What counts as a short lease?

Anything under about 80 years is treated as short, because that is the point where marriage value becomes payable on an extension and the cost jumps. Under 70 years many lenders decline outright, and under 60 years the pool of mortgage lenders is very small. Below 30 years, a flat is effectively a cash-only purchase.

Why does 80 years matter so much?

Under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, once a lease drops below 80 years the freeholder becomes entitled to a share of the marriage value, which is the increase in the flat's value created by extending. That extra element makes the premium noticeably more expensive, so 80 years is the threshold valuers and lenders watch.

Can I sell a flat with a short lease?

Yes. You can sell it as it stands to a cash buyer, extend the lease first and then sell on the open market, or start the extension and assign the benefit of the notice to your buyer. Which is best depends on how much time you have and whether you can fund the premium.

How much does a lease extension cost?

It depends on the flat's value, the years remaining, and the ground rent. A statutory extension adds 90 years to the existing term at a peppercorn ground rent, and you pay a premium plus your own and the freeholder's reasonable costs. A short lease on a valuable flat can run to tens of thousands of pounds, which is why a valuation from a surveyor experienced in leasehold enfranchisement is worth getting before deciding.

How long does a lease extension take?

A cooperative freeholder and an agreed premium can be done in a few months. A disputed premium heading to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) can take a year or more. That timescale is the reason many sellers with a deadline sell as-is instead.

Do I have to own the flat for two years to extend?

For the statutory route, yes. You need to have been the registered leaseholder for at least two years. An informal extension negotiated directly with the freeholder has no such requirement, but it also has none of the statutory protections on terms or ground rent.

Selling a flat with a short lease

Name: The Quick House Buyers — London
Address: Level 6, Design Centre East, Chelsea Harbour, London, England, SW10 0XF, GB
Telephone: 020 3744 0249

Written and reviewed by Kris McClory, Head of PurchasesLast reviewed 6 August 2026

A lease under about 80 years is treated as short, because that is where the cost of extending jumps and lenders start to pull back. Under 70 years many decline, and under 60 the buyer pool thins out badly. You have three routes: extend the lease and then sell, start the extension and pass the benefit to your buyer, or sell as it stands to a cash buyer who does not need a lender's approval.

Communal entrance hallway of a 1970s leasehold flat block with letterboxes

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What a lease actually is, in sale terms

A leasehold flat is the right to occupy for a fixed number of years. Every year that passes, the asset shrinks. For most of a 999 or 125 year lease nobody thinks about it. The moment the remaining term gets short enough to worry a lender's surveyor, it becomes the single most important number in your sale, more important than the kitchen, the location or the asking price.

Where the lending thresholds sit

Lender policy varies, and some will look at unexpired term plus mortgage term rather than a flat cut-off. As a general picture:

How remaining lease term usually affects mortgage availability

How remaining lease term usually affects mortgage availability
Years remaining	Typical position
90+ years	No issue, treated as a normal leasehold flat
80 to 90 years	Mortgageable, but buyers will factor in extending soon
70 to 80 years	Marriage value now applies, some lenders decline, valuations more cautious
60 to 70 years	A minority of lenders, often with a bigger deposit
Under 60 years	Very limited lending, most buyers are cash or bridging
Under 30 years	Effectively a cash-only purchase

Lease checker: will a mortgage buyer get funding?

Two questions. The answer is an indication of lender appetite, not a valuation or legal advice.

Years left on the leaseIt's on your lease, or on the title register at HM Land Registry.How long have you owned it?Freeholders and some lenders still ask about the two-year qualifying period for a statutory extension.

The block has cladding, or a lender has asked for an EWS1 form

Why 80 years is the line everyone talks about

Under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, once the unexpired term falls below 80 years the freeholder becomes entitled to a share of the marriage value: the uplift in the flat's value that extending creates. Above 80 years that element does not apply. Crossing the threshold therefore makes the extension premium step up rather than drift up, which is why sellers are so often advised to act before it happens rather than after.

What extending involves

The statutory route gives a qualifying leaseholder the right to add 90 years to the existing term at a peppercorn ground rent. You serve notice, the premium is agreed or determined, and the new lease completes. You need to have been the registered leaseholder for at least two years to use it, and you pay your own costs plus the freeholder's reasonable costs on top of the premium.

An informal extension, agreed directly with the freeholder, can be quicker and occasionally cheaper. It also has no statutory protection on the terms, and freeholders sometimes use it to reset a ground rent onto a review pattern that causes problems for the next buyer. Have a solicitor read what is proposed before agreeing anything informally.

Reform is ongoing. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 legislated for changes including removing marriage value and lengthening the standard extension, but provisions come into force in stages and much depends on secondary legislation. Check the current position with your solicitor rather than relying on headlines about abolition.

Three routes to a sale

Comparing the practical options for a short lease flat

Comparing the practical options for a short lease flat
	Extend then sell	Assign the notice	Sell as-is for cash
Time before you can complete	Months, longer if the premium is disputed	Adds a step to a normal sale	7 to 28 days
Cost to you	Premium plus both sides' legal and valuation costs	Your notice and legal costs	None, we cover legal fees
Price achieved	Highest, full leasehold value	Between the two, buyer prices in the risk	Reflects the short term and the risk taken on
Certainty	Good once the new lease is registered	Moderate, buyer can still walk	High, date agreed up front
Best suited to	Sellers with funds and no deadline	Sellers already mid-process	Sellers needing a fixed completion date

The two year rule and how sellers get caught by it

Executors selling a probate flat are the most common example. The deceased may have owned it for decades, but a personal representative wanting to use the statutory route has to deal with the ownership requirement carefully, and the estate often needs the sale done sooner than an extension allows. The same applies to anyone who bought recently and then found the lease was shorter than they understood.

Short lease

Lease too short for a mortgage buyer?

Under about 70 years and most lenders walk away. We buy short-lease flats as they are, with no need to extend first.

No need to pay a premium to extend before you sell
We handle freeholder enquiries and management packs
Fixed price, and a completion date you pick

Get an offer on the lease »Or call 020 3744 0249

We ask for the address, your timescale, and a number to call. Nothing else.

How we handle a short lease

We buy without a mortgage, so the remaining term does not have to satisfy a lender. We price the flat on its value with a full lease, then deduct the realistic cost and risk of extending, including the freeholder's likely stance and any ground rent problem sitting alongside it. If extending would clearly leave you better off and you have the time to do it, we will say so.

Common questions

What counts as a short lease?: Anything under about 80 years is treated as short, because that is the point where marriage value becomes payable on an extension and the cost jumps. Under 70 years many lenders decline outright, and under 60 years the pool of mortgage lenders is very small. Below 30 years, a flat is effectively a cash-only purchase.
Why does 80 years matter so much?: Under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, once a lease drops below 80 years the freeholder becomes entitled to a share of the marriage value, which is the increase in the flat's value created by extending. That extra element makes the premium noticeably more expensive, so 80 years is the threshold valuers and lenders watch.
Can I sell a flat with a short lease?: Yes. You can sell it as it stands to a cash buyer, extend the lease first and then sell on the open market, or start the extension and assign the benefit of the notice to your buyer. Which is best depends on how much time you have and whether you can fund the premium.
How much does a lease extension cost?: It depends on the flat's value, the years remaining, and the ground rent. A statutory extension adds 90 years to the existing term at a peppercorn ground rent, and you pay a premium plus your own and the freeholder's reasonable costs. A short lease on a valuable flat can run to tens of thousands of pounds, which is why a valuation from a surveyor experienced in leasehold enfranchisement is worth getting before deciding.
How long does a lease extension take?: A cooperative freeholder and an agreed premium can be done in a few months. A disputed premium heading to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) can take a year or more. That timescale is the reason many sellers with a deadline sell as-is instead.
Do I have to own the flat for two years to extend?: For the statutory route, yes. You need to have been the registered leaseholder for at least two years. An informal extension negotiated directly with the freeholder has no such requirement, but it also has none of the statutory protections on terms or ground rent.