Leaseholds
Our conveyancing team have a wealth of experience in dealing with various leasehold transactions and can assist and advise you on the following:
Purchases and sales
Compared to buying a freehold property – where you own both the property and the land on which it stands – buying a leasehold means you own the property but the land it is built on is owned by the freeholder.
If you are considering buying a leasehold property we can check the terms of the lease for you, including how many years are left on the lease, the ground rent and additional charges and any restrictions. We can also check the legal title documents sent by the seller’s solicitor and can carry out all appropriate searches.
In terms of selling a leasehold property, there can be more paperwork involved than selling a freehold house. We can guide and assist you with providing all the information the buyer’s solicitor will need. This will reduce the number of queries they come back with and ensure the process runs smoothly and efficiently.
If the current lease on the property is short, we can also help with making it easier to sell by advising you on the options of extending the lease or purchasing the freehold (see below).
Leasehold extensions
If you have owned the leasehold on a property for more than two years then you are eligible to extend the lease. Typically flats tend to have a lease term of between 99 and 125 years, and it is often advisable to extend the lease sooner rather than later, otherwise the cost of doing so becomes greater. Extending the lease is also a great way of retaining the value of the property and makes it more saleable if you decide to remortgage.
Where an agreement has been reached between the leaseholder and landlord or freeholder to extend the lease we can deal with the paperwork for the extension. In addition we will approve the deed confirming the extension and register the extension with the Land Registry.
Read more in our Guide to Leasehold Extensions.
Purchase of freehold
Buying the freehold on a leasehold property, also known as leasehold enfranchisement, has a number of benefits. Not only does it mean you can live in the property for as long as you wish, but it also means you can make changes to the land and property without having to consult the landlord. It can also make the property more appealing to buyers should you wish to sell it in the future.
At Rothera Bray we can help advise you on the financial and practical implications of a freehold purchase, as well as review the current terms of your lease.
Remortgage and Transfer of Equity
Re-mortgaging a leasehold property is the same process as with a freehold property.
It involves changing the mortgage on the property by moving to a new lender. You might choose to remortgage because your current mortgage deal is coming to an end or you want to increase the amount you borrow and another lender is offering a better deal. Our conveyancing team are very experienced in remortgaging for leasehold properties and work closely with banks and building societies to ensure the process happens quickly and without hassle.
We can also advise and assist on transfer of equity for leasehold properties, where you are looking to change the legal ownership of the property without actually selling the property (see our Transfer of Equity page for more details). With a leasehold property there could be certain requirements under the lease that also need to be dealt with, as well as extra disbursements such as a notice served on the landlord, which we can also advise you on.
Shared ownership
Taking out a shared ownership lease means you buy a share in your home and rent the remaining share at a reduced or subsidised rate, usually from a housing association through which the scheme is run.
Under the scheme you will have a lease with the housing association which details the shares in the property that you own and the housing association owns. The lease will also outline your rent amount, your obligations regarding maintaining the property and any restrictions.
Our experienced team can assist you in buying the property and advise you on the details of the shared ownership lease, as well as offer guidance on buying more shares in the property at a later date (known as staircasing).
Ground rents
As the leaseholder of a property, the landlord, who may also be the freeholder, will often charge you ground rent. This is a sum payable to the freeholder to occupy the land a leasehold property is built on. It will also include service charges which cover the cost of services including general maintenance and repairs, building insurance and heating and lighting.
In unfortunate cases leaseholders can find themselves at the mercy of their landlord. The landlord may decide to increase the ground rent or service charge at any time or fail to manage the property adequately. As a result it is not surprising that disagreements can arise between the leaseholder and landlord.
Why use Rothera Bray for leasehold property transactions?
You will be assigned a dedicated team member who will handle your case from start to finish and provided with their direct contact details.
We have eight offices across Nottingham, Leicester and Derby where you can see a member of our conveyancing team.
We can review a lease and its terms and advise you of your leasehold rights before you enter into any agreement
We will be upfront and transparent about costs so there are no hidden/extra charges.
Get a Conveyancing QuoteSend us a message
Conveyancing Fees
Our fees made clear:
“We explain costs clearly – so there’s no hidden surprises”
Michelle Young
Head of Conveyancing
FAQs
The main difference between freehold and leasehold is ownership rights. With freehold properties, the freeholder owns the property and land for an unlimited period. In comparison, ownership of a leasehold property is for a set period, and as a leaseholder even though you have bought the property and are paying a mortgage on it, you will have a landlord who is the freeholder and owns the property and land, and you will have to pay ground rent and service charge.
When a leasehold expires the property reverts back to being a freehold rather than a leasehold and ownership of the building and land will go back to the freeholder. When the leasehold expires you will have no legal rights to the property, even if you have paid the mortgage off and own the property outright.
Yes, you can. The process is similar to selling a freehold property, and when the property is sold the new leaseholder will need to follow what was agreed to in the original lease, including paying ground rent and service charge.
It is advised that you instruct an estate agent to sell your home and a solicitor to deal with the conveyancing. Once an offer has been accepted, your solicitor will prepare a contract of sale to send to the prospective buyer, as well as copies of the lease agreement and your title and the freeholder’s title.
You might also need to provide the buyer with an information pack from the property managing agent, and a copy of the building’s insurance schedule and annual accounts for the managing agent.
It is worth noting that properties with less than 80 years left on the lease are not as attractive to buyers because they will find it harder to get a mortgage on the property, so if you are thinking of selling the property it is worth extending the lease before it gets to 80 years.
Yes, you can convert a leasehold into a freehold, which is known as enfranchisement. For a leaseholder to qualify for enfranchisement, they need to have a long lease of low rent with an original term of at least 21 years, or with a right to renewal which they have held for the past two years.
For the property to qualify for enfranchisement, the building must be reasonably considered a house and divided vertically from any adjoining house. If the property has been divided into flats, it will still qualify if the leaseholder has the lease for the whole house or they want to extend the lease of their specific flat rather than acquire the freehold.
There is also the option for the owners of several flats in a building to join together and buy the freehold of that building, known as collective enfranchisement.
A freeholder can refuse to sell the freehold but only if certain criteria are not met. For example, if they have a lease of less than 21 years or own more than two flats in the building.
A 999-year lease is effectively as good as a leasehold, as you do not need to worry about the lease running out or the property not being desirable to buyers if you are looking to sell. Although leasehold properties come with bigger risks than freehold properties because you’re at the mercy of the freeholder, if you are a flat owner who owns the flat as a leasehold property, you might have the option of grouping together with other flat owners in your block to buy the freehold and grant yourselves 999 year leases, meaning that you get the same security as a freehold property and you can decide on the rights and responsibilities of all residents.
Ground rent is money you pay in instalments or annually to your landlord for living at your residence.
You only have to pay ground rent if your landlord has sent you a formal written demand for it, however they can take legal action if you have received the demand but not made payment.
Your landlord cannot increase ground rent unless you agree to it or there is a rent review clause in the lease stating the ground rent can be increased. However, there are a lot of issues with these clauses as lenders have changed their criteria surrounding them. If the rent is likely to increase during the term to more than £250 per annum (£1000 per annum in London), the lender may not lend without the Landlord agreeing to vary the terms. Unfortunately, a lot of management companies are refusing to do this which basically makes the property unsaleable.
A peppercorn ground rent is a very low or nominal rent. Historically, ground rent was very low, and freeholders would not find much value in collecting it, however for a lease contract to be considered legally binding, the freeholder and leaseholder must exchange something of value to the other party. In the past peppercorns were a valuable commodity so would have been considered to validate the lease contract.
Most shared ownership properties are leasehold, with the occupier owning a share of the home and a housing association owning the remainder along with the land. If you live in a shared ownership property, you will pay your mortgage on your share and rent to the housing association for the remainder, as well as a service charge.
The Leasehold Reform Act comes into effect on 30 June 2022 and will allow leaseholders to extend lease agreements as often as they wish at zero ground rent for a period of 990 years; enable leaseholders to buy out the ground rent without extending the lease term; the launch of a Commonhold Council and the regulation of all property managing agents.
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Posted 17 July 2026
Me and my partner were recommended Rothera Bray by our mortgage advisor for the purchase of our first property. From start to end, Abbey and Luisa were extremely helpful and responsive. They made the process so easy and always answered any questions we had. I would highly recommend Rothera Bray and will be definitely using them again for any future needs!
Shan Reid
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Posted 16 July 2026
I have recently used the service of Kerry Brown and Beccy Rodham in the conveyancing team for the sale of a property and I am currently also using their services for a transfer of ownership. The sale of the property had a few issues (one sale fell through) but Rothera Bray dealt with the whole transaction with expertise and were responsive to e-mails. Their online system was explanatory and made dealing with paperwork straightforward. Rothera Bray were proactive leading up to completion and I would highly recommend their services to others.
Ashley Parkin
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Posted 16 July 2026
We have just completed a difficult sale and purchase, throughout the conveyance Rothera Bray have been there for us. Joanne Clarke and Nirvair Kaur Singh worked hard to keep things on track and together with Jackie Murphy we are now safely in our new home. We would definitely have no problem recommending Rothera Bray based on our experience. Thank you
Barbara K
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Posted 15 July 2026
The best experience I have ever had with solicitors. Superb from start to finish, kept me updated throughout regarding the sale of my home, were always there when I rang and really had my interests at heart. To complete in under 9 weeks was down the Rothera Bray, I can’t thank Lucy and Karen enough. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. Fee’s were really reasonable and transparent.
Greg W
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Posted 10 July 2026
I found Rothera Bray to be professional and responsive. I was glad I used a firm with a local office rather than one of the remote conveyancing companies.
Nigel Wright
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Posted 10 July 2026
Ellie has been very helpful she was always ready to answer any questions/queries I had. Nothing was too much trouble at all. Ellie’s knowledge & expertise of my situation was extremely good. She kept me informed of time frames making sure I was always updated on my completion etc. I would highly recommend Ellie to my family and friends, a very patient professional who has helped me a lot. Rothera Bray have a wonderful member of their team in Ellie Robinson.
Beverley Wyatt
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Posted 10 July 2026
We had the pleasure of dealing with Rothera Bray for our property purchase and specifically Tim Brooke and his team Craig Allsopp and Nikola Dzierzak. Despite a non-straightforward transaction with multiple titles, Tim and his team were excellent from start to finish, always advising us in a timely manner and doing a really thorough job on all the searches and relevant property matters. Once completion took place, Tim and team stayed engaged to ensure the title registration was complete despite the delays at land registry. We cannot thank Tim enough as at several points we thought the property deal might fall through but with the advice, guidance and attention to detail provided by Tim we got there in the end! Thank you.
Prachi
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Posted 7 July 2026
The conveyancing process was smooth from start to finish. Everything was handled efficiently, communication was clear, and the team was polite and professional throughout. I really appreciated how straightforward they made the whole process. Ellie Robinson and Grace Millward Thank you for a great service!
Zak Appleby
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Posted 6 July 2026
We have recently purchased a property and had the pleasure of working with Fatima Altaf for our conveyancing needs. She was superb from start to finish, she worked extremely hard and was always professional, friendly and in regular contact with us throughout to make sure we were up to date and well informed of the process. Moving house with a small baby in tow is a tricky process with lots of plates to juggle, but Fatima’s confidence and competence really did make it easier for us and we felt safe and in very good hands with her. We are very impressed and wouldn’t hesitate to use Rothera Bray again in the future.
Hannah Sullivan
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Posted 4 July 2026
Very pleased with the service provided for my recent house purchase. Ellie made sure the process ran smoothly from start to finish. I would happy to use them again in the future.
Lily Law
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Posted 3 July 2026
Ellie and Grace were fantastic, super responsive and very knowledgeable. Also very friendly to deal with. We would highly recommend them!
Amy Griffin
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Posted 30 June 2026
Joanne has been absolutely brilliant in handling our most recent house sale and purchase. We've used Joanne on several occasions now, and we genuinely can't fault the service she provides. She is always incredibly prompt in responding to emails and getting things actioned, while keeping us fully informed at every stage of the process. Her professionalism, efficiency, and clear communication made what can be a stressful experience feel much more manageable. Working with Joanne and Nirvair has been a great experience, and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable and efficient solicitor. Thank you both for all your hard work!
Ally Miller
Tim Brooke
Partner
Tim Brooke is a solicitor and partner in our residential conveyancing department, based at our West Bridgford and Nottingham offices.
Emily Weston
Partner
Emily Weston is as a Partner in the Residential Conveyancing team and is based primarily at our Beeston office.
Michelle Young
Partner & Head of Conveyancing
Michelle Young is a residential property specialist and heads up the conveyancing team. She’s based at our Loughborough office.
Julekha Nathani
Managing Associate
Julekha specializes in residential conveyancing and is based at our Market Harborough office. Having qualified in 2016 she has an extensive property knowledge dealing with a wide range of conveyancing matters.
Kiran Phagura
Managing Associate
Kiran Phagura is a Managing Associate based in our Leicester office. She specialises in all aspects of Residential Conveyancing.
Lucy Walsh
Managing Associate
Lucy Walsh is a Managing Associate in the Residential Conveyancing team and is based primarily at our Derby office.
Abbey Freeman
Senior Associate Solicitor
Abbey Freeman is a Senior Associate Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing team. She is based at our Loughborough office and is assisted by Luisa. She specialises in all aspects of Residential Property including New Build Purchases.
Carol Freeman
Senior Associate
Carol Freeman is a Chartered Legal Executive in Rothera Bray’s Residential Conveyancing department and is based at our Lace Market office.
Johanna Goddard
Senior Associate
Jo Goddard has over 20 years experience specialising in all aspects of residential conveyancing and regularly acts for clients on sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity and is part of one of the largest conveyancing teams across the East Midlands. She works out of our Nottingham city centre office, in the Lace Market.
Sade Love
Senior Associate Licensed Conveyancer
Sade Love is a Licensed Conveyancer in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is Conveyancing Team Leader at our Mapperley office.
Rebecca McGarry
Senior Associate
Rebecca McGarry is a Senior Associate in the Residential Conveyancing team and is based at our Nottingham office.
Sally Simpson
Senior Associate
Sally is based at our West Bridgford office. She has 40 years experience specialising in all aspect of residential conveyancing.
Jo Clarke
Associate
Jo is an experienced Conveyancing Associate and is based at our West Bridgford office.
Sandy Kaur
Associate Solicitor
Sandy Kaur is an Associate Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our Beeston office.
Tina Rana
Associate Solicitor
Tina is an Associate Solicitor in our Residential Conveyancing department, based in Leicester.
She has extensive experience in dealing with all aspects of residential conveyancing including, leasehold and transfer of equities.
Fatima Altaf
Solicitor
Fatima Altaf is a Solicitor in the Residential Property department. She is based at our Leicester office.
Kerry Brown
Chartered Legal Executive
Kerry Brown is a residential property specialist at Rothera Bray’s Nottingham HQ.
Hayley Hart
Solicitor
Hayley Hart is a Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Residential Conveyancing department and is based at our Mapperley branch office.
Jackie Murphy
Solicitor
Jackie Murphy is a Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Residential Conveyancing team and is based at our West Bridgford office.
Sara Odedra
Chartered Legal Executive
Sara Odedra is a Chartered Legal Executive in our Residential Property department and is based at our Market Harborough office.
Kerry Redfern
Licensed Conveyancer
Kerry Redfern is a residential property specialist in our Mapperley office.
Suzanne Riozzi
Chartered Legal Executive
Suzanne Riozzi is a Chartered Legal Executive in Rothera Bray’s Residential Conveyancing department and is based at our Loughborough office.
Ellie Robinson
Solicitor
Ellie Robinson is a Solicitor in the residential conveyancing department at Rothera Bray and is based at our Derby office.
Laura Runcak
Solicitor
Laura Runcak is a Solicitor in the Conveyancing department at Rothera Bray Derby and Beeston.
Ruth Cooper
Managing Paralegal
Ruth Cooper is a Managing Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Residential Conveyancing department and is based at our Loughborough office.
Michelle Chambers
Senior Paralegal
Michelle works in our Conveyancing department as a Senior Paralegal and is based at our Beeston office.
Priscilla Dohara
Senior Paralegal
Priscilla Dohara is a Senior Paralegal specialising in residential conveyancing, providing clients with efficient and reliable support throughout the property transaction process. Priscilla is based at our Loughborough office.
Nikola Dzierzak
Senior Paralegal
Nikola is a Senior Paralegal and works within our Conveyancing department at our West Bridgford office.
Gail Garner
Senior Paralegal
Gail is a Senior Paralegal in our Residential Conveyancing department and is based at our Lace Market office.
Schiennel Holness
Senior Paralegal
Schiennel Holness is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our Mapperley office.
Theresa Mason
Senior Paralegal
Theresa is a Senior Paralegal in our Conveyancing department based at the West Bridgford office.
Grace Millward
Senior Paralegal
Grace Millward is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray Residential Conveyancing department and is based at the Derby branch.
Luisa Palumbo
Senior Paralegal
Luisa Palumbo is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing team and is based at our Loughborough office.
Shelby Richardson
Senior Paralegal
Shelby Richardson is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our Mapperley branch.
Beccy Rodham
Senior Paralegal
Beccy Rodham is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our Lace Market office.
Julian Ryan
Senior Paralegal
Julian Ryan is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing team and is based at our Market Harborough office.
Lianne Green
Paralegal
Lianne is a Paralegal in the Conveyancing Team based at our West Bridgford branch.
Duygu Kartal
Paralegal
Duygu Kartal is a paralegal in Rothera Bray’s conveyancing team and is based at our Nottingham office.
Akeeta Lakhani
Paralegal
Akeeta is a Paralegal in our Residential Conveyancing team. She is based at our Loughborough office.
Lisa Rainbow
Paralegal
Lisa is a Paralegal in our Residential Conveyancing team. She is based at Mercury Place in Leicester.
Clare Salt
Paralegal
Clare Salt is a paralegal in Rothera Bray’s conveyancing team and is based at our Nottingham office.
Nirvair Kaur Singh
Paralegal
Nirvair is a Paralegal in our Conveyancing team based at our West Bridgford office.
Rhiannon Tyrrell
Paralegal
Rhiannon Tyrrell is a Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing team and is based at our Leicester office.
Sally Cooper
Conveyancing Department Assistant
Sally is our first point of contact for any new conveyancing enquiries that come in to the department and provides a bespoke quoting service for prospective clients, estate agents and other referrers of work.
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