Right to Buy Scheme for council tenants
Case reference FOI2019/01087
Published 8 October 2019
Request
Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from your council. My request relates to the Right to Buy scheme for council tenants to buy their homes. Specifically, it relates to owners extending their leasehold leases with your council as the freeholder. I am asking each council in England and Wales with a housing brief in an effort to create a national picture. In each case, I understand that records may be incomplete, and if this is the case, I would like whatever figures are available, together with their dates, to give the most accurate view possible. Here is what I am requesting: 1. In total, how many leasehold extensions have been agreed since Right to Buy started? If records are incomplete on this, please also indicate what years of data are available. 2. How much has been raised from these extensions in total? Again, if this is for specific years, please also say which years are covered. 3. How many of these were 90-year extensions under the 1993 Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act? A percentage is fine. 4. How many extensions for each of the last 10 calendar years? How much was raised in total for each year? If the information is more easily available in fiscal years, please deliver it so, but please do indicate if that's the case. 5. For each year of the last 10 years, how many extensions were for leases with 80 years remaining or less? How much was raised from these extensions? 6. How much was raised from the single most-expensive extension? When was this, and how many years were left on the lease before the extension? Again, if records are patchy, please indicate whether this is the most-expensive, or the most-expensive for whatever years are available, and what those years are. 7. How much was charged to leaseholders in fees in total for these extensions? 8. Who were the parties paid the fees and how much each? If this includes law firms, please name the top five and how much each of them received. 9. How many extensions went to tribunal per year for the last 10 years and in total? How much was spent on tribunals by the council? 10. In total, what percentage of Right to Buy properties were sold leasehold and what percentage freehold by the council?
Response
1. In total, how many leasehold extensions have been agreed since Right to Buy started? If records are incomplete on this, please also indicate what years of data are available.
One
2. How much has been raised from these extensions in total? Again, if this is for specific years, please also say which years are covered.
£3,900.00 (2019)
3. How many of these were 90-year extensions under the 1993 Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act? A percentage is fine.
One
4. How many extensions for each of the last 10 calendar years? How much was raised in total for each year? If the information is more easily available in fiscal years, please deliver it so, but please do indicate if that's the case.
£3,900.00 (2019)
5. For each year of the last 10 years, how many extensions were for leases with 80 years remaining or less? How much was raised from these extensions?
None
6. How much was raised from the single most-expensive extension? When was this, and how many years were left on the lease before the extension? Again, if records are patchy, please indicate whether this is the most-expensive, or the most-expensive for whatever years are available, and what those years are.
£3,900 in 2019. 89 years remaining.
7. How much was charged to leaseholders in fees in total for these extensions?
£1,388.00
8. Who were the parties paid the fees and how much each? If this includes law firms, please name the top five and how much each of them received.
In house legal team - £1,200, and external surveyors - £288.00.
9. How many extensions went to tribunal per year for the last 10 years and in total? How much was spent on tribunals by the council?
None
10. In total, what percentage of Right to Buy properties were sold leasehold and what percentage freehold by the council? Again, if records are incomplete, a percentage relating to existing records and the timeframe of those records will be fine.
From financial years 2013/14 -2018/19 (6 years) 56% of the right to buy properties were freehold and 44% leasehold.
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.