Full Breakdown
Angela Rayner’s Labour Conference Push: Reforming Leasehold Practices and Challenging Migrant Visa Changes
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – Conference Statements on Housing and Migration Policy
At Labour’s annual conference, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner announced measures to protect leaseholders from excessive fees and called for tighter regulation of property-management agents. She also criticised Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s proposed overhaul of the route to indefinite leave to remain (ILR), describing the changes as “un-British” and “unfair.” Rayner framed both interventions as part of a broader agenda to curb “cowboy” practices in the housing market and to defend migrant care workers from retroactive rule changes.
Background & Context – Leasehold System and ILR Rules
Leasehold ownership in England and Wales gives residents the right to occupy a property for a set term while the land remains owned by a freeholder. Roughly five million leasehold properties exist, about 70 % of which are flats. Leaseholders often face ground-rent charges, rising service-charge demands, and fees for simple alterations such as keeping a pet or changing a front door.
The ILR pathway currently requires most migrants to reside in the UK for five years before qualifying for permanent settlement. Mahmood’s plan, announced last November, would double that period to ten years for most migrants and extend it to fifteen years for health- and social-care visa holders.
Official Statements & Responses
- Rayner’s housing proposals: She pledged legislation for an independent regulator to oversee estate agents, managing agents, and estate managers, and announced a consultation on capping administrative fees. The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill aims to replace new leasehold flats with a commonhold model where owners collectively manage shared areas.
- Mahmood’s migration plan: The Home Secretary said a decision on the ILR reforms would be made “very soon” while the proposals remain in consultation, emphasizing a balance between incoming workers and existing taxpayers.
- Judicial outcome: The High Court dismissed a 2025 legal challenge by freeholder and investor groups contesting the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, confirming the reforms as lawful.
Criticism & Opposition
- Property sector: Developers and freeholder groups argue the reforms will eliminate revenue streams from selling freeholds and could depress property values.
- Labour backbenchers: More than 100 Labour MPs have expressed discontent with the ILR changes, fearing they will deter essential care workers.
- Trade unions and campaign groups: These organisations have condemned the retrospective extension of residency waiting periods as punitive to migrants already contributing to the NHS and social care.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Sources provide a single figure for daily permanent settlements (1 100) but do not break down the composition of those grants, leaving uncertainty about how many pertain to care workers versus other categories.
- No specific timeline is given for when the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will receive Royal Assent, only that it is expected to be introduced in the autumn and could come into force from 2028.
What’s Next – Legislative and Policy Outlook
- The government will launch a consultation on capping administrative fees for leaseholders and introduce the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill in the upcoming autumn session.
- A decision on the ILR reforms is anticipated “very soon,” with the Home Office expected to publish final guidance after the consultation period concludes.
These parallel initiatives illustrate Labour’s attempt to address long-standing grievances in both the housing market and the migration system, while navigating opposition from industry groups, party members, and civil-society organisations.
