Leasehold enfranchisement:
The right to extend your lease

Owners of leasehold flats may want to extend their lease particularly if it has less than 80 years to run, after which it can become increasingly expensive to extend and it might be more difficult to sell the property due to mortgage lender requirements until the lease is extended. It is normally possible to agree on a lease extension with the owner of the freehold however the “Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993” gives the right to extend a lease and provides the formal statutory procedure for doing so, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

What is Leasehold Enfranchisement?

Leasehold Enfranchisement is the name given to the process to either extend your lease on your flat or purchasing a share of the freehold of your block of flats. The “Leasehold Reform Act 1967” gives owners of leasehold properties the right to buy the freehold from their landlord if they have owned the lease for at least two years, and other eligibility criteria are met.

Extending Lease on Property

Owners of leasehold flats may want to extend their lease, particularly if it has less than 80 years to run. After this time, it can become increasingly expensive to extend and it might be more difficult to sell the property due to minimum lease requirements by mortgage lenders.

It is normally possible to agree a lease extension with the owner of the freehold. However our experience is that the amount of money that they demand is often too high and might need to be challenged.  We are experienced in this process.  The “Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993” gives the right to extend a lease and provides the formal statutory procedure for doing so, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

This Act also grants the right for the owners of flats in a building to join together and buy the freehold of that building through a new management company. This is known as Collective Enfranchisement. The procedure is complex, and our specialist advice should be sought when undertaking this process.

Our Leasehold Enfranchisement Solicitors

At Newtons Solicitors we specialise in leasehold extension and enfranchisement cases, assisting clients throughout England and Wales.

Please contact us if you are interested in instructing us to deal with any of the following: 

• Lease extension applications both voluntary and under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.
• Freehold Reversion Transfers, both voluntary and applications under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967.
• Collective Enfranchisement.