Quick answer
A lease extension adds years to the lease on your flat, and the ground rent is usually cut to nothing. In return you pay the freeholder a one-off sum, called a premium, based on a valuation. We do the legal work and give you a written quote before any work starts.
Buying or selling a flat?
Get a written, itemised quote now. For a lease extension, call either office.
Get my quoteOn this page
What we do for you
- Read your lease and report how many years are left and whether anyone's consent is needed
- Arrange the valuation of the premium with a surveyor, or work with yours
- Serve the formal notice on the freeholder, or reply to one
- Negotiate the premium and the terms of the new lease
- Complete the new lease and register it at HM Land Registry
- Handle the lease, ground rent and service charge checks when you buy or sell a flat
Extending your flat's lease
If you own a flat on a long lease, the law usually gives you the right to extend it. You get a longer lease, and the ground rent normally goes down to nothing. You pay the freeholder a premium, which is worked out by valuation. You no longer have to own the flat for two years before you can claim.
Why 80 years matters
Once fewer than 80 years are left, the premium usually costs more. The valuation then adds marriage value: a share of the extra value a longer lease gives your flat. Some lenders and buyers are also wary of flats with short leases.
Buying a flat? Our buying a house page explains what we check before you exchange.
Two ways to extend
- The formal route: we serve a notice on the freeholder under the law, and the law fixes the main terms of the new lease.
- The agreed route: you and the freeholder settle terms between you. We compare them with what the formal route would give you before you accept.
Changes to leasehold law
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 provides for 990-year extensions and changes to how the premium is valued, including an end to marriage value. These parts are coming into force in stages, and until the new valuation rules start, the current ones apply. We advise you on timing for your own flat.
How a lease extension works
How long it takes depends on the freeholder, the valuation and whether terms are agreed, so we give you an estimate at the start and tell you if anything changes it.
- Getting startedLease checked
We read your lease, confirm the years left and check that you qualify to extend.
- Valuation
A surveyor values the premium the freeholder should receive for the longer lease.
- Notice or offer
On the formal route we serve a notice on the freeholder proposing a premium. On the agreed route we make an offer to the freeholder's solicitor.
- Freeholder repliesCounter-notice and negotiation
The freeholder answers with its own figure, and we negotiate the premium and the wording of the new lease.
- CompletionNew lease registered
The new lease is signed and the premium paid. We then register it at HM Land Registry.
Buying or selling a leasehold home
A flat is sold with its lease, so the lease is part of the legal work. Alongside the usual conveyancing, we check:
- how many years are left on the lease
- the ground rent and the service charge
- the information supplied by the freeholder or managing agent
For a flat in a building in England of five or more storeys, or over 11 metres high, we also handle the Building Safety Act paperwork: the landlord certificate, the leaseholder deed of certificate and the position on any remediation work.
The freeholder or managing agent sets its own charge for that information. It is shown separately in your quote.
What it costs
| Lease extension | A written quote, given to you before any work starts. |
|---|---|
| Buying or selling a leasehold home | Your instant quote shows our fee, VAT and each third-party cost separately. |
| Dealing with Leasehold | £150 + VAT, added when the property you are buying or selling is leasehold |
| Dealing with Building Safety Act | £500 + VAT, added when the flat is in a building of five or more storeys (or over 11 metres) in England |
| VAT | 20% on our fee and on some third-party costs (shown in your quote) |
On a lease extension you also pay the premium to the freeholder and the surveyor's valuation fee, and usually the freeholder's reasonable legal and valuation costs. Any extra work is priced and agreed with you before it starts. Our fee ranges for standard freehold sales and purchases, and our hourly rates, are on our fees page.
Set by the government, shown separately: Stamp Duty Land Tax and the HM Land Registry fee are not part of our fee. The amounts depend on your transaction and your circumstances.
Business leases
We also handle business leases, including assignments, renewals and surrenders. See commercial conveyancing.
Who oversees your matter
What clients say
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4.6 from 249 reviews London office, 6 October 2026
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Regulated by the SRA SRA No. 605949, view our record
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CQS accredited Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme
Where we act
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Leicester office 3rd Floor, St George's House, 6 St George's Way, Leicester LE1 1QZ 0116 393 0334
Conveyancing in Leicester
Questions people ask about leases
When should I extend the lease on my flat?
Earlier is usually cheaper. The premium goes up as the years left on the lease go down, and the rise is steeper once fewer than 80 years remain. We look at your lease and tell you what timing makes sense.
How much does a lease extension cost?
You pay the premium to the freeholder, the surveyor who values it, and the legal costs. On the formal route you usually pay the freeholder's reasonable legal and valuation costs as well as your own. The premium depends mainly on the flat's value, the years left and the ground rent. We give you a written quote for our part before any work starts.
Can I extend the lease straight after buying my flat?
Yes. The rule that you had to own the flat for two years first no longer applies. If you are buying a flat with a short lease, tell us before you exchange so we can plan the extension with the purchase.
Should I wait for the leasehold reforms?
It depends on your lease and your plans. If you are selling or remortgaging soon, waiting may not be practical. Whether waiting could save you money depends on your lease, so we tell you which applies to you.
Is buying a leasehold flat more expensive in legal fees?
Usually, yes. Our legal fee for a leasehold home comes from a separate scale, which is higher than the freehold scale at most prices, and "Dealing with Leasehold" (£150 + VAT) is added. If the flat is in a building of five or more storeys (or over 11 metres) in England, "Dealing with Building Safety Act" (£500 + VAT) also applies. Your quote shows every line separately before you instruct us.
Do I need the landlord's permission to sell or transfer my lease?
Most leases require it, so check yours. Where the lease says consent cannot be unreasonably withheld, the law expects the landlord to act reasonably and reply within a reasonable time. We give the landlord all the information it can fairly ask for, so the request is not held up.
Helpful guides
Questions about your lease? Call either office. Buying or selling a flat? Get your quote online.