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Government opens consultation on residents’ associations

The government has launched a consultation on proposals which would force landlords to provide residents’ associations with information about leaseholders.

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Government opens consultation on residents’ associations

Under the plans, secretaries of residents’ associations would be able to obtain contact details for leaseholders of the same landlord, making it easier for the group to get formally recognised.

Residents’ associations are typically required to have membership levels of at least 60% of flats in a block in order to gain recognition from a first-tier tribunal.

Engagement with resident groups has been placed under the spotlight since the Grenfell Tower disaster on 14 June, after it emerged that Grenfell Action Group had repeatedly raised fire safety concerns about the block.


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Formally recognised residents’ associations have extra legal rights not afforded to individual leaseholders, such as the right to appoint a surveyor to advise on service charges.

Landlords will be required to ask all tenants for their consent to have their details passed on to a residents’ association if requested by the group’s secretary.

The consultation document adds that “it will be possible for any new regulations to permit the landlord to charge other parties” for the cost of complying.

Bob Smytherman, chairman of the Federation of Private Residents’ Associations, said: “Formal recognition is really, really important for us. This is something we have been lobbying hard for so we’re really delighted that this is coming forward and we really hope that the government listens to us and others so that residents can have a greater voice and really feel empowered.”

The deadline for responses to the consultation is 19 September.

Update: at 5.15pm, 25.07.17 The story was updated to include a comment from Bob Smytherman.

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