The Basingstoke leaseholder taking back control of his building

Leasehold flats are subject to what some MPs have described as outdated, feudal laws around ownership.

Leaseholders do not just have their mortgages to pay, they also owe money to the person who owns the land, and to the property manager – in this case, RMG.

Mr Wheeler said the most common complaints he has received about the company are that it often fails to respond to complaints in a timely manner, and that leaseholders were worried they could be overcharged.

He said that was because he and his fellow leaseholders never received a breakdown of costs from the company.

“Every flat in this block pays £2,700 a year in service charges,” he said.

When asked where he thinks that money is going, he responds: “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Another leaseholder from a different building the BBC spoke to shared a financial report from RMG that showed charges of almost £1,000 in total for replacing five lightbulbs.