Leasehold reform valuations
Whether you're a leaseholder looking to extend your lease or buy your freehold, or a freeholder responding to a claim, we provide independent, Red Book valuations across every kind of leasehold reform — for flats and houses, private clients and the public sector.
What is leasehold reform?
Leasehold reform is the set of legal rights that let leaseholders extend their lease, buy their freehold, or take control of their building from the landlord — and the corresponding rules for freeholders responding to those claims. The premium is set by statutory formulae, and a chartered surveyor's valuation sits at the heart of every case.
We are RICS Registered Valuers and members of ALEP, advising across the full range of leasehold reform — lease extensions and collective enfranchisement for flats, freehold purchase for houses under the 1967 Act, Section 5 freehold sales, and high-volume programmes for councils and housing associations. We act for leaseholders and freeholders alike, give our advice in plain English, and back it with a strong track record at the First-tier Tribunal.
How can we help?
Most leaseholders need one of the first two. Not sure which? The quickest answer is whether you own a flat or a house — and whether you want to act alone or with neighbours.
Lease extensions
Extend an individual flat's lease — a fixed 90 years, with ground rent reduced to a peppercorn. Timing matters: once a lease drops below 80 years, marriage value makes the premium jump. We model the statutory and voluntary routes and give you three defensible figures, not one.
Collective enfranchisement & freehold
Leaseholders in a block joining together to buy the freehold — taking control of the building, reducing ground rent to zero and protecting value. We also handle Section 5 freehold sales and the Right of First Refusal under the 1987 Act, acting for either side.
Leasehold houses
Buying — or selling — the freehold of a leasehold house under the 1967 Act, a separate regime from flats where the valuation basis is the single biggest driver of cost. From £825 + VAT.
Leasehold houses (1967 Act) →Public sector clients
Independent, audit-ready valuations for public sector landlords — fixed pricing, service level agreements, and the capacity to absorb high-volume claim programmes without dropping quality.
Public sector valuations →The 80-year rule
For flats, 80 years is the number that matters most. Once a lease falls below 80 years, an extra cost — marriage value — becomes payable, and the premium to extend or enfranchise usually jumps sharply. A lease of 80 years and one day avoids it; at 80 years or below, it applies.
Near the 80-year line?
The 2024 reforms are expected to abolish marriage value — but they aren't in force yet, and your lease keeps shortening in the meantime. We can model your premium on both the current and the proposed basis, so you decide on your own numbers.
Acting for leaseholders and freeholders
We act for both sides. As RICS Registered Valuers we give independent, Red Book-compliant advice whichever side appoints us — the underlying valuation principles are identical, so we understand exactly how the other side will approach the figures.
Extending or buying
We value the premium, advise on the right route and timing, and support your claim from notice through to completion or Tribunal.
Responding or selling
We value your interest so you can answer a claim on firm ground, or sell by agreement or under Section 5 — fairly and on the evidence.
Valuations that hold up
Leasehold reform is technical, adversarial work, and the figure has to stand up — to the other side's surveyor, to your auditors, and at Tribunal.
Proven at Tribunal
Our director Richard Stacey MRICS gives expert valuation evidence before the First-tier Tribunal — including a collective enfranchisement decided on development value, where the Tribunal determined £40,000 against a freeholder's £225,000 claim.
Independent & conflict-free
No financial ties to lenders or developers, and we act for both leaseholders and freeholders — so the advice is objective and defensible whichever side you're on.
Plain English
You shouldn't need to be a chartered surveyor to follow the advice. We strip out the jargon and explain the trade-offs, then we're on the end of the phone.
Three figures, not one
Our reports set out the lowest justifiable premium, our recommendation, and the highest justifiable — so you never negotiate blind.
Capacity & turnaround
A large team of Registered Valuers means deadlines hold through busy periods — we've completed 50+ inspections in two days, with most reports issued within a week.
RICS Red Book
Every valuation is prepared to the RICS Valuation – Global Standards, giving consistency, objectivity and transparency throughout.
The First-tier Tribunal
If a premium can't be agreed, either side can ask the First-tier Tribunal for a binding determination. Applications are common, but a full hearing is rarely needed — the system is designed to push both sides towards a fair compromise, with surveyors exchanging calculations and a statement of agreed and disputed facts as the hearing approaches.
Once an application is made, both surveyors owe a duty to the Tribunal and can no longer take pure negotiating positions. We only recommend going to the Tribunal when it's genuinely the right call — weighing the likely outcome against the cost.
Our experience at Tribunal
Contested premiums turn on the hardest valuation questions — development value, relativity and yield. Our director Richard Stacey MRICS gives expert valuation evidence before the First-tier Tribunal, and that depth of evidence works for whichever side instructs us.
A collective enfranchisement decided on development value
Acting as the leaseholders' valuation expert, Richard Stacey appeared in a collective enfranchisement dispute that turned entirely on the value of the airspace above the building. The freeholder argued the premium should carry £225,000 of development value; the First-tier Tribunal determined just £40,000 — and rejected the freeholder's attempt to enlarge the claim by treating an adjacent building, held by an associated company, as part of the same economic entity.
Where leasehold reform stands
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024. Some parts are already live — the two-year ownership requirement for lease extensions and enfranchisement was removed on 31 January 2025 — but the provisions that change how premiums are calculated, including abolishing marriage value and setting prescribed rates, are not yet in force and await secondary legislation. The High Court dismissed a freeholders' challenge to the reforms in October 2025.
Late 2026 is the earliest the valuation changes could take effect, with 2027–2028 widely expected. Until then the current law continues to apply — so we advise on both the current and the proposed reformed basis, and you decide on the numbers, not the headlines.
What does it cost?
A guide to where our fees start. Every case is different — the final figure depends on lease length, value, the number of interests and any complexity — so the best step is a tailored quote.
| Service | From |
|---|---|
| Lease extension — lease over 80 years | £500–£550 + VAT |
| Lease extension — lease under 80 years | £800–£950 + VAT |
| Collective enfranchisement & freehold (incl. Section 5) | £800 + VAT |
| Leasehold house freehold (1967 Act) | £825 + VAT |
| Public sector programmes | Fixed schedules & SLAs |
Leasehold reform FAQs
What is leasehold reform?
Leasehold reform is the body of law that gives leaseholders the right to extend their lease, buy their freehold, or collectively take over their building — and sets out how freeholders respond and are compensated. The price is fixed by statutory formulae rather than by negotiation alone, which is why a chartered surveyor's valuation is central to every case.
Should I extend my lease or buy the freehold?
If you own a flat, you can extend your own lease individually (a lease extension), or join with other leaseholders to buy the freehold of the whole building (collective enfranchisement). Extending is simpler and yours alone; buying the freehold gives the group control and can be better value across a block. We model both so you can compare — and when we value an enfranchisement we include estimated lease extension figures at no extra cost.
Do you act for leaseholders or freeholders?
Both. We are regularly instructed by leaseholders extending or buying, and by freeholders responding to a claim or selling their interest. As RICS Registered Valuers we give the same independent, Red Book-compliant advice whichever side appoints us.
What about a leasehold house rather than a flat?
Houses are dealt with separately, under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, with their own valuation rules — where the valuation basis is the single biggest driver of cost. See our dedicated leasehold houses page.
How quickly will I get my report?
Once we've inspected enough of the property to form an informed opinion, we normally provide our report within one to two weeks. Larger blocks can take a little longer, and we're always happy to talk timescales through before you instruct.
How will the 2024 reforms affect me?
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 is expected to abolish marriage value and set prescribed valuation rates, which would change premiums for many leaseholders. As of June 2026 those provisions are not yet in force, so current law continues to apply — and we advise on both bases so your decision rests on your own numbers.