Buying the freehold of a leasehold house
The landlord’s response
Once the landlord gets your tenant’s notice, they will either agree or disagree with your right to enfranchisement. They can state their position on this (including their reasons) in an official “notice in reply”.
If they do not send a notice in reply within 2 months of the date of your tenant’s notice, they:
- may be liable for fees if a court must rule on determination on the right to enfranchisement or the price of the freehold
- cannot later challenge the extent of premises they want to be included in or excluded from enfranchisement
If the landlord agrees
The landlord will typically serve you with a notice in reply to preserve their rights to participate in determining the purchase price and the extent of the property to be sold.
Once they recognise your right, the negotiations on the price can begin.
The landlord can ask for a deposit of up to 3 times the yearly rent, or £25, whichever is higher. You must pay this within 14 days of them giving you notice.
When you agree a price, you and the landlord then have at least 4 weeks to complete the sale.
If you cannot agree on the price or other terms of the sale you should apply to:
- the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in England
- the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal in Wales
The tribunal will then make a final ruling.
If the landlord does not agree
The landlord may dispute your claim in a notice in reply, or they may simply choose not to respond.
If they do not accept that you have the right to enfranchisement or they do not respond to the notice, you will need to apply to a court for a vesting order to buy the freehold.
- Last updated:
- 17 December 2025
- Next review:
- 17 December 2027