Fri, 06 Feb 2026

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 I can't sell Mum's retirement flat - and it's costing me thousands

Relatives face "never-ending nightmare" of service charge debts as thousands of retirement flats stand empty across England and Wales.

* Families are being forced to pay £11,000+ per year in service charges for empty retirement homes
* Some flats have been on the market for over 9 years and still have no offers
* Estimated 10,000 long-term empty properties in privately owned retirement blocks across England and Wales
* Service charges include ground rent, council tax, and other maintenance costs
* Families struggle to pay standing charges while trying to sell the property
* Restrictive leases and high service charges are contributing factors to the problem
* Critics call for reduction or delay of service charges until a sale is complete, and re-examination of age restrictions in leases.
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