Lease extension: when you need a solicitor

You may be able to extend your lease, and a solicitor can act for you. The two-year qualifying rule has gone, so you do not have to wait after buying. However, the cost rises significantly once 80 years or less remain on the lease.

The short answer

Yes, you may be able to extend, and the two-year rule no longer stands in your way. Since 31 January 2025, you do not need to wait two years before you make a claim. However, the years left on your lease matter, because the cost of extending increases significantly when 80 years or less remain. Therefore, check your lease length first, then decide who to speak to. Free advice is available before you commit to anything, while a solicitor can act on the extension itself.

What changed on 31 January 2025

Regulations brought section 27 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 into force on 31 January 2025. That section removed the two-year qualifying period for leasehold enfranchisement and lease extension claims. As a result, a new owner no longer faces a two-year wait before a claim.

However, the change does not tell you what to do next. You still need to know how long your lease has left, and you should keep a copy to hand, because anyone advising you will want to see it. If you are still at the buying stage, our guide on whether you need a solicitor to buy a house covers that side of the process.

How long an extension can be

GOV.UK says you might be able to extend a lease by 90 years on a flat or 50 years on a house if you qualify. The words “if you qualify” matter, because not every owner will meet the conditions. Therefore, treat those figures as possibilities, not promises.

Flats and houses differ here, so note which you own before speaking to anyone. Most flats are leasehold, although houses can be too, so do not assume freehold. Since the position differs between properties, check your own paperwork rather than guessing.

Why 80 years matters

The cost of extending increases significantly when 80 years or less remain on the lease. That makes 80 years a point to plan around, not a deadline you can safely ignore. Since the figure is a threshold, a lease with a little more than 80 years left sits close to it.

The cost of an extension increases significantly once a lease has 80 years or less left. For the wider costs of owning a leasehold home, see our guide to leasehold purchase costs. That guide covers the buying side, while this page stays with extensions.

What a lease is and what happens when it ends

A lease is a legal agreement with the landlord, who is the freeholder. It tells you how many years you will own the property. You only own a leasehold property for that fixed period, and ownership returns to the landlord when the lease ends.

When a lease runs out, you do not automatically have to leave. However, you will have fewer rights and legal protections, so GOV.UK advises getting advice without delay if your lease is about to run out. A landlord ending a lease and evicting you is very rare. It can happen only through forfeiture proceedings, which need a formal written notice and the court’s permission.

Asking the landlord and varying a lease

You can ask your landlord to extend your lease at any time. Since the landlord holds the freehold, your request goes to them first. You can also negotiate changes to the lease, which people call varying the lease. GOV.UK says you should speak to your landlord first.

However, if you cannot agree, you may be able to apply to a tribunal. Keep a record of what you ask and what the landlord says, because a clear paper trail helps any adviser you see later. Note the years remaining on your lease before you write, so your request is specific.

Ground rent on newer leases

For leases granted on or after 30 June 2022, GOV.UK says the rules usually cap ground rent charges at a peppercorn, which has a value of zero. Check the date your lease was granted, since this rule depends on it.

Who does what

Start with free advice. The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) offers free, government-funded advice on leasehold problems, and its topics include lease extension, buying and selling, and disputes. It also runs a lease extension calculator, which gives a guide to the cost of extending a flat’s lease. Try it for a first idea, although it cannot replace advice on your own lease.

A solicitor can then act on the extension for you. If you want to understand the legal side of property work more broadly, our page on conveyancing solicitors explains how that practice area fits together. As a result, you can use free advice to understand your position and a solicitor to act on it.

Questions to ask a solicitor

Before you pick from the lease extension solicitors London offers, prepare a short list of questions. For example, you could ask:

• Have you handled lease extensions before, and what did those leases look like?
• What will you do for me, and what will you expect me to do?
• How will you explain your fees before work starts, and what could change them?
• Who will deal with my matter from day to day?

Write down the answers, because they make it easier to compare what different firms tell you. Before you instruct anyone, check that the solicitor is regulated.