Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions about LEASE, or any aspect of residential leasehold law, please refer to the options below. As there are many different questions and answers you may find it easier to find information using the Search facility to the right of this page.

Please note that the questions are sorted in order of popularity (the number of times that question has been clicked on). The most popular questions appear first.

If your question doesn't appear, or you need further information or clarification, please contact us.

• I own a leasehold house. How much will the freehold cost me?
• I want to extend my lease. Other than the price paid to the freeholder, are there any other costs?
• How can I buy the freehold of my building?
• How long can I extend my lease for?
• Why do I have to extend my lease?
• I own a leasehold house. How do I buy the freehold?
• What will it cost to apply to the LVT?
• Where can I get a copy of my lease?
• What happens if I or the Freeholder disagrees on how much the lease extension should cost?
• Will the ground rent increase?
• How long do I have to wait before I have the right to extend my lease?
• Do I have to go through the Act to extend my lease?
• Am I a "Qualifying leaseholder" for lease extension?
• I want to challenge a service charge as being too high. How do I go about doing so?
• I have received a service charge bill; do I have to pay it?
• I own a leasehold house. I can't afford to buy the freehold. What would a lease extension cost?
• I own a leasehold house. How long do I have to live in my house before I can purchase the freehold?
• I have asked the landlord to send me a breakdown of the service charges as I cannot tell what the service charge was spent on and s/he has ignored me. Can I withhold my service charge until I receive a reply?
• I am a freeholder. Do I have to grant a lease extension to my lessee?
• I am the leaseholder of a house. Who should arrange the buildings insurance?
• I own a leasehold house. My freeholder has gone missing. What do I do if I wish to acquire the freehold?
• I own a leasehold house. What are the legal costs of buying the freehold?
• I own a leasehold house. I see that the freehold of my house has been sold. Should it not have been offered to me first?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. How should my service charge be calculated?
• I own a leasehold house. What can I do if the landlord wants more than I feel the freehold is worth?
• I would like to see a copy of the invoice before I pay a service charge. Can I refuse to pay until I see the invoice?
• I own a leasehold house and I want to buy the freehold. Who is liable for the freeholder's costs?
• I own a leasehold house. How long does the enfranchisement process take to buy the freehold?
• My Landlord refuses to vary the terms of my lease. Can he do this and is there a way that I can force him/her to vary the lease?
• I own a leasehold house. Where do I obtain the rateable values?
• I am a leaseholder of a flat. I have received a demand for part of the buildings insurance premium. Do I have to pay?
• My landlord has served me with a Section 5 notice offering the freehold of my building, what do I do?
• How do I start the Collective Enfranchisement process?
• I am a freeholder, and involved in a lease extension. Will I need a solicitor?
• I am a freeholder. How do I know what premium the lessee should be paying me to extend his lease?
• Do I qualify for collective enfranchisement?
• I am a freeholder. If a lease is extended will the terms of the new lease be the same as the existing one?
• My landlord is going to do a lot of work to my block. Can I comment on the estimates?
• What should a summary of a service charge contain?
• My landlord has completed the work without seeking my views beforehand. Will I have to pay?
• Can I appeal against an LVT decision?
• What can I do if my landlord fails to provide information about the insurance cover?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. What is a reserve or sinking fund and can my landlord require me to contribute?
• Information about the informal route to buy the freehold
• I have received a service charge demand for works undertaken 2 years ago. I think this is unfair. What can I do?
• I am a leaseholder of a house and my lease requires me to arrange insurance with an insurer nominated or approved by my landlord. Is there any way of choosing my own insurer?
• My landlord is going to do a lot of work to my block. Must he inform me about the work before it starts?
• I want to alter my flat. My lease requires me to seek consent to alter the flat. What does this mean?
• I live in a leasehold house on an estate comprising both houses and flats. Can we take over the management?
• I want to rent out my flat. My lease does not allow me to rent out my flat. What can I do?
• What is ground rent?
• I am not happy with the management of my building. Can we take over the management or appoint someone else to manage?
• My landlord arranges the buildings insurance and I pay a proportion of the cost through my service charge. Can I get information about the policy?
• Is the landlord entitled to charge a fee for varying a lease?
• The freehold has been offered to us but it is going to auction, what do I do?
• I want to rent out my flat. My lease allows me to rent out my flat, what do I do next?
• My landlord is going to do a lot of work to my block. Can I comment on the work?
• I'm buying a property, and I understand that I will be a leaseholder, what does that mean?
• I have served a s13 notice and have not received a counter-notice. What can I do?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. I have written and asked my landlord to provide me with a copy of an invoice paid to a supplier and he has refused. What can I do now?
• I intend to make alterations to my flat such as removing a partition wall. I understand I need the landlord's prior written consent, but the landlord also insists ion a deed of variation. Why is this needed?
• I live in a flat in a block. Can I and the other leaseholders take over its management?
• I want to alter my flat. My lease does not allow me to alter my flat at all. What can I do?
• I am buying a leasehold property which has been marketed as having a share of freehold, what does this mean?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder. The landlord is spending money on the common parts of the building and charging the leaseholders. The lease does not provide for this type of work to be charged to us. Do I have to pay?
• Where will the LVT hearing take place?
• My landlord is going to do a lot of work to my block. Can I suggest the names of contractors?
• My landlord has completed the work without seeking my views beforehand. What action can I take?
• My landlord is going to do a lot of work to my block. Must the landlord tell me which contractor they will be using?
• When I bought this flat I was told that the service charge was 500 per year. Now I have been informed that it will now be 600 because we need to build up the 'reserve fund', what is this?
• I'm buying a flat and my solicitor has explained a number of clauses within the lease. One of these he describes as giving the landlord the right of forfeiture, what does this mean?
• Do I need to employ a solicitor to represent me on any variation to a lease?
• The freehold has been sold without being offered to us. There is no intermediate interest, the freehold has been sold.
• My landlord wants to engage a new cleaner. Does he need to tell me he is doing this before the cleaner is employed?
• I want to rent out my flat. My lease requires me to seek consent to rent out my flat. What does this mean?
• I want to alter my flat. My lease allows me to alter my flat, what do I do next?
• I'm confused about what I can expect my landlord to do. When I rented a property the landlord took care of repairs within the flat, but can I expect the same as a leaseholder?
• My solicitor tells me that my buyer's solicitor regards the lease as defective and must be varied before s/he will allow the flat to be purchased. How do I go about varying the lease?
• I have asked the landlord in writing to provide a summary of the service charge/right to inspect the accounts and I have been ignored. I want to have the landlord prosecuted. Do I make a complaint to the police?
• We are unable to agree the premium or other terms. What can we do?
• What is a service charge?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. I have received a service charge demand and I think it is too high. What should I do?
• The landlord has undertaken an asbestos and fire safety inspection to the common parts of the building and charged the cost to the leaseholders through a service charge demand. The lease does not provide for the landlord to undertake such works. As these works are not provided for under the terms of the lease do I have to pay towards these costs?
• Other leaseholders and I have read about RTM. The building appears to qualify but we don't think we would be able nor have the time to take over management. So it is not practicable for us?
• What is an administration charge?
• What is a freeholder?
• I am undertaking a lease extension by private negotiation and the landlord will not extend the lease unless I also agree to vary some of the lease terms. Can s/he insist on varying the lease?
• Am I a qualifying tenant for the purposes of the right of first refusal?
• We have taken over RTM. But the freeholder insists that it continues to insure the building. Is this correct?
• What should the written summary of the insurance policy contain?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. Are there circumstances in which I can legally withhold my service charge?
• Where can I find past LVT decisions?
• My landlord is the council. They are going to enter into a 20 year contract with a major building company. Can I choose to do the work myself?
• What is the Appointment of a manager?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. How can I find out what my service charge payment is being used for?
• My landlord wants to vary my lease, but I object to his/her proposal. Do I have to agree to vary the lease?
• How do I apply to the LVT?
• Can I make a joint application to the LVT with my neighbours?
• My lease has 3 parties to it: myself as the leaseholder, a freeholder and a separate management agent/company, can I still exercise this remedy?
• What happens if any of the participating tenants in a claim for collective enfranchisement wish to withdraw after the initial notice has been served on the freeholder?
• The freehold has been sold without being offered to us. There is an intermediate interest, and it is the freehold that has been sold.
• How many leaseholders need to exercise Appointment of a manager?
• If I apply to the LVT will I need a solicitor or other professional to represent me?
• My landlord wants to engage a new cleaner. What information must the landlord provide to me?
• How long will it take for the LVT to make a decision?
• My landlord is the council. They are going to enter into a 20 year contract with a major building company. Can I suggest the names of contractors?
• My landlord is the council. They are going to enter into a 20 year contract with a major building company. Can I comment on the Contract?
• Can I attend and observe proceedings at the LVT?
• What are the steps of Appointment of a manager?
• I'm moving onto a nicely maintained development, but I've been told it has an "Estate Management Scheme", what is this?
• I and other leaseholders want to take over the management of the building. How do we start? Is there any special form?
• My landlord lives in the building. Can the leaseholders exercise the Right to Manage?
• We want to exercise RTM. On whom do we serve the Claim Notice?
• Can I ask for my neighbour's contact details so that I can invite them to form the RTM?
• I am obtaining a lease variation from my landlord do I need to instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to undertake the work?
• We have asked for information from the freeholder as set out in your booklet but it simply won't reply. What can we do about it?
• I am undertaking a statutory lease extension under the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. The landlord is insisting on making variations to the lease. Is the landlord able to do this?
• What grounds need to be satisfied before we can exercise Appointment of a manager?
• Is the RTM company responsible for chasing service charge arrears before it takes over management of the building?
• Is the freeholder entitled to join the RTM company?
• Is the RTM company bound to carry on with existing contracts entered into by the freeholder/managing agent
• The freehold has been sold without being offered to us. There is an intermediate interest, and it is this that has been sold.
• My landlord wants to engage a new cleaner. Can I comment on the estimates?
• I'm moving into a new flat and I've been told that there is a "recognised residents' association", what's that?
• If I apply to the LVT will I need to attend a hearing?
• We have agreed all the terms of acquisition but have not completed. What do we do?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. What is a service charge?
• How does a "variable administration charge" differ from a "fixed administration charge"?
• I am buying leasehold flat where the landlord is a Local Authority. The lease seems defective in that it does not grant a right of entry to the flat and other covenants I would expect to see in a lease are missing. Is the lease defective?
• What happens at an LVT hearing?
• My landlord is the council. They are going to enter into a 20 year contract with a major building company. What are the consequences of my landlord entering into such a contract?
• What happens after I submit my application form to the LVT?
• Can I appeal against an LVT decision?
• I want to exercise the right of Appointment of a manager. What kind of order can the LVT grant?
• My landlord wants to engage a new cleaner. Can I comment on the landlord's proposals?
• My freeholder is the Council or other social sector landlord. How can I find out what my service charge payment is being used for?
• Does my building qualify for Appointment of a manager?
• Do the leaseholders exercising Appointment of a manager need to qualify?
• My freeholder is the Council or other social sector landlord. I purchased my flat under the right to buy. The Council is demanding a service charge for a period when I was still a Council tenant. Can they do this?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. I have written to my landlord and requested a summary of the service charge but I haven't received a reply. What can I do now?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. My service charge is a fixed amount. Can I seek a determination from the LVT if I am unhappy with it?
• I'm a private sector leaseholder and I have a problem with my service charges. My service charge has been consistent for some time, is it fixed?
• When is Appointment of a manager not available?
• When I purchased my flat from the Council under the right to buy I was informed in writing that my service charges would not go above a certain amount during a reference period. Within this reference period the landlords have sent me a service charge bill that goes above this figure.
• Will I need to attend a hearing?
• My landlord is the council. They are going to enter into a 20 year contract with a major building company. Must the landlord inform me about the work before it starts?
• My freeholder is the Council or other social sector landlord. I purchased my flat under the right to buy and was informed that my service charges would not go above a certain amount during a reference period. Can I be asked to pay extra during this period?
• I purchased my flat from the Council under the right to buy. The Council is demanding a service charge for a period when I was still a Council tenant. Can they do this?
• My landlord is the council. They are going to enter into a 20 year contract with a major building company. Must the landlord tell me which contractor they will be using?
• My landlord is the council. They are going to enter into a 20 year contract with a major building company. Can I comment on the estimates?