World News for Students of English

28-09-2026 15:00

The flat market in London is facing big problems. A few years ago, many people waited in long lines to buy apartments. Today, half of the flats for sale cannot find a buyer.

This happens because buying a home is now very expensive due to high interest rates, rising maintenance costs, and a growing need for bigger houses. Many apartment owners feel trapped in bad situations. In one building, residents had no hot water for months, but they couldn’t sell their flats because the building managers argued about who should pay for repairs. In addition, thousands of flats still have dangerous walls after the Grenfell fire tragedy, which makes them impossible to sell.

The government is trying to fix these issues by lowering required cash deposits and ending unfair lease rules.

Difficult words: maintenance (the work which keeps a building in good state), trapped (stuck in a difficult or unpleasant situation), deposit (the first money which you pay when you buy a home).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.