Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024
The main reforms in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 concern aspects of:
- lease extensions
- buying the freehold
- service charges, building insurance and management
- ground rent ‘buyout’
The reforms aim to make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to buy their freehold, increase standard lease extension terms to 990 years for houses and flats, and provide greater transparency over service charges. They will also remove barriers for leaseholders to challenge their landlords’ unreasonable charges at Tribunal.
Timeframe: what we know
The government has not confirmed a date for when all the reforms will be fully implemented.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 is being implemented in phases. Many reforms need further consultation and secondary legislation.
Some reforms have already been implemented. For example, the old 2-year ownership rule has been abolished, so leaseholders do not need to have owned their home for 2 years before qualifying for the right to extend their lease or buy the freehold.
The changes relating to service charges and building management are expected to be made from 2027 onwards.
The government has said that the planned changes to lease extension, buying the freehold and buying out ground rent cannot be made until after the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill is passed. This is because some changes to the 2024 Act are needed first, which will be included in the new bill.
- Last updated:
- 10 August 2026
- Next review:
- 5 February 2027