Freehold or leasehold? How to check the tenure of a property

Tenure is recorded on every registered sale since 1995. How to check it free, what leasehold means for a buyer, and the questions to ask before you exchange.

How to check the tenure

Every sale registered since 1995 records whether the estate sold was freehold or leasehold. The check on this page reads that from the open Price Paid Data and shows it free. The title register from HM Land Registry states it for the current title, including a property that has not sold since 1995.

What leasehold means for a buyer

• You buy the right to the property for the years left on the lease. The land stays with the freeholder.
• Under about 80 years left, the price falls and lenders become careful. Extending a lease costs money and the cost rises as the term falls.
• Ground rent and service charges are payable to the landlord. Since 30 June 2022 most new residential leases carry no ground rent (Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022).
• Ask for the lease, the last three years of service charge accounts, and any notice of planned major works before you exchange.

What freehold means

You own the land and the building with no lease to run out. Check the register for restrictive covenants, rights of way and any registered charge. Flats are almost always leasehold or, since the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, occasionally commonhold.