How William the Conqueror's land grab sparked Britain's housing crisis

Photo: Stephane Maurice/AFP

When William the Conqueror formed his new kingdom in 1066, the plight of 5 million tenants per thousand years was not even considered in the distant future.

But fast forward to today: property owners across the country are bearing the brunt of the Norman king's legacy.

Housing Secretary of State Michael Gove hopes to reverse What he called Britain's «outdated feudal system», yet rental properties are still an integral part of the country's housing crisis.

Owning a rental property means you have to pay ground rent and maintenance fees Freeholder — ultimate owner of the building and land.

Landlords have faced rising costs — up 60% in just five years — on top of rising mortgage and energy bills. One Telegraph reader, who owns a two-bedroom flat in Southampton, said his annual service charge has risen to £6,203.68 this year.

This is a growing housing problem today that has its roots in laws passed hundreds of years ago.

Before one of William I's archers shot Harold Godwinson in the eye at the Battle of Hastings, England was divided among a mosaic of landowners.

This ended abruptly when William came to the throne, who hastily set about replacing the ruling class. Every inch of land was confiscated, and soon the entire kingdom belonged to the new monarch.

He divided most of the land among his 170 loyal nobles and soldiers, while retaining full ownership of the Crown. The barons (essentially holding a freehold on behalf of the king) pledged to pay the crown and send men when the time came for war. This agreement was called a fief in Latin, which in English means «fee.»

The barons could then rent out their land to peasant farmers, which marked the beginning of the rental system.

Almost a millennium later, England and Wales are the only countries where tenancy is still widely used. The government is finally trying to reform the laws, but there is still a long way to go. Meanwhile, buyers are now starting to «avoid» apartments with large maintenance overheads following increased awareness of the rental law.

In an article in The Telegraph last month, former housing secretary Robert Jenrick MP said that the system is “archaic” and “has become a symbol of predatory Britain, where hidden accounts lurk around every corner.”

«Renting today is not a strange British anomaly, but an affront to the distinctly British dream of home ownership and the peace of mind that comes with ownership rather than the insecurity of renting or leasing,» he wrote.

Leasehold is mainly used for properties that share one premises or have common services, such as apartment buildings. However, it is increasingly being used to build new homes as landlords seek to take advantage of the guaranteed income stream that ground rents can provide.

The announced reforms aim to give tenants more rights to buy land into the property. properties or extend their leases, although the letting of apartments will not be banned.

However, last month MPs warned that the long-awaited tenancy and vacant possession reform bill will not come into force until 2026.

Landowners descended from William I

In addition to forming the feudal system, the Normans continued to influence the British. owning land by other means.

Modern landowners still benefit from William's conquest, with many of them, including King Charles III, being descendants of the ruler and his loyal barons.

According to the famous In Kevin Cahill's book Who Owns the World, 70% of the land is still owned by less than 1% of the population, and only 0.3% claim two-thirds of the country.

Most of the land is under the control of the elite, and therefore much is closed to housing development.

The UK is currently building around 210,000 new homes a year, on the back of 672,000 annual net migration, according to the latest figures.

< p>Offering the ruling class an opportunity take over most of Britain's land, William I unknowingly set in motion the current housing shortage.

If Britain were to catch up with the EU average in terms of housing units per 100,000 inhabitants, only England would have to build 3.4 million extra homes.

In addition, the average British home takes up only two-thirds the space of the average Dutch home in Germany, Belgium or France.

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