Every year your lease runs down, your flat is worth less and the extension costs more — and with leasehold reform half-arrived, "should I wait?" has become the question that decides thousands of pounds. Connaught Law's lease extension solicitors act for leaseholders across London and the UK, with honest advice on when to move and when waiting genuinely pays.
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How We Can Help
Statutory vs Voluntary
A negotiated ("voluntary") extension can be faster and cheaper on legal costs — but the freeholder sets the terms, and deals that keep or increase ground rent can cost far more over time than they save up front. We compare both routes against your lease before recommending either; our guides on statutory vs non-statutory extensions and voluntary lease extensions set out the trade-offs.
What It Costs
The premium turns on your lease length, ground rent and flat value — and, under current law, on marriage value once a lease drops below 80 years, which is why the 80-year mark remains the single most expensive threshold in leasehold. Our lease extension calculator gives you an instant estimate, and a valuer's figure anchors the claim itself.
Process & Timeline
A statutory claim runs: valuation, then the Section 42 notice that fixes your proposed premium, the freeholder's counter-notice within two months, negotiation — and, if agreement fails, the First-tier Tribunal sets the price. Most claims settle by negotiation in months, with deadlines on both sides we manage throughout. Miss a deadline and the claim can fail with costs; that's the part we don't let happen.
Leasehold Houses
Leasehold house owners usually do better buying the freehold outright than extending — a separate statutory right with its own valuation rules. Our guide to buying the freehold of a leasehold house covers the route, and we run both enfranchisement and extension claims.
How We Work
First, the strategy call: your lease length, your plans for the flat, and the reform timetable, weighed honestly — extend now, negotiate, or wait. We work alongside specialist valuers, serve and respond to notices on time, and negotiate premiums with the tribunal as leverage rather than a destination.
If you're selling or remortgaging a short-lease flat, the extension can run in parallel — including assigning the benefit of a claim to your buyer — so the lease problem doesn't kill the transaction. The government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service is a useful independent reference throughout.
Why Connaught Law
01Wait-or-act advice, honestly givenWe tell you what the reform timetable actually means for your lease — including when waiting saves you money and we lose a job.
02The 80-year threshold, managedApproaching 80 years, months matter. We move claims fast enough to beat the cliff.
03Senior attention throughoutYour claim is run by our experienced property team, not passed down — with direct access to the person handling it.
04Deadlines never droppedStatutory claims die on missed dates. Ours don't.
Fee structures are set out on our fees page — and our calculator estimates the premium before you spend anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I wait for the leasehold reforms before extending?
It depends on your lease. The reforms that would cut premiums — 990-year terms and marriage value abolition — are law but not in force, with no implementation date and valuation rules still unconsulted. If your lease is comfortably above 80 years and you're not selling, waiting may be rational; below or near 80, every month of delay risks costing more than the reforms might ever save. We'll give you the honest arithmetic for your lease.
What is marriage value on a lease extension?
The uplift in your flat's value created by extending a short lease — which, under current law, you must share 50/50 with the freeholder once the lease falls below 80 years. It's why premiums jump at that threshold, and why the 2024 Act's still-pending abolition of marriage value matters so much to short-lease owners. Our calculator shows its effect on your figures.
How long does a lease extension take?
A negotiated statutory claim typically completes within six to twelve months; tribunal determination adds time. Voluntary deals can be quicker when the freeholder is cooperative. If you're selling, the claim's benefit can be assigned to your buyer so the sale needn't wait for completion of the extension.
Can I extend my lease immediately after buying?
Yes. The old two-year ownership requirement was abolished in 2025, so a statutory claim can be started as soon as you own the flat — and purchase and extension can be planned as one transaction, which is often the cheapest sequencing of all.
Lease running short?
Tell us your lease length and your plans. We'll tell you honestly whether to extend now or wait for reform — and what either path costs.
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