general

Lease extension: how it works, what drives the cost and what to check before you apply

How a lease extension works in England and Wales: the 90 and 50 year terms, why the cost rises under 80 years, the 2024 Act valuation changes and free advice.

4 min read
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 8

The short version

General information, not legal advice. We read the pages below on 4 November 2026. They cover England and Wales, and the rules on lease extensions have been changing under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, so check GOV.UK and the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) for the position on the day you apply.

GOV.UK explains that you only own a leasehold property for a fixed period, set by the lease, and that ownership returns to the landlord when the lease ends. If it expires, you do not automatically have to leave, but you will have fewer rights and legal protections. GOV.UK says to get urgent advice if your lease is about to run out.

Part 2 of 8

What GOV.UK says about extending

You can ask at any time. GOV.UK says you can ask the landlord to extend your lease at any time.
How many years. You might be able to extend by 90 years on a flat, or 50 years on a house, if you qualify.
The 80 year point. "When there are 80 years or less remaining on your lease, the cost of extending it increases significantly."
A guide to cost. The Leasehold Advisory Service lease extension calculator gives a guide to the cost of extending the lease of a flat. It covers flats only, not houses.

We cannot give a pound cost, because none of the pages we could read states one, and the price depends on the lease, the property and the valuation method. Anyone quoting a single figure without those details is guessing.

Part 3 of 8

What drives the cost

Costs can include a payment to the landlord plus your own valuer and legal fees, so ask each for a written quote. The cost drivers, based on what GOV.UK and the Act say, are:

Driver	What the sources say
Years left	Cost increases significantly at 80 years or less remaining
Type of home	Flats can add 90 years and houses 50 years, if you qualify
Valuation method	The 2024 Act introduces a new method for calculating the price payable (section 37 and Schedule 4)
Ground rent	See our guide to ground rent

Part 4 of 8

The 2024 Act

Legislation.gov.uk shows the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes provision for longer lease extensions (section 33), extensions at a peppercorn rent (section 34), and a new method for calculating the price payable (section 37). Schedule 4 sets out how market value is determined, including a 990-year lease reversion value for lease extensions, and an assumption of "no marriage or hope value".

We have not been able to confirm from the pages we read which of these provisions are in force today, and the GOV.UK page we read still describes 90 and 50 year extensions. So treat any figure for the "new rules" with care and ask LEASE or a specialist solicitor which version applies to you.

Part 5 of 8

Marriage value in plain terms

Marriage value is a term used when valuing lease extensions on older rules. We could not fetch an official definition we can cite, so we do not define it or give a threshold. The Act's Schedule 4 refers to an assumption of no marriage or hope value in its new method. Whether that applies to your case depends on commencement, so ask LEASE.

Part 6 of 8

Steps to follow

Find your lease length. Check the title and lease. Our guide to checking if a house is freehold or leasehold shows how.
Use the calculator. If you own a flat, the LEASE calculator gives a guide.
Get advice before you serve any notice. GOV.UK points to the Leasehold Advisory Service for advice.
Instruct a specialist valuer and solicitor. Ask each for a written quote for their fees.
Negotiate or follow the formal route. GOV.UK says you can ask the landlord at any time, and the formal route is for those who qualify.

Part 7 of 8

Why it matters when you sell

Buyers and their lenders will ask about the length of the lease, and GOV.UK says the cost of extending rises at 80 years or less. We have no source for a lender cutoff, so ask a lender or broker. Our glossary entry on leasehold explains the basics. If you are selling soon, ask your solicitor whether to extend first or sell with the lease as it is and let the buyer deal with it.

Part 8 of 8

Questions to ask before you apply

How many years remain, and does the lease have a ground rent that increases?
Do I qualify for the formal extension?
Which valuation method applies to me today?
What will the landlord's valuer and legal fees be, and who pays them?
How long will the process take?

Treat answers from the landlord with the same care as any quote and get your own.

This page is general information, not legal advice.

Our take

Check the lease before you price the flat

Our view: lease length is the number to get right first. GOV.UK says the cost of extending rises significantly at 80 years or less remaining, and we found no sourced pound figure, so be wary of anyone quoting one without your lease. The common mistake is pricing the flat before you know which rules apply.

Once you know the position, our free house valuation gives a value range from real HM Land Registry sold prices in your postcode, with the comparable sales shown. Read it with care where the lease is short. If a sale is the plan, the sale method comparison compares auction, estate agent and cash buyer on net proceeds and timescale.

Check my value

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to extend a lease?

There is no fixed figure. GOV.UK says the cost increases significantly when 80 years or less remain, and points to the Leasehold Advisory Service calculator for a guide on flats. A specialist valuer can give a figure for your lease.

How many years can I add to my lease?

GOV.UK says you might be able to extend by 90 years on a flat or 50 years on a house if you qualify. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes provision for longer extensions, so check what applies on the day you apply.

What is marriage value?

A term used when valuing lease extensions on older rules. We could not confirm an official definition. The 2024 Act's Schedule 4 refers to an assumption of no marriage or hope value in its new method, so ask LEASE whether it applies to you.

Can I ask my landlord informally?

GOV.UK says you can ask the landlord to extend your lease at any time. Get advice first, because an informal agreement may differ from the formal route for those who qualify.

What happens if my lease runs out?

GOV.UK says you do not automatically have to leave, but you have fewer rights and legal protections, and you should get urgent advice if the lease is about to run out.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 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.