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Extending your shared ownership lease

How to extend your shared ownership lease

How you extend your shared ownership lease depends on how much of a share you own.

If you’ve staircased to 100% ownership

If you’ve staircased to 100% on a flat, you’re a full leaseholder and you have the right to extend your lease by 90 years through a formal route. You will also be able to reduce any ground rent you are paying to zero.

If you’ve staircased to 100% ownership on a house, you will own the freehold and are no longer a leaseholder.

If you own less than 100%

If you own less than 100% you do not have the right to extend your lease. Instead, you must go through an informal route relying on the lease terms and your landlord’s or housing association's policy.

How much a lease extension costs

The cost of a lease extension depends on the:

  • value of the property
  • number of years left on the lease
  • annual ground rent
  • value of any improvements you’ve made to the property

You will also need to pay:

  • your legal costs
  • your landlord’s legal costs, if you’re extending the lease through the formal process
  • your landlord’s valuation fee
  • your valuer’s fee

Setting the price for lease extension

If you are extending using the formal route, you need to appoint a surveyor registered with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to value the lease extension. The landlord will check it with their own valuer.

If extending your lease using the informal route, you negotiate a price with the landlord.

Last updated:
15 June 2026
Next review:
15 June 2028
Check your lease length

Use the lease length checker tool to find out how long is left on your lease and what it means

Buying more shares in your shared ownership home (staircasing)

Your options to increase the share of the property you own (staircasing)

Advice guide
Lease extension for flats

How to extend the lease of your flat, including getting started, your options and costs.

Topic - Lease extension