March 19, 2024

APPG July 11: Robust debate over retirement ground rents and event fees

By Sebastian OKelly, LKP trustee The controversial issues of ground rents and exit fees in retirement housing were discussed at this week’s meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on leasehold and commonhold reform. These were the main event in a meeting which also had an insider’s examination of leasehold insurance commissions, and why developers […]

APPG July 11: Retirement fees whether ground rents or event fees need to be for designated services not open-ended profits, says AgeUK

And grounds cannot be set to zero but maintained in the retirement sector By Joe Oldman, AgeUK Age UK strongly supports extending the range of housing options available for older people – so we want to see a significant expansion in good quality retirement schemes and villages. We also recognise and appreciate the efforts of […]

Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation and AgeUK reject Law Commission draft on exit fees

Law Commission backs developers over huge exit fees, and dumps OFT qualms over ‘likely’ unfair contract terms What began as an exercise supposedly to help pensioners and their families facing exit fees in retirement properties has ended up with the Law Commission backing the charges. The Law Commissioner Stephen Lewis met Campaign against retirement leasehold […]

AgeUK: sort yourselves out!

It is very sad to see it reported today that AgeUK has been pushing expensive energy tariffs to the elderly in exchange for £6 million a year from energy giant E.ON. The Sun reported this in an investigation this morning Age UK recommended a special rate from E.ON which saw pensioners typically pay £1,049 for […]

AgeUK: Retirement leasehold IS NOT WORKING and needs urgent reform

– Self-regulation (by ARHM, ARMA, RICS) has failed – Leasehold tenure itself disempowers residents and makes them vulnerable – Commonhold should be explored – Right to manage needs to be made easier for the elderly – LEASE’s ‘problematic’ role serving all sides in leasehold – CMA’s skimpy Ipsos MORI poll ‘should not be used as the basis […]

AgeUK echoes Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation’s concerns over retirement housing

The Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation agenda for reform of retirement housing has been given a ringing endorsement by a report published today by AgeUK. The report, Housing in Later Life, arrives just as the Competition and Markets Authority appears to be manoeuvring to downplay concerns in retirement in its leasehold sector inquiry.

Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation interview with BBC raises Peverel price-fixing scandal and AgeUK logos

BBC Radio Bristol reported yesterday on pensioners stuck for five weeks inside Peverel-managed Ferndown Grange owing to a broken lift. The interview also reported wider issues concerning leasehold retirement by interviewing Sebastian O’Kelly, Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation chairman. Last Friday’s decision by AgeUK to remove its logos from the Peverel Retirement website was reported, […]

AgeUK removes logos from Peverel Retirement website

Yesterday: now you see them …   … today: now you don’t AgeUK today removed its logos from the Peverel Retirement website, after their presence was drawn to its attention by Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation. No explanation has been given why the logos – for AgeUK, Age Cymru and Age Scotland – were placed […]