Yesterday’s King’s Speech presented the Labour government’s legislative agenda for the coming parliamentary session, but it came hot on the heels of a leadership drama that hasn’t entirely fizzled out.
Earlier in the week, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer found himself facing down mounting calls for his resignation following the party’s poor showing in the recent elections. While so far he appears to have called a few bluffs by standing firm, he’s not entirely out of the woods yet. Rumours abound of a challenge, with health secretary Wes Streeting touted as the likeliest contender.
Starmer said: “The British people expect the government to get on with the job of changing our country for the better. Cutting the cost of living, bringing down hospital waiting lists and keeping our country safe in an increasingly dangerous world.
“Britain stands at a pivotal moment: to press ahead with a plan to build a stronger, fairer country or turn back to the chaos and instability of the past. My government will deliver on the promise of change for the British people.”
The machinery of government ticks on, then, and the pomp and pageantry of the King’s Speech has presented some 35 bills and draft bills for the coming year. From a housing perspective, there are three that have most direct relevance for the sector.
There are: the Social Housing Renewal Bill; the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill; and the Remediation Bill.
Between them, these Bills aim to boost and protect social housing, including the reform of right to buy, and further changes intended to deliver more such homes; reform leaseholds, including capping ground rents; and improve building safety.
Overall, they have been broadly welcomed. But if a leadership challenge is mounted, and it throws up a new Prime Minister, then it’s an open question how much of this package will survive into the new regime.
General reaction
Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: “[The] King’s Speech demonstrates the government’s commitment to protecting the supply of social housing for future generations through its Social Housing Renewal Bill.
“We strongly support reforms to Right to Buy. Social homes are a vital resource for low-income families and the current system has depleted that stock for decades.
“We also welcome the government’s commitment to strengthen protections for victims of domestic abuse and look forward to seeing the detail.
“Housing associations are committed to making their buildings safe as quickly as possible. We strongly welcome measures to hold those responsible for dangerous defects to account, something we have consistently called for and which will help accelerate safety work across the sector.
“We support reform of the leasehold system and the principles of Commonhold. Getting the legislation and its implementation right will be critical to ensuring it is deliverable and provides meaningful benefits for residents.
“We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with government to deliver a decade of renewal for social housing and to build the homes our country needs.”
Tracy Harrison, chief executive of the Northern Housing Consortium(NHC), said: “The Social Housing Renewal Bill shows the government is giving providers the clarity and confidence to better protect and build more social housing by enacting the Right to Buy reforms. It also gives greater safety and security for tenants who are victims of domestic abuse.
“This legislation [yesterday], along with the recent housing announcements will help social landlords to do more to meet the needs of communities. Stronger devolution is supporting collaboration through housing partnerships with the North leading the way. But building new homes needs to sit alongside housing-led regeneration and neighbourhood renewal, through a joined-up, place-based approach with the powers and tools to make sure no one and nowhere is left behind.
“Through our Renew inquiry, in partnership with Homes for the North and Muse, housing associations and councils responsible for nearly a million homes have set out the scale of the challenge. We’ll publish evidence-based recommendations this summer which looks at why regeneration is an essential part of tackling the housing crisis in the North and what needs to change to make this happen.
“We’re ready to work with the Government, mayors and housing providers to turn those recommendations into lasting change for northern communities.”
Councillor Louise Gittins, chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils, said: “Local government is at its best when it is empowered, properly funded, and recognised as an equal partner in delivering national reform. Strong local leadership and collaboration with communities are essential to turning national ambitions into meaningful change on the ground.
“The LGA therefore looks forward to working constructively with government, parliamentarians, and key stakeholders, to ensure legislation set out in today’s King’s Speech – including on SEND reform, social housing, asylum, neighbourhood health, and community safety – is workable and delivers real benefits for local communities.
“As legislation progresses through Parliament, our priority will be to shape reforms that strengthen place-based leadership, encourage genuine collaboration across public services, and enable councils to continue improving outcomes for residents.”
Catherine Ryder, chief executive of PlaceShapers, welcomed the government’s commitment to protecting and renewing the country’s social housing. She said: “This builds on substantial support and funding through the Social and Affordable Housing Programme, which is already allowing members to bring forward building plans and deliver much needed regeneration.
“At a time of rising housing need and increasing pressure on communities, measures to safeguard existing social housing homes and support long-term investment in new affordable homes are welcome.
“The proposed reforms to Right to Buy are important steps towards ensuring that genuinely affordable homes remain available for future generations.
“The emphasis on stronger protections for people experiencing domestic abuse is particularly important. Many members already play a vital role in supporting residents to remain safe and secure, and this emphasis could further allow members to support people experiencing domestic abuse.
“Members remain committed to building thriving places, supporting communities and delivering the social and affordable homes the country needs. We look forward to engaging with ministers and sector partners as the legislation develops.”
Sarah Rowe, head of social housing at law firm Freeths, said: “[The] King’s Speech makes it clear that property sector reform is no longer theoretical and is at long last moving into delivery. Sector will now need to adapt quickly to comply with the headline changes announced which include leasehold reforms with plans to cap ground rents and pivot towards commonhold could fundamentally reshape residential ownership and a ramping up of social housing intervention with further Right to Buy reforms and stronger tenant protections on the agenda.
“The fact that building safety remains a priority and that legislation to fast-track cladding remediation and tighten accountability will be most welcomed by the thousands of people still living in dangerous conditions and actively fighting for safer homes.”
Social Housing Renewal Bill
Gavin Smart, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “Measures to deliver on commitments around Right to Buy reform, stronger tenancy protections for domestic abuse survivors, and steps to safeguard much-needed social homes and security of tenure are all positive. We look forward to seeing the detail and working with government and partners to ensure the legislation delivers meaningful, practical improvements for current and future residents.”
Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill
Florence Eshalomi, chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee said: “Housing represents the single biggest cost for household budgets across the country, and many of the five million leaseholders across England and Wales are waiting for this legislation to cap ground rents, give homeowners control, and put an end to unreasonable fees.
“The government has an electoral mandate to address the fundamental flaws in the current leasehold system, and it is vital they press ahead urgently with the comprehensive legislation needed to fix these issues. I urge the government to put a priority on getting this legislation through Parliament as soon as possible.”
Gavin Smart, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, added: “We welcome the government’s ambition through the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill to address long-standing unfairness in the leasehold system and give homeowners greater control, transparency and security.
“Proposals to cap ground rents, strengthen protections against disproportionate enforcement, and make commonhold a workable alternative are important steps in improving the experience of home ownership for millions of leaseholders. We look forward to seeing the detail and working with government to ensure these reforms deliver practical, lasting change for residents.”
The Residential Freehold Association (RFA), however, is less than happy with the proposed legislation, calling it an “unjustified interference” in “property rights”.
A spokesperson said: “The government’s announcement in the King’s Speech that it intends to bring forward legislation to reform the leasehold system and cap existing ground rents represents a wholly unjustified interference with existing property rights which, if enacted, would seriously damage investor confidence in the UK housing market and send a dangerous and unprecedented signal to the wider institutional investment sector.
“These proposals would transfer significant value from pension funds and other long-term investors to wealthy overseas buy-to-let landlords who make up a significant proportion of leaseholders in the UK. The previous government’s own impact assessment suggested a retrospective cap could cost around £30bn, while the resulting forced exit of professional freeholders from the sector risks hindering building safety projects without addressing rising service charges.
“We urge the government to instead prioritise reforms that would deliver meaningful real-world benefits for leaseholders, including regulating managing agents, improving transparency and raising professional standards across the sector.”
There’s a potential silver lining, though, with law firm Payne Hicks Beach’s suggestion that the proposed reforms might encourage developers to turn their attentions to social housing.
Scott Goldstein, property disputes partner at the law firm, said: “The reform of the leasehold system is set to shake up the housing sector. Developers will no longer be able to hold onto freeholds once construction finishes, tightening their ground rent income, which is already reduced with the upcoming cap in 2028.
“The further loss of earnings from lease extensions could prompt developers to recoup costs by upping the price of new build flats. Developers may also turn their attention towards projects not affected by the leasehold restrictions, such as Build to Rent schemes or social housing.
“Buyers may soon find themselves footing more of the bill as the industry adapts to these sweeping reforms.”
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, said: “Propertymark welcomes the UK government’s continued focus on leasehold reform as we support action to address long-standing issues within the leasehold system, including excessive ground rents, unfair charges and greater transparency for consumers. We now need to see these reforms progress at pace, with clear timelines and delivery, to provide certainty and confidence for consumers and the wider housing sector.
“We acknowledge the UK government’s ambition to make commonhold the default tenure for new flats and to strengthen leaseholder rights. However, reform must be carefully phased to avoid market disruption and ensure existing leaseholders, property agents, and developers can transition effectively to any new system. Propertymark has consistently called for clearer standards, improved transparency around service charges, professional qualifications for property agents, and practical reforms that improve consumer confidence across the housing market.”
Remediation Bill
Gavin Smart, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Housing, added: “We welcome the government’s commitment through the Remediation Bill to speed up the removal of unsafe cladding and ensure those responsible are held to account. Giving regulators stronger powers, creating clear duties to remediate, and closing gaps that have left residents stuck in unsafe homes are important steps toward restoring confidence and safety. We look forward to working with government to ensure these measures translate into faster action and real peace of mind for residents.”
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, added: “It is positive to see plans to accelerate remediation works and strengthen accountability for unsafe buildings. Leaseholders and residents have faced unacceptable delays and uncertainty for too long. The UK government must ensure remediation funding, enforcement powers and clear legal responsibilities are implemented quickly so that affected residents are protected, and confidence can return to the housing market.”
Li Yen Lim, construction & engineering lawyer at Freeths, said: “The proposed Remediation Bill is a positive escalation from policy to enforcement, but it risks mistaking pressure for progress. Imposing hard deadlines and criminal sanctions may force action, but it does not resolve the underlying reality practitioners see daily: remediation is delayed not by reluctance alone, but by complex liability chains, and an evolving, still uncertain framework under the Building Safety Act 2022.
“Without greater clarity on key provisions for instance the parameters of the just and equitable test in relation to liability of associated entities in claims for Building Liability Orders and Remediation Contribution Orders, the Bill may simply front-load disputes rather than unblock them. There is a real risk that the industry sees more litigation, not less, as parties race to protect their position under tightened timelines. If the aim is to accelerate remediation, the focus must shift from adding pressure to removing friction – through clearer guidance and procedural certainty.”
Sarah Maylor, partner at Eversheds Sutherland, said: “This Bill signals a shift from policy to enforcement. The government is no longer relying on voluntary compliance, but is creating a regime where those responsible will be compelled to act or face serious consequences.
“The ability to pursue manufacturers is potentially transformative, but the reality is these claims will be hard fought, and in the short term at least, the industry should expect an increase in disputes. The real test will be whether these measures accelerate remediation in practice. Without sufficient capacity, clarity on scope, and alignment between legal processes and delivery on the ground, there is a risk that increased regulation simply adds another layer of complexity to an already slow system.”
Main image: The King Speech. ©House of Lords/Roger Harris
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