Mohammad Yasin has met with residents in Crowe Road over the issue of service charge inflation.

He said in a post on social media: “I chaired a meeting with residents on Crowe Road facing eye-watering bills – and they are far from alone.

“Leaseholders, freeholders and tenants alike are being hit. Too many are trapped paying for defects caused by poor construction, stuck in homes they cannot sell, and burdened with charges they have little power to challenge.”

And, following the meeting, he pressed the Government to toughen up the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill in the House of Commons.

He said in the House yesterday (Monday): “With service charge inflation rising by 50% and leaseholders, freeholders and tenants even facing 80% increases, this is a growing scandal.

"Too many of my constituents are trapped under charges they cannot afford, paying for defects caused by poor construction and stuck with properties they cannot sell.

"Will the secretary of state strengthen the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill to require fully itemised transparency, to penalise landlords who refuse disclosure and to create a faster, cheaper way to challenge excessive charges without a tribunal?”

Steve Reed, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, replied: “The Government recognise the considerable financial strain that rising service charges place on leaseholders and tenants.

"On 4 July last year, the Government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services, which included proposals to increase transparency of service charges and to scrap the presumption that leaseholders pay their landlord’s legal costs, thereby removing a significant barrier to challenging poor practice.

"The consultation closed on 26 September; we are analysing the responses and will publish our response shortly.”

Mr Yasin went on to on social media: “For the sake of everyone affected, I hope we now see swift and meaningful progress.”

A spokesperson for the Crowe Road RMG Residents Leaseholders Group said their estate is managed by Residential Management Group (RMG).

They say they have seen "significant increases" in service charge demands, including costs relating to fire safety assessments and other communal services.

Sydney G. Campbell, lead contact for the group, said: "Residents are not refusing to pay for legitimate services. We are asking for fairness, reasonableness and full transparency.

"When charges rise sharply without clear explanation, people feel powerless.

"Having our concerns raised in Parliament shows this is not just a local issue - it reflects a wider national problem affecting leaseholders across the country.”

In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), an RMG spokesperson said increases at Crowe Road relate to “essential fire safety works identified through an independent assessment”, which highlighted “serious compartmentation and related fire risks”.

"These are not discretionary improvements - they are necessary to keep residents safe and meet legal safety obligations.

"The works have been competitively tendered through an independent process to ensure they are appropriate and deliver value for money.

"We remain committed to transparency, open communication and constructive engagement at all times.

“Residents’ safety will always be our priority and for these essential works to be carried out, costs must be recovered through service charges in accordance with the lease.

"If anyone is struggling to meet costs, we urge them to please contact us to see how we can help," they said.

Residents say they remain willing to engage constructively with RMG, but are calling for clearer cost breakdowns, justification of major expenditure items, and meaningful consultation before further increases are imposed.

The Crowe Road group hopes parliamentary scrutiny will help accelerate reform and improve protections for leaseholders in Bedford and beyond.