UKMy leasehold has less than 80 years remaining. Can I extend it?
Yes, you can extend your leasehold even if it has less than 80 years remaining, but the process and costs depend on whether you qualify under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 — the 1967 Act does not apply to flats or lease extensions.
What the Law Says
The Leasehold Reform Act 1967 does not provide a right to extend a lease — it only gives qualifying tenants of houses the right to buy the freehold (enfranchisement). Lease extension rights for flats and most leaseholds come from the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, which is not referenced here but is the applicable law.
The Leasehold Reform Act 1967, s. 1, applies only to tenants of 'houses' (not flats) and grants a right to acquire the freehold — not to extend the lease. It says nothing about lease extensions.
For lease extensions, the key law is the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. Under that Act, qualifying leaseholders of flats can extend their lease by 90 years at zero ground rent — provided they have owned the lease for at least two years.
If your lease has fewer than 80 years remaining, 'marriage value' (the increase in total property value arising from the extension) becomes payable to the freeholder — this significantly increases the premium you must pay.
Statutory Text--- Leasehold Reform Act 1967 s. 1: ---
— Leasehold Reform Act 1967, s. 1
What to Do
Check if you’ve owned the lease for at least 2 years.
Instruct a surveyor to value the lease extension and calculate the premium (including marriage value if under 80 years).
Serve a formal Section 42 notice on your landlord.
Negotiate terms or apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) if agreement cannot be reached.
Complete the new lease once terms are agreed and registered with HM Land Registry.
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.