The government has announced plans to introduce further protections for leaseholders, including powers to cap fees and introduce independent regulation of property agents.

New legislation will give the Secretary of State powers to introduce caps on fees charged to leaseholders for permissions, such as requests to keep a pet, as well as some administrative charges. The measures will also apply to privately managed estates where homeowners can face similar charges for making changes to their properties.

A public consultation will be launched on which fees should be capped and the appropriate amount for each charge.

The government also intends to introduce independent regulation of property agents. Agents will be required to hold a licence and appropriate qualifications, with a new regulator able to set codes of practice covering areas including standards of conduct and complaints handling, and withdraw licences where required standards are not met.