Just after the first anniversary of the devastating fire that destroyed the privately owned Spectrum Building in Dagenham, Margaret Mullane MP has called for the legal rights of leaseholders to be strengthened.
As it stands, there is no legal requirement for freeholders or insurers to disclose technical or construction information to leaseholders in the event of a disaster which destroys a residential building. This denies the leaseholders the opportunity to seek financial redress for their losses.
In response to this, Margaret Mullane MP, the Labour Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham has now tabled an Early Day Motion calling for the government to revise the statutory rights of leaseholders as part of the upcoming Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill (EDM 1768: Statutory right for leaseholders to access information)
https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/64197
Margaret said “Leaseholders at Spectrum Building faced the trauma of their homes and belongings being lost in the fire on 26 August last year, and they are still unable to get information relating to the construction and materials in the building from the building owner. They need this so that they can be in a stronger position to take legal action if that is appropriate.
The current law does not give this as right to the almost 5 million leaseholders in Britain. That’s why I have tabled the Early Day Motion and am calling for legislation to be amended to extend this right.
After 14 years of the previous government failing to act to protect leaseholders, the Labour government has acted and is strengthening rights for leaseholders, I want to see the package of measures include this right of disclosure so that leaseholders do not have to go through what the residents of Spectrum Building had to endure.”