To sell a leasehold flat in England you need the lease, the ground rent and its review date, the service charge and a summary of the building insurance. Some blocks also need building safety papers. Your estate agent should put the lease length, ground rent and service charge in the listing. Your solicitor collects the rest on the Law Society’s TA6 and TA7 forms and a request to your landlord or managing agent. The government’s roadmap says landlords and managing agents often take too long or charge too much to supply that information, and no law yet makes them reply by a deadline.
The short version
- Since 30 March 2026, firms in the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme must use the TA6 (6th edition) and TA7 (5th edition) on new instructions. The LPE1 is optional.
- Section 67 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, a “sales information request” with deadlines and possible fee limits, is not in force.
- In a block at least 11 metres high or with at least five storeys, your landlord can ask you for a deed of certificate when you sell.
Selling a leasehold flat: what will a buyer ask for, and where do you get it?
| What the buyer asks | Where to get it |
|---|---|
| The lease and the years left on it | Your copy of the lease. HM Land Registry’s title summary shows whether the flat is leasehold, per GOV.UK. |
| Ground rent and its review dates | The lease, your latest demand and your landlord. |
| Service charge, supporting papers and any reserve fund | You can ask your landlord for a summary of how the charge is worked out and spent, with the receipts behind it. |
| Planned major works | Your landlord or managing agent, and any notices you have received. |
| Buildings insurance | You can ask your landlord for a summary of the policy. |
| Permission for your alterations | Your records and your landlord. National Trading Standards says leaseholders are likely to need permission to alter a flat. |
| Building safety and external walls | Your landlord or managing agent, the TA7, and a deed of certificate or EWS1 where one applies. |
Ask in writing and keep copies, so your solicitor can see exactly what you were told.
Does a short lease matter when you sell?
National Trading Standards says buyers need the remaining term because it could affect their ability to get a mortgage or to sell later. GOV.UK says the cost of extending rises significantly when 80 years or fewer remain.
An illustration with invented dates: a lease granted for 99 years from 1 January 1990 runs out on 1 January 2089. On 17 October 2026 it has about 62 years left, well under the 80-year line. Read the term and its start date in your own lease.
Since 31 January 2025, a leaseholder no longer has to own a flat for two years before claiming a lease extension (section 27 of the 2024 Act, S.I. 2025/57). Sections 33 to 37 are not in force (see the table below).
What do you tell a buyer about ground rent and service charge?
National Trading Standards’ listing guidance asks for the current ground rent and its review period, including the date of the next review. For service charge it asks for current payments, whether fixed or variable, and any reserve fund. Most new long leases granted on or after 30 June 2022 (1 April 2023 for retirement homes) are limited to a peppercorn ground rent, but not those granted under an earlier contract.
Check that you are up to date. GOV.UK says that under a lease granted before 30 June 2022 you owe ground rent only after a formal written demand, and a landlord can recover unpaid ground rent going back six years. Under section 166 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, the payment date in a demand must be 30 to 60 days after it is given, and not earlier than the lease says. GOV.UK also says you will not usually get back what you paid into a reserve or sinking fund, so allow for that in your net proceeds.
What is the LPE1, and what can the landlord charge for the information?
The Law Society’s optional LPE1 form collects information held by landlords and managing agents, for example about ground rent, insurance and service charges. Its January 2023 update added questions on pets or parking restrictions, fire safety or external wall assessments, and urgent fire safety works.
On fees, paragraph 1(1)(b) of Schedule 11 to the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 treats an amount payable for information or documents provided by or on behalf of the landlord, or by another party to the lease who is not the landlord or tenant, as an administration charge. A variable one, meaning one the lease neither specifies nor sets by formula, is payable only so far as it is reasonable (paragraph 2), and the tribunal can decide disputes (paragraph 5). Those paragraphs do not set a fee limit or a time limit, so ask for both in writing.
What has the 2024 Act changed for sellers?
| Measure | Position on 17 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Sales information requests to the landlord (section 67) | Not in force. Regulations must set the information, deadlines and any fee limits. |
| Government plan | The 19 June 2026 roadmap promises firm caps on fees and turnaround times, with a consultation on the regulations in 2027. |
| Standard service charge demands, annual reports, insurance information | Not in force. The 15 July 2026 response says leaseholders will see changes during 2027. |
| Longer lease extensions and the new price calculation (sections 33 to 37) | Not in force. GOV.UK says technical flaws in the Act must be fixed first, and its valuation rates consultation closes on 21 October 2026. |
| Two-year wait removed for lease extensions | In force from 31 January 2025. |
| £250 ground rent cap, ban on new leasehold flats | Not law. A draft Bill appeared on 27 January 2026 and the King’s Speech of 13 May 2026 announced a Bill. Parliament’s bills list showed no Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill on 17 October 2026. |
Until regulations are made, no deadline binds your landlord, so ask early.
Which building safety papers might apply?
National Trading Standards says any known building safety issue is material information, and a listing should describe it and any planned or required work. For finished work it recommends getting the completion certificate.
GOV.UK says the leaseholder protections can apply to flats in buildings at least 11 metres high or with at least five storeys that meet other conditions, and pass to later buyers. Your landlord must send a deed of certificate request within five days of learning you intend to sell, allow at least eight weeks to respond, and cannot charge you for it.
GOV.UK says an EWS1 form is not a safety certificate, and its building safety costs FAQ says it is not a statutory or regulatory requirement. Lenders decide when they need one. The TA7’s building safety section applies only to blocks of flats.
What must the listing say?
Your agent must not leave out material information (section 227, in force 6 April 2025). For leasehold, that means tenure, ground rent, service charge and lease length. Our material information article covers Parts A, B and C in full.
A seller’s checklist
- Find the lease and note the term, its start date and the years left.
- Find your last ground rent demand, proof of payment and the next review date.
- Ask your landlord or agent in writing for the service charge summary, receipts, reserve fund details, planned works and an insurance summary, and what they charge to supply it and how long it takes.
- List your alterations and the permission for each.
- Ask about building safety work, external wall assessments and, in a tall block, a deed of certificate.
- Instruct a conveyancer early, ideally before marketing, as the Law Society encourages, and complete the TA6 and TA7 with them.
- Give your agent the listing figures, and tell them when anything changes.
Where to start
GOV.UK says most flats are leasehold, and flats are a large part of Edmonton sales: see our Edmonton figures (standard category A sales only). Our guides to legal paperwork when selling and leasehold and freehold cover the basics, and the Edmonton area guide the neighbourhood. When you are ready, book a free sales valuation and mention the lease.
Questions readers ask
Do I have to use the LPE1 form?
No. The Law Society says it is not mandatory to use its leasehold forms. The LPE1 is a form for collecting information held by landlords and managing agents, for example about ground rent, insurance and service charges. A buyer’s solicitor may ask for the same information another way, so ask your own solicitor which form your landlord or managing agent uses.
Can my landlord charge me for the information?
Today, an amount payable for providing information or documents on behalf of the landlord is an administration charge under Schedule 11 to the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. A variable one is payable only to the extent it is reasonable, and you can apply to the tribunal. The 2024 Act’s power to cap these fees is not yet in force.
Does the number of years left on my lease affect a sale?
National Trading Standards says buyers need the remaining term because it could affect their ability to get a mortgage, or to sell later. GOV.UK says the cost of extending a lease rises significantly once 80 years or fewer remain. On our reading, lenders decide whether to lend on a particular flat, so the buyer’s solicitor and lender will say what they need.
Will I get my sinking fund contributions back when I sell?
Usually not. GOV.UK says that if you pay into a reserve or sinking fund, you will not usually be able to get back what you have paid, for example if you move house. Your lease and your landlord’s accounts show what has been collected, and your solicitor can tell you how your lease treats it.
What is a leaseholder deed of certificate and do I need one?
GOV.UK describes it as the way you show that you qualify for protections under the Building Safety Act. If your landlord notifies you that it requires one because you are selling, you must complete it, and the landlord cannot charge you to do so. The protections can apply to flats in buildings at least 11 metres high or with at least five storeys, if you meet the other conditions. Pass the signed deed to the buyer through conveyancing.
Sources
- National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team, Material Information in Property Listings (Sales), version 1.0, November 2023 (hosted by The Property Institute). The NTS web page now carries only a notice about sales packs, so ask your agent which version they use.
- The Law Society, Leasehold forms, 16 July 2026.
- The Law Society, TA6 (6th edition) and TA7 (5th edition), 4 February 2026.
- GOV.UK, Leasehold property, last updated 25 February 2015.
- GOV.UK, Leaseholder protections: deed of certificate FAQs, 2 February 2024.
- GOV.UK, Leaseholder protections on building safety costs FAQs, 18 December 2023.
- GOV.UK, Understanding fire risk appraisals of external walls, 14 September 2026.
- GOV.UK, Home buying and selling reform roadmap, 19 June 2026.
- GOV.UK, Government response: leaseholder protections over charges and services, 15 July 2026.
- GOV.UK, Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, first published 27 January 2026, and The King’s Speech 2026, 13 May 2026.
- GOV.UK, Get information about property and land, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, section 67, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, Schedule 11 and section 166, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, section 227, read on 17 October 2026.
