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SRA Regulated · Manchester

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Lease Extension Solicitors

Your Lease Is Losing Value
Every Year You Wait.

Below 80 years and your property becomes harder to sell, harder to mortgage, and worth less than it should be. Harris & Co. Solicitors advise freeholders and leaseholders across the UK on lease extensions, reviews, service charge disputes and all leasehold matters — with clear costs from the outset.

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Statutory & Voluntary Extensions
Freeholders & Leaseholders
Fixed Fees Available
SRA Regulated
Free Initial Consultation
Tell us about your lease
A solicitor will review your position and advise on next steps.

No obligation. Your details are treated in confidence and used only to contact you about your matter.

£2M+
Secured in Compensation
5.0
Google Rating
650+
Cases Handled
20+
UK
What We Handle

Commercial & leasehold matters,
handled completely.

From taking on a new commercial lease to buying a business with a lease attached, our team handles the full range of leasehold and commercial property matters — with clear advice and fixed fees where possible.

New Commercial Lease

Taking on a shop, office or warehouse? We review the full lease terms before you sign, flag any onerous clauses, and negotiate on your behalf to protect your position from day one.

Lease Renewal & Regear

When your existing commercial lease expires, you may have the right to renew. We protect your rights under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and negotiate the best available renewal terms.

Business Purchase & Lease Assignment

Buying an existing business means taking on its commercial lease. We manage the formal assignment from seller to buyer — including landlord consent, due diligence, and completion.

Commercial Property Purchase

Buying a shop or warehouse unit outright? We handle the full conveyancing process, with thorough lease due diligence — whether there is a sitting tenant or the property is vacant.

Lease Transfer on Sale

When a business or property changes hands, the commercial lease must be formally transferred. We coordinate with all parties to ensure the assignment completes correctly and on time.

Lease Review & Due Diligence

Before signing or renewing any commercial lease, we review the full terms, identify break clauses, repair obligations, and any restrictive conditions — so you know exactly what you are committing to.

Leasehold Law

Leases are complicated.
We make them simple.

Leasehold ownership comes with a unique set of obligations, rights, and risks that most people only discover when something goes wrong — or when they're trying to sell. Whether you're looking at a lease before buying, challenging a service charge bill, or dealing with a difficult freeholder, Harris & Co. Solicitors know this area of law inside out.

We act for both leaseholders and freeholders across all residential leasehold matters — advising clearly, moving quickly, and keeping costs under control from the outset.

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Extending a short or falling lease
A lease below 80 years becomes more expensive to extend and harder to mortgage or sell. Acting before it falls further makes a real difference to both cost and marketability.
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Reviewing a lease before purchase
Onerous clauses — on subletting, alterations, ground rent escalation, or service charges — can make a leasehold property a liability. We review the terms before you commit.
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Disputing service charges
Landlords cannot charge what they like. Where bills appear excessive, poorly documented, or relate to work not carried out, we challenge them — including before the First-tier Tribunal.
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Facing forfeiture or a breach notice
A freeholder threatening to forfeit your lease needs to follow strict legal procedure. Acting quickly preserves your right to apply for relief — which, if granted, reinstates the lease in full.
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Buying the freehold collectively
Where enough qualifying leaseholders in a building come together, they have the right to buy the freehold and take control of the building's management. We advise groups through the full process.
What We Handle

Leasehold matters,
handled completely.

From straightforward lease extensions to contested service charge disputes and collective enfranchisement, our team covers the full range of residential leasehold work for both leaseholders and freeholders.

Lease Extensions
Statutory or voluntary extensions handled from start to finish. We serve the Section 42 notice on your behalf, negotiate the premium with the freeholder's solicitors, and complete the deed of surrender and re-grant.
Lease Reviews & Advice
Before you buy or remortgage a leasehold property, understanding the lease terms is essential. We review clauses on subletting, alterations, ground rent, and service charges — flagging anything that could cause problems down the line.
Service Charge Disputes
Charges must be reasonable and backed by proper documentation. Where a landlord cannot justify amounts claimed, we challenge them before the First-tier Tribunal — from inspecting accounts through to the hearing itself.
Collective Enfranchisement
Where at least half of a building's qualifying leaseholders come together, they have the right to buy the freehold collectively. We advise leaseholder groups throughout the process — from eligibility and nominee purchaser setup through to completion.
Forfeiture & Lease Disputes
Faced with forfeiture proceedings? Acting quickly is critical. We advise leaseholders on their right to apply for relief and challenge premature or unlawful forfeiture — and advise freeholders on the correct procedure to follow before taking action.
Ground Rent & Leasehold Terms
Escalating ground rent clauses and onerous lease terms can make a property difficult to sell or remortgage. We advise on what can be done — whether through negotiation with the freeholder, a lease variation, or the extension process.
Statutory vs Voluntary

Two routes.
We'll tell you
which is right.

Most leaseholders can extend their lease in one of two ways — through the formal statutory process under the 1993 Act, or by negotiating directly with the freeholder on an informal basis. Each has its advantages, and the right approach depends on your specific situation.

We take the time to understand your position before recommending a route — including the likely premium, the freeholder's likely stance, and any time pressures you may be working to.

Statutory Route — Certainty
A legal right that the freeholder cannot refuse. Begins with a formal Section 42 notice specifying your proposed premium. If the parties cannot agree, the First-tier Tribunal determines the figure.
Voluntary Route — Speed & Flexibility
Negotiated directly with the freeholder without formal notices. Can be faster and cheaper in professional fees, but depends on the freeholder's willingness to engage on reasonable terms.
Independent Surveyor Valuation
Before any notice is served, we work alongside a specialist leasehold surveyor to provide an independent premium assessment — so you know what a fair figure looks like before negotiations begin.
What the Process Involves
A summary of what you can expect from a statutory lease extension — the most common route for residential leaseholders.
  • Confirm eligibility — 2 years minimum ownership, qualifying flat
  • Instruct a specialist leasehold surveyor for independent premium valuation
  • Serve Section 42 notice on the freeholder specifying proposed premium
  • Freeholder serves Counter-Notice within 2 months with their proposed premium
  • Negotiation period — parties aim to agree premium without tribunal
  • If no agreement, either party applies to First-tier Tribunal within 6 months
  • Tribunal determines the premium — both parties bound by the decision
  • Completion — new lease executed and registered at Land Registry
How We Work

From first call
to completed lease.

Leasehold law has its own timelines and procedural rules — missing a deadline or serving a defective notice can mean starting again. Our process is designed to keep things moving at every stage.

Step 01
Free Initial Review
We review your current lease, establish the remaining term, and advise on the most appropriate route — statutory or voluntary — and the likely costs involved. No commitment required.
Step 02
Surveyor & Valuation
We connect you with a specialist leasehold surveyor who prepares an independent valuation of the premium. This gives you a defensible starting position before any notice is served or any negotiation begins.
Step 03
Notices & Negotiation
We serve the formal notice on your behalf and handle all correspondence with the freeholder's solicitors. Where the statutory route is used, we manage the Counter-Notice response and lead the negotiation.
Step 04
Completion & Registration
Once the premium is agreed, we prepare and execute the deed of surrender and re-grant, and register the new lease at HM Land Registry. You receive your extended lease with a zero ground rent and the value protection that brings.
Common Questions

Leasehold
explained.

Leasehold law can be complex, but the principles aren't difficult to understand. We've answered the questions we hear most often below.

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The earlier the better. Once a lease falls below 80 years, the cost of extending rises sharply because a payment called "marriage value" becomes payable. Lenders are increasingly reluctant to mortgage properties with leases below 70 years, and below 60 years the property can become practically unmortgageable. Most solicitors and surveyors recommend acting well before the 90-year mark to keep costs manageable and maintain full market value.
Under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, qualifying leaseholders have a statutory right to extend their lease by 90 years and to have the ground rent reduced to zero (a peppercorn). To qualify you must have owned the flat for at least two years. The process begins with a formal Section 42 notice served on the freeholder. If the parties cannot agree on the premium, either can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to determine the figure.
A voluntary extension is negotiated directly with the freeholder without formal notices. It can be quicker and cheaper in professional fees, and the parties have more flexibility. However, there is no obligation on the freeholder to agree, and they may seek terms less favourable than a tribunal would order. The statutory route gives you legal certainty. We advise on which approach is likely to produce the best outcome in your specific situation.
The premium is calculated by a surveyor using a formula set out in the 1993 Act. It takes into account the reduction in ground rent income to the freeholder, the deferral of the reversion, and — where the lease is below 80 years — marriage value. We work alongside specialist leasehold surveyors to ensure you receive an independent valuation before any negotiation begins.
Service charges must be reasonable and reflect the actual costs incurred. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, leaseholders have the right to request a summary of costs and to inspect supporting documents. Where charges appear excessive or are for work not carried out, a leaseholder can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to challenge them.
Forfeiture is the freeholder's right to bring the lease to an end for breach of a lease covenant — typically non-payment of ground rent or service charges. For residential leases, the freeholder cannot forfeit without first obtaining a determination that a breach has occurred and then serving the correct notices. Forfeiture without following this process is unlawful. If faced with forfeiture proceedings, a leaseholder can apply to court for relief which, if granted, reinstates the lease.
Ground rent is a payment made by a leaseholder to the freeholder. The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 prohibited the charging of ground rent on most new residential leases granted on or after 30 June 2022 — it must now be zero. Existing leases with ground rent provisions are unaffected. For those wishing to eliminate ground rent in an existing lease, a statutory or voluntary extension will achieve this.
Yes — this is collective enfranchisement. Where at least half of the qualifying leaseholders in a building come together, they have a statutory right to purchase the freehold collectively. The process requires all participating leaseholders to appoint a nominee purchaser to act on their behalf. We advise leaseholder groups throughout the process from initial eligibility assessment through to completion of the purchase.
Under the statutory route, no — provided you qualify, the freeholder cannot refuse to grant an extension. They can dispute the premium and counter-offer, and if no agreement is reached either party can refer the matter to the First-tier Tribunal. The freeholder can only avoid the statutory obligation in very limited circumstances, such as where they intend to redevelop the building.
The process involves formal legal notices, strict deadlines, and often a referral to the First-tier Tribunal if the parties disagree on price. Errors in the Section 42 notice can invalidate the claim entirely and require you to start again — which can be costly if the lease has dropped significantly in value in the meantime. The cost of professional advice is almost always outweighed by the savings achieved through correct procedure and effective negotiation.
We'd recommend getting in touch with Harris & Co. Solicitors. Leasehold law is a technical and often underestimated area — statutory lease extensions, freehold purchase, service charge disputes, and forfeiture proceedings all carry strict procedural requirements where errors can be costly. Our team has in-depth expertise across all aspects of leasehold and property law, and we hold a 5.0 Google rating from clients we've helped navigate these processes. That said, we'd always encourage you to do your due diligence before instructing any solicitor — read reviews, check a firm's specific areas of expertise, and speak to them directly. Call us on 0161 537 3777 for a free, no-obligation consultation and we'll advise you clearly on where you stand and what your options are.
Client Reviews

What our clients say

Harris & Co. Solicitors are rated 5 stars across all major review platforms. Read our clients' experiences and see why clients trust us.

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Get in Touch

Your lease.
Sorted.

Whether your lease needs extending, reviewing, or defending — Harris & Co. Solicitors are ready to help. Call us today for free initial advice, with no obligation to proceed.

Call 0161 537 3777 Request a Callback
SRA Regulated
Free Initial Advice
Fixed Fees Available
UK Based