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How much is my flat worth?

How much is my flat worth? Why a flat is valued differently from a house: lease length, ground rent, service charge and which Land Registry sales to compare.

5 min read
Last reviewed 20 October 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 8

Why a flat is not valued like a house

A house is usually sold with the land under it. Most flats are not. GOV.UK says most flats are leasehold, which means you own the home for a fixed period set by a lease, and ownership returns to the landlord when the lease ends. Houses can be leasehold too, but flats are far more likely to be.

That changes how you find a value in two ways:

Comparing like with like is harder. A flat in your building can differ from the one above it in floor, view, condition and lease terms.
The paperwork is part of the value. A buyer, and their lender, will read your lease and your service charge account before they agree a price.

Part 2 of 8

Step 1: find sales of flats like yours

HM Land Registry's Price Paid Data records residential sales in England and Wales. Use it for flats only. A house sale is not evidence for a flat, and the reverse is also true.

Work outward in this order:

Other flats in your own building, if any have sold.
Flats on your street or in the same development.
Flats in neighbouring streets of a similar age and size.

Look at the date of each sale. HM Land Registry says registration typically lags a sale by 2 weeks to 2 months, so the latest sales may not be there yet. Our free sold prices tool lets you search by postcode and shows a breakdown by property type.

Where only a few flats have sold, treat the evidence as thin. One unusual sale (a flat sold needing full renovation, or a sale between relatives) should not set your figure.

Part 3 of 8

Step 2: read your lease

Your lease is a legal agreement with the landlord, sometimes called the freeholder. GOV.UK says it tells you how many years you will own the property. Find these four things in it, or ask your solicitor to:

What to find	Why it matters to a buyer
Years left on the lease	Ownership returns to the landlord at the end, so buyers and lenders look at how long is left
Ground rent	A payment to the landlord for which you receive no service
Service charge	What you pay towards running the building
Rules on selling, subletting or alterations	They may add cost or delay

We cannot tell you how much a given number of years left moves a price. No official source gives one figure, and it depends on the building and the local market. What we can say is that a short lease is something to take advice on before you list the flat. Ask a solicitor how it affects selling and whether extending the lease makes sense.

Part 4 of 8

Ground rent: the rules depend on when the lease was granted

GOV.UK sets out two cases:

Leases granted before 30 June 2022. You only need to pay once the landlord has sent a formal written demand. They can recover arrears going back six years. The rent can only rise with your agreement or if the lease allows it.
Leases granted on or after 30 June 2022. Ground rent is generally a "peppercorn", which means zero. The new rules do not apply to a lease bought from another leaseholder after that date if it still requires ground rent, because the change only covers new leases.

Check which case applies to you. A buyer will ask.

Part 5 of 8

Service charge and other costs

The service charge is set out in your lease and covers running the building. GOV.UK says you can ask your landlord for a summary of how the charge is calculated and what it is spent on, with supporting papers such as receipts, and that it is a criminal offence for a landlord not to provide it.

Other costs a buyer may ask about:

Building insurance: usually arranged by the landlord and included in the service charge.
Reserve or sinking funds: money set aside for major repairs. GOV.UK says these are generally not refundable if you move.
Major works: your landlord must consult you if your share passes £250 for planned work, or £100 a year for work or services lasting more than 12 months.

If you think a charge is unreasonable, GOV.UK says you can apply to a tribunal, with some exceptions such as having already agreed to it.

None of this says what your flat is worth. It says what a careful buyer will look for. High or unclear costs can lead a buyer to ask for a lower price. Gather the paperwork early.

Part 6 of 8

Step 3: allow for the market moving

A flat sale from a few years ago needs updating. The UK House Price Index is published monthly by HM Land Registry and shows price movement by area and by property type. Move an old sale price on by the change in the index since that month. This is a rough guide and it is the method our estimate uses.

Part 7 of 8

What our free estimate does for flats

Our free house value check gives an estimate range for your address, built from Land Registry sales of the same type of home nearby. It moves them forward with the official index and shows a range. It cannot read your lease, your service charge or your building's condition. It is an estimate, never a formal valuation. You can see the method on how we value.

Use the range as a starting point, then adjust your own view for what the lease says.

Part 8 of 8

A quick checklist for a flat owner

List recent sales of flats in your building and street.
Find your lease and note the years left, ground rent and service charge.
Ask your landlord or managing agent for the service charge summary.
Ask two or three local agents to explain their figures for flats like yours.
Speak to a solicitor if the lease is short or the terms are unusual.

If you are buying a flat rather than selling one, our survey decoder helps you read a survey report.

This page is general information, not valuation or legal advice.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

How much is my flat worth now?

Start with recent sales of similar flats in your building and street on the HM Land Registry price records, then move older sales on with the UK House Price Index. Check your lease, ground rent and service charge, because buyers will. A surveyor gives a formal valuation; a free online figure is an estimate only.

Does the length of my lease affect how much my flat is worth?

It can. GOV.UK explains that ownership returns to the landlord when the lease ends, so buyers and lenders look at how long is left. No official source gives one figure for how much it matters, so ask a solicitor about your own lease before you sell.

Can I find out what other flats in my building sold for?

Yes. HM Land Registry publishes sale prices for residential property in England and Wales. Search your postcode and look at the flats. New sales can take about 2 weeks to 2 months to appear, so the very latest may be missing.

Do I still pay ground rent on my flat?

It depends on when your lease was granted. GOV.UK says that for leases granted before 30 June 2022 you pay once the landlord sends a formal written demand, and for leases granted on or after that date ground rent is generally a peppercorn (zero). Check your lease.

Is the online estimate for my flat a valuation?

No. An online estimate is built from sales data and cannot see your lease terms, floor, condition or building costs. Use it as a yardstick, then speak to local agents, and ask a surveyor if you need a formal valuation.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 20 October 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.