Members only

With leaseholder and shared owner complaints and affordability issues hitting the national news and being investigated by MPs hear from our experts as they provide the updates and practical advice you need to improve services and respond to policy changes.

With leaseholder and shared owner complaints hitting the national news, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill going through parliament and shared ownership being investigated by MPs, hear from our experts as they provide the updates and practical advice you need to improve services and respond to policy changes.

Our annual conference will tackle the big issues such as the rising costs of shared ownership, short-term leases and staircasing as we ask if shared ownership is the next housing scandal about to damage the sector’s reputation. We will also look at practical ways to help ease the financial stress right now and learn how social landlords are helping owners with different strategies and solutions to improve affordability.

Hear from HQN leasehold experts Helen Muir and Jackie Dickins on the risks facing the sector as well as the technical detail of best practice in managing different leases, service charges, Section 20 procedures, and sinking funds.

As shared owners complain that they have been sold a risky financial burden instead of an affordable opportunity to get on the housing ladder hear directly from Sue Phillips, campaigner and founder of Shared Ownership Resources on what she thinks should change and listen to colleagues in the sector who are already tackling affordability issues and what they have learnt. Mark Foxcroft from Devonshires will also be updating the conference on the latest case law including both building safety and insurance issues.

This half day virtual event is aimed at both strategic staff thinking about future development plans, home ownership products and services as well as managers and officers dealing with the day-to-day problems affecting your customers and the service.

Main topics:

• Get the overview of the leasehold and shared ownership sector’s present state
• Learn what is happening to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill and its likely outcome
• Find out about proposed changes to shared ownership and how to improve affordability for owners
• Get the latest advice for leases, service charges, and fees
• Hear from the legal experts on the latest case law impacting the sector.

10.00 Welcome and introduction

• • Helen Muir, The Leasehold Network, HQN

10.05 The state of the leasehold and shared ownership sector

We will explore the issues that journalists and campaigners are raising, why we need to listen and act now and what the sector should be preparing for with a new government by the end of the year.

10:25 Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill – an update

• • DLUHC invited

With the government making amendments to its own bill as it passes through parliament, we will get an update on the current state of play, expectations of when it will become law and the likely implications for the sector.

10:55   Break

11:10 Enhancing shared ownership

• • Sue Phillips, Author, Shared Ownership Resources

As a key participant in the recent DLUHC committee inquiry into shared ownership, Sue will give her response to their report published in March and its implications for owners and social housing landlords.

Challenges in leases, service charges and fees

• • Jackie Dickins, HQN Associate

Jackie will update the conference on the upcoming revisions to the RICS service charges code of practice and outline its implications for providers as well as highlighting current issues and best practice in dealing with the technical details of leasehold management such as Section 20 notices, sinking funds and model leases in shared ownership, including 1% staircasing and the essential repairs allowance.

12.10  Affordability issues for service charges and fees

• • Adrian Shaw, Head of Rent & Service Charge, L&Q

  • Deborah Viljoen, Metropolitan Thames Valley.

Hear from two leading practitioners about how they are helping customers to manage increasing service charge bills as well as tackle wider affordability issues as mortgage costs and rents continue to increase.  They will explore what options are there and when to use them.

12:40  Legislation and regulation – the latest developments

• • Mark Foxcroft, Devonshires

Mark will update delegates on recent case law affecting leasehold and explore the roles and responsibilities of landlords and leaseholders in relation to fire safety regulations, building safety legislation and multi-occupancy building insurance rules amongst other current issues.

13.10 Closing remarks

• • Helen Muir, The Leasehold Network, HQN

13:15 Close

Helen Muir, HQN associate 

Helen has extensive experience of shared ownership, having worked in senior roles for two large housing groups where her responsibilities included sales programme delivery and the management of over 5,000 shared ownership/leasehold homes, along with running the largest Help to Buy agency in England.

As a consultant Helen specialises in affordable home ownership and leasehold management, and has provided interim management and strategic and operational support to a number of registered providers, local authorities and private sector companies. Helen also supports the Leasehold Network, writing briefings and speaking at several events.

Jackie Dickins, HQN associate

Jackie Dickins has been an HQN Associate since 2001 and is our lead consultant for HQN’s Leasehold Network. Prior to this she held positions at a London borough and two large housing associations based in London, where she was responsible for leasehold management and promoting work in the field of low-cost home ownership initiatives. Jackie undertakes many of HQN’s service reviews and service improvement work on leaseholder and home ownership. She has also worked in interim positions with a number of local authorities, arm’s length management organisations and housing associations as Head of Home Ownership/Home Ownership Manager.

Jackie also runs pre-exam workshops at associate and member level for the Institute of Residential Property Managers (IRPM) and is delivering training for apprentices seeking associate membership of the IRPM.

Jackie is responsible for developing, and is a lead assessor of HQN’s leasehold accreditation scheme.

Sue Phillips, Campaigner and Founder, Shared Ownership Resources

Sue launched Shared Ownership Resources, in 2021, to champion the interests of shared owners and households considering shared ownership. The project publishes case studies, collaborates with housing, legal and financial experts to offer specialist information and advice; and campaigns for improved transparency and better outcomes and against mis-selling and other poor practices in the sector.

She has spoken at events including Homes UK 2023 and the British New Homes Mortgage Senate 2022. In May 2023, she published Shared Ownership: The Consumer Perspective.

Sue is a qualified chartered accountant (retired), writer and former shared owner.

Deborah Viljoen, Metropolitan Thames Valley 

Deborah has worked within the social housing sector for 29 years with a mixed background from repairs, keyworker, housing management, homeownership, service charges, income collection for both rented and Homeownership. She has also worked within Local Authorities and Housing Associations.

Debrorah is currently working within Homeownership at MTVH including service charges and rent setting. Although for the first time in many years not leading on homeownership income collection, she still supports that function within MTVH with complex cases and will now be leading on energy billing for homeowners and tenants.

Mark Foxcroft, Devonshires 

Adrian Shaw, Head of Rent & Service Charge, L&Q