Selling a leasehold flat: the process, costs and timescales

Selling a leasehold flat follows the same steps as selling any home, with extra paperwork on top. Your buyer's solicitor needs the lease, details of the service charge and ground rent, and a management pack from the freeholder or managing agent, and some leases need the freeholder involved in the sale itself. The most useful thing you can do is order the management pack as soon as you decide to sell, because as of October 2026 there's no legal deadline or fee cap for providing it.

This guide covers England and Wales. It's general information, and your solicitor will check what your own lease says.

What's different about selling a leasehold flat?

When you own a leasehold flat, you own the right to live in it for the years left on the lease, and the freeholder (the landlord) owns the building and the land. When you sell, you pass the rest of the lease to your buyer.

So as well as the usual checks, your buyer will want to know:

• how many years are left on the lease
• what the ground rent is, and whether it rises
• what the service charge is, what it has been, and whether big bills are coming
• whether there are any building safety problems
• what the lease says about things like pets, subletting and alterations
• who the freeholder and managing agent are

Step by step: selling a leasehold flat

1. Check your lease length. Work out exactly how many years are left. If it's 80 or fewer, read selling a flat with a short lease before you go any further.
2. Get an EPC. You must order an Energy Performance Certificate before you market the flat. It lasts 10 years, so check whether you already have one.
3. Instruct a solicitor early. They can order the management pack and get the lease and title from HM Land Registry while you look for a buyer.
4. Order the management pack. Contact the freeholder or managing agent as early as possible (see below).
5. Give your agent the leasehold details. Buyers need the tenure, the years left on the lease, and the ground rent and service charge before they decide to view. See material information when selling.
6. Fill in the property forms. Your solicitor will ask you to complete the TA6 Property Information Form, the TA7 form for leasehold properties and the TA10 Fittings and Contents Form.
7. Answer the buyer's enquiries. Expect questions about service charges, major works and the building.
8. Deal with any consents. Your lease may require the freeholder's consent, a deed of covenant signed by the buyer, or notice of the sale after completion, usually for a fee. Your solicitor will check.
9. Exchange and complete. Once contracts are exchanged, the sale is legally binding. On completion, the money moves and the buyer gets the keys.

The management pack

The management pack (sometimes called a leasehold information pack) is the information the freeholder or managing agent provides about the building and your lease. It usually includes answers to a standard set of leasehold enquiries, often on a form called the LPE1, which your solicitor asks the freeholder or managing agent to complete. It usually covers:

• service charge accounts and the current budget
• any arrears on your account
• ground rent and buildings insurance
• planned major works and any reserve fund
• building safety information
• any disputes, and contact details for the freeholder and managing agent

What does it cost, and how long does it take?

GOV.UK's guide to selling a home warns that your freeholder or managing agent is likely to charge you for this information. Fees vary, and as of October 2026 there's no legal cap and no legal deadline. The government's own notes on the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 say some landlords take weeks or months to provide it, and others set significant fees.

That Act gives the government powers to set maximum fees and response times for leasehold sales information, but the section that does this isn't in force yet. The government's June 2026 roadmap says it will consult on the detailed rules in 2027.

Until then, order the pack early, ask for the fee and the expected turnaround in writing, and chase it if it's late.

Service charges

Service charges pay for running the building: repairs, cleaning, buildings insurance, management fees and sometimes a reserve fund for big future costs. Buyers look closely at them, so have the last few years' accounts ready. Watch for:

• Major works. Your landlord must consult leaseholders before planned work that would cost any of them more than £250, or more than £100 a year for work or services lasting over 12 months. If you've had a notice about major works, your buyer's solicitor will ask about it. Agree through your solicitors who pays for bills that arrive after the sale.
• Arrears. Any unpaid service charge or ground rent needs sorting out before or at completion. Your solicitor will deal with this.
• Disputes. If you think a charge is unreasonable, you can apply to a tribunal, though not if you've already agreed to pay it. Your buyer's solicitor will ask about any disputes, so be open about them.

Ground rent

For leases granted before 30 June 2022, you only have to pay ground rent once the landlord has sent a formal written demand. For leases granted on or after that date, the ground rent is usually a "peppercorn", which means nothing is payable.

The government describes ground rents that rise significantly over time as a common problem for leaseholders, and buyers' solicitors check how and when yours can increase. Two changes are worth knowing about:

• Already in force (England): from 27 December 2025, long leases (over 21 years) no longer count as assured tenancies. The government says this makes it easier for leaseholders to get finance or sell.
• Proposed only: the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill would cap ground rent on older leases in England and Wales at £250 a year, falling to a peppercorn after 40 years. It isn't law yet, and no start date has been set.

Lease length

GOV.UK says that when there are 80 years or less left on a lease, the cost of extending it increases significantly. Lenders also set their own minimum lease lengths, so a short lease shrinks the number of buyers who can get a mortgage. If your lease is getting close to 80 years, read selling a flat with a short lease, which explains where the leasehold reforms stand.

Building safety

If your building is over 11 metres tall or has at least five storeys, your buyer's solicitor will ask about cladding and other fire safety issues. In England, tell your landlord you're selling: they must then give you a landlord's certificate within 4 weeks, and you may need to provide a leaseholder deed of certificate. See selling a flat with cladding.

How long does a leasehold sale take?

The government's 2026 roadmap says that once an offer is accepted, it takes around 120 days on average to complete a sale. That figure covers all homes, not just leasehold ones, and the same document says leaseholders can face delays and high costs when selling.

The common holdups are waiting for the management pack, extra enquiries about service charges and major works, freeholder consents, and lease length problems discovered late. To keep things moving:

• order the management pack when you put the flat on the market, not when you find a buyer
• find your lease, recent service charge demands and any letters about major works
• check the exact lease length before you list
• answer your solicitor's questions quickly
• ask for building safety documents early, if your building needs them

What it costs

Cost	Paid to	Notes
Management pack	Freeholder or managing agent	No legal cap yet (October 2026), so ask for the fee up front
Consent, deed of covenant or notice fees	Freeholder or managing agent	Only if your lease requires them
Conveyancing	Your solicitor	Ask whether the quote includes the leasehold work
EPC	An accredited assessor	Lasts 10 years
Estate agent fees	Your agent	Only if you sell through one

Your options for selling

• Estate agent. Usually the highest price, especially if the lease is well over 80 years, the building is well run and there are no safety problems. It's slower and the sale can fall through before exchange.
• Auction. Can suit flats with short leases or building problems, but there are fees and the price isn't certain.
• Cash house buyer. Usually below market value, but it can be quicker and doesn't depend on the buyer's mortgage. It can make sense if the lease is short, the building has problems, or you need to sell by a set date.

When an estate agent is likely to get you more: the lease has well over 80 years left, the service charge is reasonable, there are no major works or safety issues, and you can wait. In that case, the open market is usually the better route.

If a quick sale suits you better, we buy flats as they are across England and Wales, make an offer within 24 hours and pay your legal fees, and you choose the completion date. Our offer is below market value, and we explain how we worked it out.