§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to introduce identical service charges for people's properties purchased under the right-to-buy legislation, where the properties are similar and receive the same services; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. YeoThere are no plans to amend the legislation, which provides that a tenant exercising the right to buy a flat may be required to bear a reasonable part of the costs of repair and other services provided by the landlord.
The protections of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 apply to purchases of local authority flats under right to buy as well as to purchases in the private sector. Leaseholders have the right to information on how their service charges have been made up and may challenge unreasonable demands in court.