Melissa York
@melyorktt.bsky.social
Assistant Property Editor at The Times & Sunday Times. Proud #housingnerd and dachshund obsessive. Message me or email me at melissa.york@thetimes.co.uk
Pinned
Melissa York
@melyorktt.bsky.social
· Nov 27
Who are the ‘shadowy’ lobbyists trying to save leasehold?
Fearful of losing their investments, shadowy lobbyists are trying to save leasehold laws by any means necessary — including using pensioners and human rights laws
www.thetimes.com
Hello, everyone! I write about housing for the Times & Sunday Times. Below 👇 are a few examples of my work but if you want to talk about anything housing-related, my DMs are open and my email is in my bio 🧵 www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Firstly I write about all things leasehold
Firstly I write about all things leasehold
Reposted by Melissa York
Corker of an investigation by @melyorktt.bsky.social into the hundreds of millions of pounds collected by local councils, that they then proceed to do nothing with
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Councils hoard millions from ‘extension tax’ as homeowners suffer
Families are facing financial ruin over wrongly applied community infrastructure levy charges, while funds raised from it sit idly in local government accounts
www.thetimes.com
September 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Corker of an investigation by @melyorktt.bsky.social into the hundreds of millions of pounds collected by local councils, that they then proceed to do nothing with
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Reposted by Melissa York
More than 2mn council homes been sold through right-to-buy, worth £371bn, biggest transfer of public property into private ownership in UK history.
Homes were sold at an average discount of 44%, nearly £194bn in lost value to taxpayers.
(£) www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
By @melyorktt.bsky.social
Homes were sold at an average discount of 44%, nearly £194bn in lost value to taxpayers.
(£) www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
By @melyorktt.bsky.social
August 14, 2025 at 11:14 AM
More than 2mn council homes been sold through right-to-buy, worth £371bn, biggest transfer of public property into private ownership in UK history.
Homes were sold at an average discount of 44%, nearly £194bn in lost value to taxpayers.
(£) www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
By @melyorktt.bsky.social
Homes were sold at an average discount of 44%, nearly £194bn in lost value to taxpayers.
(£) www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
By @melyorktt.bsky.social
Reposted by Melissa York
@melyorktt.bsky.social's The Sunday Times article analyses the impact of 45yrs of right-to-buy.
It highlights our UK Housing Review research that shows 50yrs ago 95% of state spending on housing was on building homes & 5% on benefits. By 2022 this reversed to 88% on benefits & 12% on building homes
It highlights our UK Housing Review research that shows 50yrs ago 95% of state spending on housing was on building homes & 5% on benefits. By 2022 this reversed to 88% on benefits & 12% on building homes
Did right-to-buy cause Britain’s housing crisis?
Forty-five years since council tenants were encouraged to join the ‘property-owning democracy’, has Margaret Thatcher’s flagship scheme backfired? Melissa York meets right-to-buy’s winners and losers
www.thetimes.com
August 14, 2025 at 3:24 PM
@melyorktt.bsky.social's The Sunday Times article analyses the impact of 45yrs of right-to-buy.
It highlights our UK Housing Review research that shows 50yrs ago 95% of state spending on housing was on building homes & 5% on benefits. By 2022 this reversed to 88% on benefits & 12% on building homes
It highlights our UK Housing Review research that shows 50yrs ago 95% of state spending on housing was on building homes & 5% on benefits. By 2022 this reversed to 88% on benefits & 12% on building homes
Reposted by Melissa York
This is a v funny piece by colleague @melyorktt.bsky.social, but there is a serious point behind it - a huge number of newbuilds simply aren't built for our changing climate and, pretty soon, may be unlivable.
www.thetimes.com/article/49fb...
www.thetimes.com/article/49fb...
Heatwaves are hell in my new-build flat
Highly insulated modern apartments save their owners a fortune in energy bills but when the temperature rises, the downside becomes clear. Here’s how to cope
www.thetimes.com
June 29, 2025 at 10:03 AM
This is a v funny piece by colleague @melyorktt.bsky.social, but there is a serious point behind it - a huge number of newbuilds simply aren't built for our changing climate and, pretty soon, may be unlivable.
www.thetimes.com/article/49fb...
www.thetimes.com/article/49fb...
Reposted by Melissa York
Another double act with @melyorktt.bsky.social this time in Money. The government’s local government funding proposals, proper reform or a patch-up job on a broken system?
Either way, the days of very cheap council tax for some London boroughs could be over
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
Either way, the days of very cheap council tax for some London boroughs could be over
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
Is your council tax about to get more expensive?
The black hole in local authority finances will be filled by taxpayers, with some regions set for bigger rises than others. Here’s what you need to know
www.thetimes.com
June 20, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Another double act with @melyorktt.bsky.social this time in Money. The government’s local government funding proposals, proper reform or a patch-up job on a broken system?
Either way, the days of very cheap council tax for some London boroughs could be over
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
Either way, the days of very cheap council tax for some London boroughs could be over
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
Will Rachel Reeves’ £39bn “biggest social and affordable housing investment for 50 years” result in more housing for low income households? And what about the rest of the market? My analysis for @thetimes.com
www.thetimes.com/article/faf7...
www.thetimes.com/article/faf7...
Will the spending review 2025 mean more new affordable housing?
Will Rachel Reeves’s £39 billion plan truly solve Britain’s housing crisis or is it merely a temporary fix? We analyse the chancellor’s pledges
www.thetimes.com
June 11, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Will Rachel Reeves’ £39bn “biggest social and affordable housing investment for 50 years” result in more housing for low income households? And what about the rest of the market? My analysis for @thetimes.com
www.thetimes.com/article/faf7...
www.thetimes.com/article/faf7...
Reposted by Melissa York
An excellent analysis of today's housing policy announcements by my colleague @melyorktt.bsky.social
www.thetimes.com/article/faf7...
www.thetimes.com/article/faf7...
Will the spending review 2025 mean more new affordable housing?
Will Rachel Reeves’s £39 billion plan truly solve Britain’s housing crisis or is it merely a temporary fix? We analyse the chancellor’s pledges
www.thetimes.com
June 11, 2025 at 9:08 PM
An excellent analysis of today's housing policy announcements by my colleague @melyorktt.bsky.social
www.thetimes.com/article/faf7...
www.thetimes.com/article/faf7...
London’s luxury empty houses: why are so many not lived in?
I investigate with @davidbyers26.bsky.social and it’s FREE TO READ 🎉
www.thetimes.com/article/163e...
I investigate with @davidbyers26.bsky.social and it’s FREE TO READ 🎉
www.thetimes.com/article/163e...
London’s luxury empty houses: why are so many not lived in?
In Notting Hill a serene garden square reveals a startling trend: most houses stand empty. Is it tax changes, market timing or something more sinister?
www.thetimes.com
March 16, 2025 at 3:17 PM
London’s luxury empty houses: why are so many not lived in?
I investigate with @davidbyers26.bsky.social and it’s FREE TO READ 🎉
www.thetimes.com/article/163e...
I investigate with @davidbyers26.bsky.social and it’s FREE TO READ 🎉
www.thetimes.com/article/163e...
Reposted by Melissa York
The paywall is down at @thetimes.com - so why not read a new investigation, by @melyorktt.bsky.social and me, on why so many luxury London homes are languishing empty and unloved... from Belgravia to Notting Hill.
www.thetimes.com/article/163e...
www.thetimes.com/article/163e...
London’s luxury empty houses: why are so many not lived in?
In Notting Hill a serene garden square reveals a startling trend: most houses stand empty. Is it tax changes, market timing or something more sinister?
www.thetimes.com
March 16, 2025 at 8:34 AM
The paywall is down at @thetimes.com - so why not read a new investigation, by @melyorktt.bsky.social and me, on why so many luxury London homes are languishing empty and unloved... from Belgravia to Notting Hill.
www.thetimes.com/article/163e...
www.thetimes.com/article/163e...
Reposted by Melissa York
Absolutely key: there are 5m leasehold properties in the UK; what plans are there to get them feeling, costing and operating like commonhold?
Here's everything we know following yesterday's commonhold white paper. It'll be great to see a reinvigorated legal framework for commonhold but there is still a question mark over where this leaves existing leaseholders
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
What will a ban on leasehold flats mean for buyers?
A move towards commonhold would give residents more control
www.thetimes.com
March 4, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Absolutely key: there are 5m leasehold properties in the UK; what plans are there to get them feeling, costing and operating like commonhold?
Free to read this weekend too!
March 15, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Free to read this weekend too!
As the government proposes banning the sale of new leasehold flats, a class action lawsuit suggests owners may be owed millions in compensation. Very well done by my @thetimes.com colleague James Hurley on the business desk www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
Leaseholders ‘ripped off by secret commissions on insurance’
As the government proposes banning the sale of new leasehold flats, a class action lawsuit suggests owners may be owed millions in compensation
www.thetimes.com
March 4, 2025 at 11:03 AM
As the government proposes banning the sale of new leasehold flats, a class action lawsuit suggests owners may be owed millions in compensation. Very well done by my @thetimes.com colleague James Hurley on the business desk www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
Here's everything we know following yesterday's commonhold white paper. It'll be great to see a reinvigorated legal framework for commonhold but there is still a question mark over where this leaves existing leaseholders
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
What will a ban on leasehold flats mean for buyers?
A move towards commonhold would give residents more control
www.thetimes.com
March 4, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Here's everything we know following yesterday's commonhold white paper. It'll be great to see a reinvigorated legal framework for commonhold but there is still a question mark over where this leaves existing leaseholders
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Exc: Houses valued at more than £1m in the Home Counties are taking longer to sell and when they do it is for £150,000 less than the asking price — a far cry from pandemic highs, according to new @investecgroup.bsky.social report
www.thetimes.com/uk/society/a...
www.thetimes.com/uk/society/a...
Home counties property boom is over as prices drop 9%
Houses valued at more than £1m are taking longer to sell and when they do it is for £150,000 less than the asking price — a far cry from pandemic highs
www.thetimes.com
January 27, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Exc: Houses valued at more than £1m in the Home Counties are taking longer to sell and when they do it is for £150,000 less than the asking price — a far cry from pandemic highs, according to new @investecgroup.bsky.social report
www.thetimes.com/uk/society/a...
www.thetimes.com/uk/society/a...
Leaseholders - new data shows it take the average flat owner 20 years to see the same increase in property value as a house owner would see in 10 years. Has anyone else seen little value growth when they sell a leasehold flat - and would be happy to talk about it?
January 17, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Leaseholders - new data shows it take the average flat owner 20 years to see the same increase in property value as a house owner would see in 10 years. Has anyone else seen little value growth when they sell a leasehold flat - and would be happy to talk about it?
Ever heard of the Headington Shark, a 25 ft fibreglass sculpture that sticks out of the roof a house in Oxford? Oxford City Council has banned its owner, Magnus, from letting it out on Airbnb. I spoke to him about planning battles and artistic expression www.thetimes.com/article/c0b8...
The £6,000-a-month rental opportunity with bite
A four-bedroom house — with a 25ft fibreglass shark on the roof — is up for rent in Oxford, but it needs a tenant who appreciates its story
www.thetimes.com
January 2, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Ever heard of the Headington Shark, a 25 ft fibreglass sculpture that sticks out of the roof a house in Oxford? Oxford City Council has banned its owner, Magnus, from letting it out on Airbnb. I spoke to him about planning battles and artistic expression www.thetimes.com/article/c0b8...
Reposted by Melissa York
Generation rent…
From the new Private Eye, in shops now.
From the new Private Eye, in shops now.
December 18, 2024 at 5:13 PM
Generation rent…
From the new Private Eye, in shops now.
From the new Private Eye, in shops now.
I investigated delays at the Land Registry. Nearly half of 'complex' applications such as lease extensions are taking 18 months to register, and new build owners are waiting years to be registered as the legal owner of their property www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
‘I faced a £1,350-a-month mortgage hike because of Land Registry delays’
Homeowners are waiting months or even years for property records to be updated — putting purchases and mortgage deals at risk
www.thetimes.com
December 20, 2024 at 10:43 AM
I investigated delays at the Land Registry. Nearly half of 'complex' applications such as lease extensions are taking 18 months to register, and new build owners are waiting years to be registered as the legal owner of their property www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Took my dog for a walk and he stopped and made this face 😟. I said “oh, don’t be silly, come - it’s a hairless cat on a lead in dungarees”
December 18, 2024 at 2:41 PM
Took my dog for a walk and he stopped and made this face 😟. I said “oh, don’t be silly, come - it’s a hairless cat on a lead in dungarees”
From @manumidolo.bsky.social: The Building Safety Regulator is often taking more than twice the time to make safety check decisions. In June out of 62 applications for checks; only four of them were completed within the legally mandated 12 week period www.thetimes.com/article/25e2...
The bottleneck stopping thousands of new homes being delivered
Safety checks introduced after Grenfell are causing delays on high-rise buildings, with developers having to wait for approval
www.thetimes.com
December 18, 2024 at 9:12 AM
From @manumidolo.bsky.social: The Building Safety Regulator is often taking more than twice the time to make safety check decisions. In June out of 62 applications for checks; only four of them were completed within the legally mandated 12 week period www.thetimes.com/article/25e2...
Could building on the green belt solve our housing crisis?
@centreforcities.bsky.social report they've been working on all year that shows where we could build 5m within commutable distance of 15 cities and 2/3rds of it lies within the green belt www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
@centreforcities.bsky.social report they've been working on all year that shows where we could build 5m within commutable distance of 15 cities and 2/3rds of it lies within the green belt www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Will Labour’s new towns be built near you? Check our map
Keir Starmer has promised a ‘golden era of building’, but the question of ‘where?’ went unanswered — until now
www.thetimes.com
December 9, 2024 at 12:43 PM
Could building on the green belt solve our housing crisis?
@centreforcities.bsky.social report they've been working on all year that shows where we could build 5m within commutable distance of 15 cities and 2/3rds of it lies within the green belt www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
@centreforcities.bsky.social report they've been working on all year that shows where we could build 5m within commutable distance of 15 cities and 2/3rds of it lies within the green belt www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Reposted by Melissa York
Now I couldn't say that this is where the new towns *will* be built, but thanks very much to @melyorktt.bsky.social for a great write up of the @centreforcities.bsky.social approach: build on existing urban economies and around public transport nodes www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Will Labour’s new towns be built near you? Check our map
Keir Starmer has promised a ‘golden era of building’, but the question of ‘where?’ went unanswered — until now
www.thetimes.com
December 8, 2024 at 11:23 PM
Now I couldn't say that this is where the new towns *will* be built, but thanks very much to @melyorktt.bsky.social for a great write up of the @centreforcities.bsky.social approach: build on existing urban economies and around public transport nodes www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
In a new regular series of articles called House Histories I started a couple of weeks ago, we ask readers to volunteer their homes and we delve into the history of them to see what we can find. Great comment from a former owner below this week's!
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Monks, vicars and airmen: the history of a Queen Anne house in Cheshire
Does Manor House, in the footballers’ belt, harbour a monks’ cell in its basement? We dig into the past of this characterful property
www.thetimes.com
November 29, 2024 at 12:27 PM
In a new regular series of articles called House Histories I started a couple of weeks ago, we ask readers to volunteer their homes and we delve into the history of them to see what we can find. Great comment from a former owner below this week's!
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Hello, everyone! I write about housing for the Times & Sunday Times. Below 👇 are a few examples of my work but if you want to talk about anything housing-related, my DMs are open and my email is in my bio 🧵 www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Firstly I write about all things leasehold
Firstly I write about all things leasehold
Who are the ‘shadowy’ lobbyists trying to save leasehold?
Fearful of losing their investments, shadowy lobbyists are trying to save leasehold laws by any means necessary — including using pensioners and human rights laws
www.thetimes.com
November 27, 2024 at 2:43 PM
Hello, everyone! I write about housing for the Times & Sunday Times. Below 👇 are a few examples of my work but if you want to talk about anything housing-related, my DMs are open and my email is in my bio 🧵 www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...
Firstly I write about all things leasehold
Firstly I write about all things leasehold
Ooh! Exciting! Please follow my colleagues 👇
🗞️ More and more Times and Sunday Times journalists and staff are joining BlueSky.
We’ll be updating this starter kit as they do so, you should give them a follow
👇
We’ll be updating this starter kit as they do so, you should give them a follow
👇
November 27, 2024 at 2:31 PM
Ooh! Exciting! Please follow my colleagues 👇