L&Q responses to consultations

The government consulted on proposals to develop new towns to help provide more homes and meet growing housing needs.

We support the proposals and believe the programme could help increase housing supply over the long term.

Our response highlights opportunities in Thamesmead, Greenwich, South Barking and Chase Park in Enfield, where large-scale development could attract investment and support the delivery of new homes.

We also recommend giving local planning authorities enough flexibility to respond to design challenges and keep developments financially viable while meeting the housing needs of local communities.

Read our full response to the draft New Towns programme

The government consulted on proposals to replace leasehold with commonhold for new flats, giving homeowners greater control over how their buildings are managed.

We support the aim of improving transparency and giving residents more control. However, we raised concerns about how the changes could affect housing associations' ability to manage buildings and meet their responsibilities for safety, maintenance and regulatory standards.

Our response calls for stronger legal protections, professional management of commonhold associations and clearer rules about regulatory oversight.

We also highlighted the importance of protecting mixed-tenure developments, where social rented and privately owned homes are provided in the same building.

The government is proposing changes to the leasehold system to give homeowners greater control over how their buildings are managed.

We support the aim of giving residents more control and transparency. However, we have raised concerns about how the changes could affect housing associations that manage buildings containing both privately owned and social rented homes.

Our response explains that greater resident control would not necessarily reduce building management costs. It also highlights the need to make sure housing associations can continue to meet their responsibilities for maintaining safe, well-managed homes.

Read our full response to the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill

The government consulted on changes to the Decent Homes Standard, which sets minimum standards for the condition of rented homes.

The proposals included stronger requirements for home security, damp and mould, heating, energy efficiency and floor coverings.

We support the aim of making homes safer and improving housing standards. However, we raised concerns about the cost of meeting the new requirements and the potential impact on investment in existing and new homes.

Our response recommends introducing the revised standard in 2037 to give landlords more time to plan and carry out the improvements.  

Read our full response to the DHS consultation (PDF, 0.3MB)

We worked with residents to gather their views on the government's proposed changes to the Decent Homes Standard.

Residents strongly supported improvements to safety, security, energy efficiency and the prevention of damp and mould.

They also highlighted the importance of accessible homes and assessing repairs based on the condition of building components rather than their age.

Views differed on some proposals, including floor coverings, but residents consistently emphasised the importance of safe, comfortable homes that meet their needs.

Read the full resident response to the DHS consultation (PDF, 0.1MB)

The government consulted on proposals to improve the energy efficiency of social housing by 2030, including new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES).

We support improving energy efficiency and making homes more comfortable and affordable to heat.

However, we raised concerns that the government had underestimated the cost of meeting the proposed standards and the pressure this could place on housing providers, contractors and skilled workers.

Our response supports the proposed approach to measuring energy efficiency but recommends extending the deadline to 2040 to give landlords more time to complete the necessary improvements.

Read our full response to the MEES consultation (PDF, 0.3MB)

The government proposed changes to improve how leaseholders are protected and how service charges are managed.

We support clearer communication, better management and higher professional standards. However, we raised concerns that some proposals could increase costs for leaseholders, duplicate existing requirements or make services more complicated to manage.

Our response calls for changes that are practical, affordable and consistent with existing rules.

Read our full response to the Leaseholders and Service Charges consultation (PDF, 0.4MB)

We invited residents to share their views on the government's proposals to strengthen leaseholder protections.

Residents welcomed greater transparency, clearer service charge information and the option to receive communications electronically.

However, many were concerned about proposals to lower the financial thresholds that trigger additional consultation requirements for major works and long-term agreements.

Residents also called for more detail about how the changes would work in practice.

Read the full resident response to the Leaseholders and Service Charges consultation

The government consulted on proposals to bring social rents for similar properties closer together over time.

We support a fair and predictable approach to setting rents that balances affordability for residents with the need to maintain existing homes and build new ones.

Our response recommends allowing rents to increase by up to an additional £3 a week over a 10-year period, as part of the proposed rent convergence approach.

We believe this would give housing associations greater financial certainty to plan investment in homes and services, particularly in areas with significant housing need, like Greater London and Greater Manchester.

We also recognise the importance of affordability and the need to support residents who may struggle with housing costs.

Read our full response to the Rent Convergence consultation (PDF, 0.3MB)