Massive change to leaseholds under plans to ease Britain’s ‘feudal’ housing system – will it affect you?

ALL new leaseholds will be for 990 years under plans to ease Britain’s “feudal” housing system.

At the state opening of Parliament, King Charles outlined the main laws Rishi Sunak hopes to deliver in the next 12 months.

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This included the Prime Minister dramatically increasing leaseholds from the current 99 years, and axing the requirement for a leaseholder to have owned their home for two years before extending.

It follows fears of freeholders charging eye-watering ground rents and service charges.

Ministers will also make it easier for leaseholds to buy their freeholds.

King Charles said the Bill would tackle “the exploitation of millions of homeowners through punitive service charges.”

The monarch also announced that the Renters’ Reform Bill will be carried through parliament ahead of the next year’s general election.

It comes after Housing Secretary Michael Gove announced he’ll delay a long-promised ban on “no fault” rental evictions again last month.

The ban will now only come into force once “improvements” are made to UK courts such as digitising the process to make it easier and quicker for landlords to banish tenants.

During his speech, the King also spoke of the ban on cigarettes, a vape tax, a huge increase in North Sea drilling, outlawing drip pricing, and changes to the criminal just system.

Rishi’s crack-down on smoking features a two-pronged approach.

Tough new anti-smoking measures would see the legal age to purchase fags increased by a year, every year, to eventually make it illegal for anyone to buy them.

Meanwhile, a new vape tax is being considered to motivate users to quit, and disposable products could be banned for good.

The government vowed to take “action on the affordability of vapes, including exploring a new duty on vapes as other countries have done”.

But suggested any tax would still be less than cigarettes, by “ensuring that there is a significant differential between duty vapes and tobacco products”.

The monarch also read out the PM’s legislative programme that included further exploration of North Sea oil and gas fields.

This move has been slammed by green groups and differs from the Labour party – who have vowed to end handing out new licences if they come into power at the next election.

Additionally, the King announced Rishi’s plans to eradicate drip pricing and force budget airlines to be more honest with their costs.

‘Drip pricing’ is when a cheap fare is advertised, before customers later find extra payments are needed including luggage and seat choices.

According to the King’s speech, companies will now have to be more transparent about what passengers could be charged, under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill.

The PM’s agenda also outlined a string of measures to improve the criminal justice system.

Under the new Sentencing Bill, the most horrific murderers will face whole life orders, including for anyone sentenced for murder involving sexual or sadistic conduct. 

The Bill will also make sure criminals who commit rape and other serious sexual offences will be caged for the entirety of their sentence – instead of being eligible for parole half way through.

Judges are also set be given more powers to make sure criminals attend court for sentencing so they are forced to hear directly from victims and their families are offered some sense of justice.

Today’s occasion marked Mr Sunak’s last chance to sell himself to Britain as the General Election looms next year.

And, with the Tories behind Labour by around 20 points in the polls, it was the PMs chance to regain the public’s faith.

However, ministers admitted the speech was “thin gruel” and “meh”.

A total of 21 laws were outlined by the King, including five carried over from the most recent Parliamentary session.

This figure is less than any during the late Queen’s Speech for almost a decade.

Here’s everything else you need to know about the King’s Speech.

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