferment Rate November 28, 2024
- Eagerstates: BBC finds £1.2m over-charging in 140 tribunal cases over five years November 26, 2024
- 24 Labour MPs invite FirstPort to Westminster to explain ‘consistent complaints’ November 14, 2024
- After begging to keep ground rents, why is McCarthy and Stone saying it now supports commonhold? November 12, 2024
- Leaseholders in Ilfracombe can claim legal costs against wideboy freeholders over £2.6m wrongly demanded service charges, says Court of Appeal November 9, 2024
On TV
Channel Four Dispatches exposes retirement leasehold
Tonight’s Dispatches programme (September 24 2012) on retirement leasehold was a brilliant example of television journalism that was extremely critical of both McCarthy and Stone and Peverel. Peverel’s LVT defeat at the hands of
I have only this week been in touch with the ARHM about Peverel. Their response was interesting – it is unclear to me exactly what the role of this Organisation is as my impression is that it exists, like the GMC to support Unprofessionalism. I have read their code and I have a copy of it (yes I am an insomiac) and this document is for me, typical of all that is “bad” in the private sector – good on paper and nothing else. As a retired professional of the Criminal Justice System experience, trainingg and working knowledge as shown that Codes and Policies are only as good as the people who implement them and when you have Scheme Managers/Trainers and Area Managers like the ones at Ryland House, Manchester this Code is not even worth the paper it’s written on. I was on the 24th January actively discouraged to purchase by Janet Brown Area Manager of this Scheme. thank Goodness – she did me a BIG favour, the only ONE – a tenant now I am looking to move out, back to sanity at the earliest opportunity of my Get Out clause. Bullies and thugs in HM Prison System have a lot to learn from the likes of Sybil Turner and Janet Brown. These two do not appear to have the word Professional in their vocabulary.
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