Read it before you sign!

As I see it, these people who are complaining about the practical effects of having purchased a leasehold property are either stupid - in which case they have only themselves to blame - or they have been badly advised, in which case they should consider suing the solicitor and estate agent who acted for them in the sale. Perhaps it was more common in my day, but leasehold is a perfectly straightforward concept - you buy the house but not the land it stands on.  As such, the house should cost less, but you will have to pay rent to the owner of the land, and your rights and responsibilities in this respect will be set out in the lease you sign with them. So, if you've read it, you will know exactly where you stand and how much you will have to shell out and what increases there might be in the future.  And if you haven't read it, then more fool you.  Of course, you might have relied on your solicitor to do that for you, and if he/she didn't make things clear, then your beef is with them. The lease can only be altered by mutual agreement, so if the original landowner sells it on to someone else, the terms remain the same.  The hard-luck stories making the news all seem to be based on the house owner not being fully aware of the terms of the lease. The question is - whose fault is that?