‘Incredibly misleading’: are Tixerbon trying to trick people into buying their freeholds?

Sheffield Central MP Abtisam Mohamed has written to housing minister Matthew Pennycook demanding he take “urgent action” against a company trying to pressurise local homeowners into buying their freeholds. She accused Tixerbon, which has recently written to a number of Sheffield leaseholders saying they intend to put “FOR SALE” signs in their front gardens, of being “bad actors” and “exploiting an outdated system” for cash. She also described the company’s justification for its actions as: “an incredibly misleading interpretation of the law”.

Based in Purfleet in Essex, Tixerbon first appeared in The Tribune in April after sending letters to householders featuring detailed questionnaires asking for all kinds of information about their homes, and saying internal inspections could follow. They claimed they were justified in doing this as they owned the freeholds to the homes in question.

Now, further letters have been sent to several households in Nether Edge and Norton Lees. “IMPORTANT NOTICE TO OCCUPIERS, PLEASE READ IN FULL,” the letter reads in big block capitals. “A 'FOR SALE' BOARD IS TO BE INSTALLED AT THIS PROPERTY. CONTRACTOR ATTENDANCE: FROM 5 SEPTEMBER 2026.”

After simply stating the names of three acts of parliament — one of which is the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, which hasn’t fully come into effect yet — the letter goes on to say when the board will be installed. “An authorised contractor will attend your property in the weeks following Wednesday 5 September to install a temporary ‘For Sale’ board. The attendance is external only — no internal entry is planned at this time.”

Under an “action required” section, the homeowners are advised to keep their frontage “reasonably accessible” and allow the installation to be completed without obstruction or interference. They are furthermore advised not to “REMOVE, COVER, DAMAGE OR OTHERWISE INTERFERE WITH THE BOARD UNTIL THE PROPERTY IS SOLD”.