When you own a leasehold property, it’s worth knowing how many years are left on your lease. The remaining term can affect your property’s value, your ability to sell or remortgage, and the cost of extending it. This is why a lease extension can be an important step in protecting your property and keeping your options open for the future.
At Warner Goodman LLP, our experienced Lease Extension solicitors can help you through the process from start to finish. We provide clear, practical advice on your options and handle the legal work needed to extend your lease.
Call: 01329 288 121
Email: enquiries@warnergoodman.co.uk
What is a Lease Extension?
A lease gives you the right to own and occupy a property for a set number of years. Unlike owning a freehold property, the number of years remaining on a lease reduces over time.
A lease extension adds more years to your existing lease. Extending can help protect your property's value and marketability and make it easier to sell or remortgage.
There are generally two ways to extend the lease of a flat:
Statutory lease extension – using your legal right to extend your lease through the formal process set out in legislation.
Voluntary lease extension – agreeing an extension directly with your freeholder outside the statutory process.
The right option will depend on your circumstances, your existing lease and the terms being offered. You may also need a specialist lease extension valuation to establish the amount payable to the freeholder, known as the premium.
How We Help Leaseholders
Extending a lease involves more than simply adding extra years. Depending on the route you take, you may need to serve notices, agree terms with the freeholder, contact your mortgage lender, and register the extended lease with HM Land Registry.
If you're looking to extend your lease, we can handle the legal process and work with you, your freeholder and your specialist valuer to move the extension forward.
Our Lease Extension solicitors can help with:
 | | Reviewing your existing lease and explaining your options |
| | Advising on statutory and voluntary lease extensions |
| | Preparing and serving statutory notices |
| | Reviewing notices and counter-notices from the freeholder |
| | Working alongside your specialist valuer where a lease extension valuation is required |
| | Advising on the proposed terms of your extended lease |
| | Negotiating the legal terms with the freeholder's solicitor |
| | Drafting or reviewing lease extension documents |
| | Liaising with your mortgage lender and dealing with their requirements |
| | Completing the legal work and registering your extended lease with HM Land Registry
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Whether you're starting a lease extension or have already agreed terms with your freeholder, we can take care of the legal work needed to move it forward.
Lease Extension Support for Freeholders
We also act for freeholders who have received a lease extension request or want to agree a voluntary extension with a leaseholder.
Our solicitors can help you understand your responsibilities, respond to statutory notices, negotiate the terms of the extension and prepare the necessary legal documents. Where required, we can also work alongside your specialist valuer on the valuation aspects of the extension.
We can act for either the leaseholder or freeholder in a lease extension, but we cannot represent both parties in the same transaction.
Call: 01329 288 121
Email: enquiries@warnergoodman.co.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
When to extend your lease will depend on your circumstances, but it is particularly important to consider your options as the remaining term gets closer to 80 years.
Under the current statutory rules, marriage value becomes payable when extending a lease with 80 years or fewer remaining, which can make an extension more expensive. A shorter lease can also affect your property's value and saleability, and whether some mortgage lenders will lend against it.
If your lease is approaching 80 years, it is worth considering your options before it reaches this point.
The cost of extending a lease will depend on your property, your existing lease and how the extension is arranged. Costs can include:
- The premium payable to the freeholder
- Valuation fees
- Your legal fees
- The freeholder's reasonable legal and valuation costs where payable under the current statutory process
- Land Registry and other associated fees
The premium itself can depend on factors including the property's value, the number of years remaining on the lease and the ground rent payable.
A specialist lease extension valuer can advise you on the likely premium, while we can explain the legal costs and process involved.
Marriage value is part of the current calculation used to determine the premium for certain statutory lease extensions where a lease has 80 years or fewer remaining.
Essentially, it reflects the increase in the property's value created by extending the lease.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 provides for marriage value to be removed under the new valuation system. However, this change is not yet in force, so marriage value remains relevant under the current rules.
No. The previous two-year ownership requirement for making a statutory lease extension claim was removed on 31 January 2025.
This means an eligible leaseholder can now start the statutory lease extension process without waiting two years after purchasing the property.
A Section 42 Notice is the formal notice used by an eligible leaseholder of a flat to start the statutory lease extension process.
The notice includes key details about the lease extension claim, including the proposed premium. It needs to be prepared and served correctly to ensure the statutory process is followed.
We can prepare and serve the Section 42 Notice on your behalf and deal with the legal process that follows.
Yes, if your freeholder agrees to a voluntary lease extension. A voluntary extension can provide more flexibility over the length and terms of the new lease. However, it does not provide the same protections as the statutory process, so you should carefully review the proposed terms before you agree to them.
We can review the terms being offered and advise you on the legal implications before you proceed.
Yes. However, a short lease can affect the property's value, make it less attractive to some buyers and limit the mortgages available against it.
Depending on your circumstances, it may be possible to extend the lease before or alongside your sale. If you're planning to sell a property with a short lease, we can explain the options available and how a lease extension could fit alongside the conveyancing process.
There isn't one answer that works for every leaseholder.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 introduces significant changes, including 990-year statutory lease extensions, the removal of marriage value, and changes to how lease extension premiums and costs are calculated. However, these reforms are not yet fully in force.
Whether you extend now or wait will depend on your lease and your plans for the property, particularly if you are approaching 80 years remaining or are looking to sell or remortgage.
We can explain the current rules and available options so you can decide how best to proceed.
Why Choose Warner Goodman LLP?
Lease extensions can involve strict procedures, negotiations and important decisions about your property. Our experienced Residential Property team combines specialist lease extension knowledge with clear advice and a straightforward approach.
When you work with us, you benefit from:
| | A trusted law firm with over 170 years of legal expertise |
| | An experienced Residential Property team with lease extension specialists |
| | Clear, practical advice without unnecessary legal jargon |
| | Rated 'Excellent' on ReviewSolicitors.co.uk, based on 1,000+ reviews |
| | Fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
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From reviewing your existing lease to registering the extension with HM Land Registry, we'll keep you informed and make sure you know what is happening at each stage.
Speak to Our Lease Extension Team
If you're looking to extend your lease, preparing to sell or remortgage, or want to understand the options available to you, speak to our Lease Extension team.
We assist clients across Hampshire and beyond, with offices in Southampton, Portsmouth, Fareham, Chandler’s Ford, and Waterlooville.
Call: 01329 288 121
Email: enquiries@warnergoodman.co.uk
Alternatively, complete our online enquiry form to request a callback from a member of our team.
