Leasehold Extension Solicitors in Manchester & Stockport

Whether you are a leaseholder seeking to secure your property’s long-term value or a freeholder responding to a statutory notice, extending a lease can be a legally complicated and financially significant process. At Clifford Johnston & Co., we provide expert legal advice on lease extensions across Manchester, Stockport and throughout England & Wales. With over 35 years of experience in property law and a deep understanding of leasehold reform, we are here to protect your interests every step of the way.

Our specialist lease extension solicitors have advised both leaseholders and freeholders on informal and statutory extensions, including service of Section 42 Notices, valuation negotiations and deed of variation drafting. We act decisively to secure favourable terms, avoid common pitfalls, and ensure the process is handled efficiently and lawfully.

Whether your lease is approaching the critical 80-year threshold or you’re planning to buy or sell a leasehold property, early legal advice is essential. Our team is here to provide clear, pragmatic guidance and a cost-effective strategy tailored to your situation.

Call our Lease Extension Solicitors today for expert advice, or complete the contact form below and one of our property law specialists will be in touch.

How Can Our Lease Extension Solicitors Help?

At Clifford Johnston & Co., we understand that extending a lease is often driven by necessity, whether to maintain the value of your home, secure mortgage lending, or prepare for sale. Our lease extension solicitors are highly experienced in all aspects of the leasehold extension process, and we act with precision and diligence to protect your investment.

We provide a comprehensive service, from initial eligibility checks and arranging specialist valuations through to the negotiation of premiums, service of statutory notices, and registration of the extended lease at HM Land Registry. If disputes arise or landlords are uncooperative, we are prepared to escalate matters to the First-tier Tribunal to ensure your legal rights are upheld.

Our clients include leaseholders with short leases approaching the 80-year threshold, landlords dealing with statutory notices, and buyers or sellers of leasehold property requiring urgent action. We are particularly adept at handling Section 42 Notice assignments during conveyancing transactions to prevent unnecessary delays or costs.

Our approach is straightforward, cost-effective, and always focused on achieving the best possible outcome for you. With offices in Manchester and Stockport, and a long-standing reputation for excellence in property law, we are trusted by clients across the North West and beyond.

Do I Qualify for a Lease Extension?

Most leaseholders of flats are entitled to extend their lease under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, provided they meet certain criteria. To qualify for a statutory lease extension, you must have:

• Held the lease for at least two years;
• A lease that was originally granted for a term of more than 21 years.

If these conditions are met, you have the legal right to extend your lease by an additional 90 years, with your ground rent reduced to a nominal ‘peppercorn’ amount. Importantly, the freeholder cannot refuse this extension, although they are entitled to request a premium (a payment) for granting it.

For those who have owned the property for less than two years, you may still be able to extend the lease through a voluntary agreement with the freeholder. Alternatively, it may be possible to ask the current leaseholder (in the case of a property purchase) to serve a Section 42 Notice and assign the benefit to you on completion of the sale, avoiding the two-year ownership delay.

Not sure if you qualify? Our solicitors will assess your position quickly and accurately, advising you on the best route forward to protect your interests and minimise the cost.

Statutory vs Voluntary Lease Extensions

There are two ways to extend a lease: through the statutory process under the 1993 Act, or by negotiating a voluntary agreement directly with the freeholder. Each route has distinct advantages and considerations, and our solicitors can help you determine the most appropriate option for your circumstances.

Statutory Lease Extension

The statutory route is a legal entitlement available to qualifying leaseholders. It offers a 90-year extension and reduces ground rent to a peppercorn. The process begins with serving a formal Section 42 Notice on the freeholder, setting out your offer for the premium and your proposed lease terms. The freeholder has two months to respond with a Counter-Notice. If agreement cannot be reached, the matter can be referred to the First-tier Tribunal for determination.

Statutory lease extensions provide certainty and protection: the freeholder cannot refuse your claim if you meet the eligibility requirements, and their costs are limited to what is considered reasonable. However, the process can be time-consuming, requiring expert legal and valuation input.

Voluntary Lease Extension

A voluntary lease extension is an informal agreement negotiated directly between the leaseholder and the freeholder, outside of the statutory framework. This route can sometimes be quicker and less expensive in the short term, but it lacks the statutory safeguards. Freeholders are not obliged to offer fair terms and may seek to preserve or increase ground rent, or offer shorter extension periods.

Despite the potential for flexibility, voluntary agreements can expose leaseholders to unfavourable conditions if not carefully reviewed. At Clifford Johnston & Co., we will ensure that any voluntary extension is scrutinised to protect your long-term position, or advise you when the statutory route is the safer option.

Costs of Extending a Lease

The cost of extending a lease depends on several factors, including the remaining term of the lease, the market value of the property, the ground rent payable under the current lease, and whether the lease has fallen below the critical 80-year threshold. Once a lease has less than 80 years remaining, ‘marriage value’ becomes payable. This is an additional charge representing the increase in the property’s value resulting from the lease extension. By law, this value must be shared equally between the leaseholder and freeholder, significantly increasing the premium.

You will typically need to budget for the following:

• The Premium – A payment to the freeholder calculated by a qualified surveyor. This reflects the enhanced value of your property post-extension.
• Valuation Fees – For both your surveyor and the landlord’s, which you are usually required to pay.
• Legal Fees – Covering the drafting, negotiation, and registration of the new lease, along with the landlord’s reasonable legal costs.
• Tribunal Fees – If disputes arise and cannot be resolved by negotiation, a referral to the First-tier Tribunal may incur further costs.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) may also be payable if the premium exceeds the relevant threshold. Our solicitors will provide clear, upfront advice about all expected costs, ensuring you can budget accurately.

At Clifford Johnston & Co., we work proactively with trusted surveyors to help reduce the premium where possible and to ensure that no unnecessary costs are incurred. We also ensure that all statutory deadlines are met to avoid costly delays or the risk of having to restart the process entirely.

The Lease Extension Process

The process of extending a lease, particularly under the statutory route, is legally technical and bound by strict procedural rules. Errors or missed deadlines can invalidate your claim and delay your ability to reapply for 12 months. At Clifford Johnston & Co., we manage every step with precision, giving you complete confidence in the process.