Leasehold property
Extending, changing or ending a lease
Extending the lease
You can ask the landlord to extend your lease at any time.
You might be able to extend your lease by:
- 90 years on a flat if you qualify
- 50 years on a house if you qualify
The Leasehold Advisory Service’s (LAS) lease extension calculator gives you a guide to the costs of extending the lease of a flat.
Changing the lease
You can negotiate certain changes to the lease, sometimes known as ‘varying the lease’. Speak to your landlord first.
If you cannot agree, you may be able to apply to a tribunal - contact Leasehold Advisory Service for advice.
Ending the lease
It’s very rare that a landlord can end the lease and evict you. There are some circumstances and leases that let them do this, sometimes known as ‘forfeiture proceedings’. They need to send you a formal written notice and get the court’s permission.
You can usually end a lease by giving at least 1 month’s notice.
The LAS has information about ending a lease.
When the lease runs out
You do not have to leave the property when the lease expires. In law, a lease is a tenancy and the leaseholder is a tenant. The tenancy will continue on exactly the same terms unless you or the landlord decide to end it.