UKI own a leasehold and the ground rent has increased dramatically.
The Leasehold Reform Act 1967 does not regulate or cap ground rent increases for most leaseholds — it mainly gives qualifying leaseholders the right to extend their lease or buy the freehold. Ground rent rises are usually governed by your lease terms.
What the Law Says
The Leasehold Reform Act 1967 is a foundational law for leaseholders’ rights — but it does not control or limit ground rent increases. Its main purpose is to give long leaseholders of houses the right to buy their freehold (enfranchisement) or extend their lease, subject to eligibility criteria.
Section 1 of the Act sets out who qualifies for enfranchisement: you must hold a long lease (originally granted for at least 21 years) of a house, and have owned it for at least two years.
Crucially, the Act says nothing about regulating ground rent levels, review mechanisms, or caps on increases. Those terms are almost always dictated by the wording of your individual lease — not statute.
If your lease includes an escalating ground rent clause (e.g., doubling every 10 years), that clause is generally enforceable unless it’s deemed unfair under consumer protection law — but that’s outside the scope of the 1967 Act.
Statutory Text— Leasehold Reform Act 1967 s. 1 — Right of tenant of house to acquire freehold
Sources
Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.