Hendon MP David Pinto-Duschinsky is taking action on excessive fees

Hendon MP David Pinto-Duschinsky (credit parliament.uk)

Leaseholders are being ripped off by managing agents and charged excessive fees for a poor standard of service. They’ve been getting a raw deal for too long and it needs to stop. Since being elected Member of Parliament for Hendon, this is what my constituents have told me time and time again. I’ve listened – and I’m taking action.

As an example, take my constituent Susan (not her real name.) When Susan bought her dream flat in Colindale, she never imagined it would turn into a nightmare. Like many leaseholders, she quickly found herself trapped by soaring service charges, unresponsive managing agents, and a system that offered her little protection.

At first, Susan’s service charge was manageable. But year after year, it climbed until she was paying over £400 a month. It was like taking on a second mortgage. Yet despite the skyrocketing costs, the building’s upkeep declined. Repairs took months, if they happened at all. When she questioned the charges, she was met with silence or excuses. And if she refused to pay? She risked losing her home altogether.

Trapped by extortionate service charges and unable to sell, Susan was stuck – just one of the numerous leaseholders facing this reality in the areas I represent: Hendon, Colindale, Burnt Oak, Edgware and Mill Hill.

As Members of Parliament, we’ve heard far too many stories like Susan’s. Across Barnet, London, and the country, leaseholders are being exploited by managing agents who demand ever-higher fees while delivering ever-worse service. These companies operate with little transparency and even less accountability. Enough is enough.

I met with the managing director of FirstPort, the UK’s biggest leasehold managing agent, and one of the worst offenders. I asked them to come to parliament to explain themselves, and I’m holding them to account to make sure they take quick action to stop ripping off residents.

At the Stonegrove Estate in Edgware and at Ridgeway Views in Mill Hill, I have been pressing FirstPort for senior management meetings to address residents’ concerns over spiraling service charges and poor maintenance. I have also been working to bring together key stakeholders—including freeholders and shared ownership leaseholders—to demand greater transparency.

Meanwhile, after residents at Prince of Wales Close in Hendon were hit with shocking £11,000 bills for electrical work, I raised urgent concerns with Barnet Council questioning whether the costs are truly necessary. At Mar House in Colindale I am pushing for clear timelines on cladding removal and seeking accountability over unexplained backdated fees.

This is just the start. I am committed to fighting for our constituents by taking on failing managing agents, challenging unfair service charges, and pushing for urgent leasehold reform. If you’re a leaseholder with a problem with your managing agent, let me know and I’ll do my best to help: [email protected].

David Pinto-Duschinsky is Labour MP for Hendon

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