2.4 Our system of leasehold tenure is fundamentally flawed. It has its roots in the feudal system and gives disproportionate powers and privileges to landowners, while denying leaseholders the rights and responsibilities that other homeowners expect. Poor condition housing 2.5 Housing condition and amenity has improved greatly over the years. Despite this, today nearly 3 million households live in poor housing, which has either failed the housing fitness standard, is in major disrepair or needs essential modernisation work. Housing may be defined as poor in these terms for a wide range of reasons, including unsatisfactory food preparation areas, inadequate heating, dampness, and major structural problems such as roofs or windows that need replacement.
Poor housing exists across all tenures.
2.6 Vulnerable and disadvantaged households such as the unemployed, lone parents and some ethnic minority groups are more likely to live in poor housing. They are also more likely to live in run-down areas where there are concentrations of housing that is in substantial disrepair, empty or derelict, and where there are other forms of neglect or misuse. Because of the high level of homeownership in Britain, most poor housing is in the owner-occupied sector. It is often owned by people on limited incomes or without access to the necessary resources to tackle essential repairs and maintenance work. However, the highest proportions of poor housing exist in the private rented sector and in local authority housing.