Lease Extension Solicitors

Extend your lease and protect your property's value. Our specialist solicitors negotiate the best premium with your freeholder and guide you through every step.

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Why Extend Your Lease?

A leasehold property with a short lease can lose value rapidly and become difficult — or impossible — to sell or remortgage. Extending your lease is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your investment and maintain your property's market value.

Most mortgage lenders require a minimum lease length of 70–85 years at the end of the mortgage term. If your lease falls below 80 years, the cost of extending it increases significantly — meaning the sooner you act, the better.

Key threshold: Once a lease falls below 80 years, the freeholder becomes entitled to claim "marriage value" — a share of the increased value that the extended lease adds to the property. This can dramatically increase the premium you pay. Act before your lease drops below 80 years.

Statutory vs Informal Lease Extension

There are two routes to extending your lease:

Statutory Lease Extension

Under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (as amended by the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024), qualifying leaseholders have the legal right to extend their lease by 990 years (increased from 90 years under the 2024 reforms) at a peppercorn (zero) ground rent. To qualify, you must have owned the leasehold for at least two years.

The process involves:

  • Your solicitor serving a formal Section 42 notice on the freeholder specifying the premium you propose to pay
  • The freeholder responding with a counter-notice within two months
  • Negotiation of the premium, supported by a specialist leasehold valuer
  • If agreement cannot be reached, either party can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a determination

Informal Lease Extension

Alternatively, you can approach your freeholder directly to negotiate an informal extension without going through the statutory process. Informal extensions can be completed more quickly and with less formality, but they do not afford you the same statutory protections and the freeholder can set their own terms.

Our solicitors will advise you on the most appropriate route based on your specific circumstances, the remaining lease length, your freeholder's likely disposition, and the urgency of the situation.

How Much Does a Lease Extension Cost?

The total cost of a lease extension consists of:

  • The premium — the sum payable to the freeholder for the extension. This is calculated using complex actuarial formulas and depends on the current lease length, the ground rent, the property value, and local market conditions. A specialist leasehold valuer is essential to ensure you do not overpay.
  • Your legal fees — for your solicitor's work in serving notices, negotiating, and completing the deed of variation
  • The freeholder's legal and valuation costs — under statute, you are also responsible for the freeholder's reasonable professional costs
  • Land Registry registration fees

The Lease Extension Process Timeline

Step 1: Obtain a Valuation
Commission a specialist leasehold valuer to advise on the likely premium and the appropriate sum to offer in your Section 42 notice.
Step 2: Instruct Your Solicitor
Instruct a Legal Merchant panel solicitor to draft and serve the Section 42 notice on the freeholder.
Step 3: Freeholder's Counter-Notice
The freeholder has two months to respond. They must accept your right to extend and either agree to your terms or propose a different premium.
Step 4: Negotiation
Your solicitor and valuer negotiate with the freeholder's advisers to agree a fair premium and the terms of the new extended lease.
Step 5: Completion
Once terms are agreed, the deed of variation or new lease is completed and registered at HM Land Registry.

Lease Extension FAQs

A statutory lease extension typically takes 6–12 months from serving the Section 42 notice to completion. Informal extensions can be faster — sometimes 2–4 months — but depend on the freeholder's co-operation.
Yes — if you have served a Section 42 notice, you can assign the benefit of that notice to a buyer as part of the sale. This is a common approach where a seller wants to pass on the right to extend rather than completing the extension themselves. Our solicitors handle this as part of the sale conveyancing.
Yes — a specialist leasehold valuer (RICS-qualified) is essential to calculate the correct premium and advise on the appropriate amount to include in the Section 42 notice. If you underprice the offer in the notice, the freeholder may reject it. Legal Merchant can connect you with specialist valuers through our surveyor panel.

Related Property Services

Our panel solicitors also assist with related property matters including:

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  • Free, no-obligation quote
  • Competitive fixed fees
  • Local, SRA-regulated solicitors
  • Response within 2 hours
  • No sale, no fee options available

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