What is a lease extension?
A lease gives the leaseholder a right to occupy a property for a fixed period. An extension changes that remaining term; it is not the same as buying the freehold. For an England & Wales flat, the legal route determines which terms can change and how the premium is assessed.
For example, Lease Extension Pro’s calculator illustrates adding 90 years to an 85-year term. That is a modelling assumption, not a statement that every leaseholder is currently entitled to that particular extension.
Context: GOV.UK — extending, changing or ending a lease; LEASE — getting started.
Statutory or voluntary: what’s the difference?
The statutory route follows a legal framework. A voluntary extension is negotiated with the landlord. Lease Extension Pro recommends comparing the whole proposed lease, not just a premium in £ or extra years offered. For a fuller decision guide on protections, risks and switching routes, read informal vs statutory lease extension.
| Consideration | Statutory route | Voluntary agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Qualifying lease and statutory eligibility | Landlord and leaseholder agree to negotiate |
| Terms | Governed by the applicable legislation | Negotiated; examine rent and other changes carefully |
| Process | Formal notices and legal deadlines | Agreed negotiation and conveyancing process |
| Professional checks | Eligibility, valuation, notice and completion | Price, new term, ground rent and lease clauses |
Source: Leasehold Advisory Service extension guide. Obtain advice on the route available in your circumstances.
Who qualifies for a statutory extension?
Eligibility cannot be determined from a flat value, rent and remaining term alone. A solicitor needs to examine the lease, the property, the relevant landlord interests and any statutory exclusions. Do not assume eligibility because an online calculator produces a figure.
- Obtain a copy of the lease and title information.
- Identify the unexpired term and any ground-rent review clauses.
- Ask a solicitor to confirm eligibility under the law in force.
- Ask how a purchase, sale or previous notice affects the process.
Legal framework: Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. Eligibility is not assessed by Lease Extension Pro.
Legislation and reform: check what is in force
The 1993 Act provides the statutory framework commonly associated with flat lease extensions. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 contains reforms, but enactment, commencement and practical implementation are different questions.
- In force: You no longer need to have owned your flat for two years before claiming a statutory lease extension. Section 27 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 came into force on 31 January 2025 (SI 2025/57).
- Not yet in force: The Act’s new valuation method — no marriage value, ground rent capped at 0.1% of the freehold value in the calculation, and government-prescribed deferment and capitalisation rates — and the right to a 990-year extension. On legislation.gov.uk these provisions (sections 33, 36 and 37) are still shown as not yet commenced, and none of the four commencement regulations made so far brings them into force.
- What the government says: It consulted on the valuation rates from 15 July to 21 October 2026. It says the new method cannot be brought into force until those rates are set in regulations, and that some "specific flaws" in the 2024 Act must first be fixed through a forthcoming Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. No commencement date has been announced.
- What this means today: Until those provisions commence, statutory lease extensions of flats still use the existing 1993 Act rules: a 90-year extension at a peppercorn ground rent, and marriage value payable where 80 years or fewer remain. Our calculator models only that existing framework, in simplified form.
Sources: Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 · SI 2025/57 · GOV.UK valuation rates consultation. See our leasehold reform tracker for the provision-by-provision table. This is not legal advice — ask your solicitor which rules apply on the date your notice is served.
Primary sources: 1993 Act and Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Scotland has a different property-law framework; this guidance concerns England and Wales only.
Where should you start?
Use the educational lease extension calculator to understand the model, then read the cost breakdown. If you are considering a formal claim, consult a solicitor and valuer before serving any notice.