UK competition watchdog closes case against Barratt over leasehold homes
The UK’s competition watchdog has closed a case against one of the country’s largest housebuilders Barratt over its sale of leasehold homes.
In a statement today, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that “it was insufficient to support a clear legal case for the CMA to secure collective redress for Barratt leaseholders under its consumer law powers.”
The regulator added that Barratt’s “sales practices have changed” and that it no longer sells leasehold homes.
Leasehold homes raised public concern several years ago over rising ground rents which could often double each year – and made the properties difficult to sell on.
The CMA is still in talks with firms who purchases freeholds from Taylor Wimpey to remove the doubling clauses from their leases.
Taylor Wimpey has previously said it is committed to removing the clauses, which push up ground rents, at no cost to leaseholders.