What Is Leasehold Enfranchisement?

In the UK, leasehold enfranchisement refers to the legal rights available to residential leaseholders which allow them to gain greater control over their property. Depending on your eligibility, you may have the right to:

• Extend your lease (statutory or informal)
• Purchase the freehold of your building, individually or collectively
• Join a collective enfranchisement claim with other qualifying leaseholders
• Take over management of the building through the Right to Manage (RTM)

These rights are governed by detailed statutory requirements, strict qualifying criteria and carefully prescribed notice procedures. Errors in serving notices, missing deadlines, or incorrect valuation assumptions can jeopardise the entire claim. Our team ensures every aspect is completed correctly and within the statutory timetable.

Our Leasehold Enfranchisement Services

Gurve Legal provides a comprehensive range of services tailored to UK leasehold property law, including:

✔ Statutory and Informal Lease Extensions

We assist leaseholders with both statutory (90-year) lease extensions and informal agreements with the freeholder. We handle the Initial Notice, valuation coordination, negotiations, drafting and completion of the new lease, and Land Registry registration.

✔ Collective Enfranchisement – Freehold Acquisition

Purchasing the freehold collectively can be transformative for leaseholders. We manage the end-to-end process, including eligibility checks, forming the Nominee Purchaser (often a company), coordinating communications, serving statutory notices, negotiating premiums and completing the freehold transfer.

✔ Advice for Freeholders Responding to Claims

We represent UK freeholders served with statutory notices, ensuring compliance with deadlines, accurate valuation, and the protection of long-term interests, including management rights and lease reversion value.

✔ Right to Manage (RTM) Applications

We support leaseholders in taking over the management of their building under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. This includes company setup, formal notices, managing disputes and ensuring a smooth handover from the managing agent.

✔ Valuation and Surveyor Collaboration

We work closely with specialist enfranchisement surveyors across the UK to ensure accurate valuations and well-informed premium negotiations.

✔ Service Charge and Management Structure Advice

Following freehold acquisition or RTM transfer, we assist with creating compliant management arrangements, reviewing service charge practices, and helping clients establish long-term management structures.