First-time buyers in Brighton and Hove have all but resigned themselves to the area's inflated house prices.

But even if they do find an affordable property, a mortgage does not necessarily make them master of their own home.

An estimated 25,000 people in the towns have the leasehold on their flats, not the freehold.

This means they own the bricks and mortar but not the land the building stands on.

Freeholders, who own the land, can charge them for the maintenance and running costs of their block of flats - and many are not afraid to take advantage of the situation.

Horror stories abound of residents who hear nothing for years, then receive a colossal bill when major work is needed.

Other freeholders have interests in insurance companies, building firms and managing agents - and make sure the leaseholders use all three.

One of Labour's election promises was to shake up this controversial ownership system, which dates back to feudal times.

But with political commentators predicting a May General Election, the reform is no closer to becoming a reality.

A draft Bill on leasehold reform was published in August, raising expectations the Government would press ahead with legislation.

Yet the promised reforms were just a footnote in this week's Queen's Speech.

Brighton Pavilion Labour MP David Lepper believes the delay does not mean the Bill is dead and buried.

"A lot of leasehold organisations locally and nationally said the Government needed to spend more time thinking about the content of the Bill.

"I actually believe that, depending on the General Election, we might still get a Bill during this session of Parliament.

"If the Government wasn't intending to do something about leasehold there wouldn't have been any mention of it at all in the Queen's Speech. A number of things speculated about beforehand did not get a mention.

"By mentioning it in the Queen's Speech it's saying we are going to do this but we are not going to rush into it."

The proposals in the draft Bill include a new form of tenure called commonhold, which could benefit up to 15,000 leaseholders in Brighton and Hove.

It would enable individual leaseholders in a block of flats to own and manage the whole building collectively.

Flat owners would be able to set up commonhold associations to manage new developments and existing leaseholders would be able to set up commonhold associations - but only if every flat owner in a block agreed to change.

Anti-leasehold campaigners believe commonhold would stop unscrupulous landlords and agents charging exorbitant service charges but say the proposals do not go far enough. They want the leasehold system scrapped altogether.

Ministers, however, insist commonhold should be proven to work before there is any attempt to end leaseholding completely.

Other proposed reforms include a new right to manage, with the residency test abolished along with requirements that at least two thirds of leaseholders opt to take over from the freeholder.

There could also be measures to make it easier for leaseholders to get together and buy the freehold of their flats.

Shula Rich is chairman of the Brighton, Hove and District Leaseholders Association, which represents more than 1,000 people.

The association takes about 30 calls a week from people with problems over the freehold of their home.

She said: "I am really not sure if we will see a Bill now. It has been so back-pedalled by the Government.

"But this could work in our favour as we were already calling for a re-draft. At this stage maybe it would be better if they went back to the drawing board.

"The proposed legislation did very little to help leaseholders and if we get the wrong Bill it is worse than having nothing. We want real change, not just some Government tinkering and a policing scheme.

"We want everyone to have commonhold from now on. The Government recognises the current system is flawed so why are we continuing with it?"

Mr Lepper said he would like to see tougher regulations imposed on managing agents to provide leaseholders with protection.

He said: "I would like to see a registration scheme properly policed, possibly by the local council. Brighton and Hove Council has already started up a voluntary scheme for managing agents of leaseholders in the area, which many managing agents have chosen to join.

"But I think we need something statutory. This could be built into the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

"The real problem is still going to be getting any Bill on leaseholding through the House of Lords.

"There are enough people still sitting in the Lords who are landowners, or who have substantial interests in big property companies, to make the sort of wholesale wrecking they have on other Bill reforms."