The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 promises the biggest shake-up of English and Welsh leasehold law in decades — but large parts of it are not yet in force. This guide tracks what has actually changed, what is still waiting on secondary legislation, and what that means for you today.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 received Royal Assent and sets out a broad package of changes intended to make leasehold cheaper and easier to challenge. Its headline measures include abolishing marriage value, introducing a standard 990-year extension term, giving leaseholders stronger rights to information, and making it easier to buy the freehold or take over management.
Passing an Act of Parliament is only the first step. Most of its substantive provisions need secondary legislation — detailed regulations made by the Secretary of State — before they actually change the law leaseholders operate under. This guide separates the parts that already apply from the parts still waiting.
A handful of provisions from the Act have been commenced and do apply today. These tend to be procedural or administrative changes rather than the headline valuation reforms:
Commencement happens in stages, and government timetables move. Always check GOV.UK or ask a specialist leasehold solicitor for the current position before relying on any specific provision.
The changes leaseholders tend to care about most are still awaiting secondary legislation:
| Reform | Status |
|---|---|
| Abolition of marriage value | Not commenced. Leases under 80 years still attract marriage value under the 1993 Act rules today. |
| 990-year standard extension term | Not commenced. The standard statutory extension remains 90 years for flats. |
| New deferment and capitalisation rates | Not set. Valuations still use the established Sportelli-derived rates. |
| Removal of "non-residential" 25% cap changes | Not commenced for collective enfranchisement and Right to Manage eligibility. |
| Ground rent reform for existing leases | Separately consulted on, not yet legislated — the 2022 Act's peppercorn rule only applies to new leases. |
Two things are holding up commencement of the valuation reforms. First, the government needs to consult on and set the new deferment and capitalisation rates by regulation — a technical process that determines how much cheaper extensions and enfranchisement actually become. Second, sections of the freeholder and investment sector have mounted legal challenges arguing the reforms interfere with their property rights, adding further delay while those challenges are resolved.
Until both of these are resolved, the government has not set a firm date for full commencement.
If you're planning to extend your lease, buy your freehold, or take over management today, you should proceed on the basis of current law, not the reformed version. That means:
If your lease is close to the 80-year threshold, waiting for reform is generally not advisable — your lease keeps getting shorter and more expensive to extend while you wait, with no confirmed date for relief. Get a premium estimate under current law and decide based on that.
Whatever happens with the reforms, these tools reflect current law so you can plan with real numbers:
Estimate your premium under the law as it stands today, including marriage value if applicable.
Launch Tool →Read our guides to buying the freehold and Right to Manage for routes that are fully available under current law, or our Leasehold Glossary if any of the terms on this page are unfamiliar.