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Ground rent

Ground rent demand notices

In this guide

You only have to pay ground rent if your landlord has sent you a written demand notice in the correct format.

The notice must include:

  • the amount of ground rent due
  • the date when you must pay the ground rent, or if the demand is sent after the due date, the date when it would have been due under the terms of the lease
  • your name
  • the period covered by the demand
  • the name and address of the person or company the payment should be made to
  • the name and address of the landlord or managing agent who is giving the notice
  • certain supporting information, included as notes to the notice

The notice must use specific wording that is set by Parliament, under section 166 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. The wording is set out in:

The date the payment is due must not be earlier than the date the ground rent is due in line with your lease. It must also be between 30 and 60 days after the demand notice, so if the demand notice is late, you must still be given at least 30 days to pay after you receive it. You cannot be charged interest until after the payment is due.

The landlord can send the notice by post to the address of the leasehold property, unless you have given the landlord a different address.

Important

It’s your responsibility to make sure your landlord has your up to date address, so that you do not miss ground rent demands.

If you do not live in the property (for example, you rent it out) then it’s important to make sure your landlord knows where to send ground rent demands.

Time limit for ground rent demands

Your landlord can only recover ground rent going back 6 years.

If they have not been charging ground rent then they could ask for the previous 6 years’ payments at once. But you do not have to pay ground rent from more than 6 years ago if your landlord did not send a demand at the time.

Last updated:
1 December 2025
Next review:
1 December 2027

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