By extension.lease – Experts in lease extensions and freehold purchase
If you own a leasehold flat in London, extending your lease is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your property’s value — and finding the right lease extension company to guide you through the process makes all the difference.
At extension.lease, we have built a full-service lease extension company for London leaseholders that combines specialist RICS-qualified surveyors and SRA-regulated solicitors under one roof. You get everything you need to extend your lease, without the hassle of managing two separate firms, two separate fee quotes, and two separate timelines. Find out more about our professional team here.
What does a lease extension company actually do?
When you extend the lease on your flat, two distinct professionals are involved: a surveyor, who values your lease and negotiates the premium with your freeholder, and a solicitor, who handles the legal paperwork, serves the statutory notice, and registers the new lease at the Land Registry.
Most leaseholders are forced to find and instruct these two professionals separately. That means two sets of fees, two points of contact, and two firms that may never speak to each other directly — creating delays, miscommunications, and added stress.
A full-service lease extension company brings both together. At extension.lease, our valuers and solicitors work as a single coordinated team from day one, so your case moves forward smoothly and efficiently from the initial eligibility check through to completion.
Why London leaseholders choose extension.lease
One team. One fixed fee.
Our all-inclusive service costs £2,750 + VAT, payable in two equal instalments. That covers your valuation, negotiation, and full legal representation — with no hidden extras or surprise charges at the end. When you instruct extension.lease, you know exactly what you are paying from the start.
Most solicitor-only or surveyor-only firms quote separately, and those quotes rarely include everything. We think that is unnecessarily complicated for leaseholders who already face a stressful and unfamiliar process.
RICS surveyors with 20+ years of experience
Our chartered surveyors are RICS-qualified specialists in leasehold valuation. They know the London market intimately — from council-owned freeholds in South London to large investment landlords in Central London — and have handled thousands of lease extension premiums across every London borough.
Strong negotiation at the valuation stage can save leaseholders tens of thousands of pounds. Our surveyors fight for a fair premium, and because they work alongside our legal team, any agreed terms move directly into the legal process without delay.
SRA-regulated solicitors who specialise in lease extensions
Our solicitors at Arcadia Law are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and specialise exclusively in residential leasehold work. They handle everything from drafting and serving your Section 42 notice to reviewing the new lease and completing registration at the Land Registry.
Because our solicitors and surveyors share the same case from the outset, there is no lag between the valuation being agreed and the legal work progressing. In a process that typically takes six to twelve months, that coordination saves meaningful time.
Covering all London boroughs and nationwide
We work with leaseholders across the whole of Greater London, including Wandsworth, Hackney, Camden, Southwark, Hammersmith and Fulham, Tower Hamlets, Islington, and every other borough. We also serve leaseholders throughout the South East and England. Review your London Borough here with example flats that we have worked on in your area here.
Whether your freeholder is an individual landlord, a housing association, a local council, or a large investment company, our team has almost certainly dealt with them before.
How the lease extension process works
Extending your lease through the statutory route under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 gives you the legal right to add 90 years to your existing term and reduce your ground rent to zero (a peppercorn).
The process has three broad stages:
Step 1: Free eligibility check and quote We review your lease, confirm your eligibility, and provide a clear estimate of the likely premium and our fixed fee. There is no obligation to proceed.
Step 2: Valuation, notice, and negotiation Our surveyor values the lease extension premium, and our solicitor serves the formal Section 42 notice on your freeholder. Negotiations then take place between the surveyors for both parties. If agreement cannot be reached, the matter can be referred to the First-tier Tribunal.
Step 3: Legal completion and registration Once the premium and terms are agreed, our solicitors prepare the new lease, handle completion, and register the extended lease at the Land Registry. Your property now has a longer lease and, in most cases, zero ground rent.
Find out more about the lease extension process here.
Why acting now matters — the 80-year rule
If your lease has fewer than 80 years remaining, the cost of extending it increases significantly. This is because of a concept called marriage value — the additional value created by combining the leasehold and freehold interests — which the freeholder becomes legally entitled to claim once the lease drops below 80 years.
The difference in premium can be substantial. A lease with 80 years remaining might cost a fraction of the same extension once it falls to 79 years. If your lease is approaching this threshold, time is not on your side.
Use our free lease extension calculator to get an instant estimate of your likely premium, then get in touch to discuss next steps.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to extend a lease in London?
The total cost has two components: the premium you pay to your freeholder (which depends on your flat’s value, the remaining lease term, and the ground rent), and the professional fees for your surveyor and solicitor. At extension.lease, our combined fixed fee is £2,750 + VAT, covering valuation, negotiation and the legal work. You will also need to pay your freeholder’s reasonable legal and valuation costs, which we can estimate for you at the outset.
Do I need both a surveyor and a solicitor to extend my lease?
Yes. The statutory lease extension process requires a specialist surveyor to value the premium and negotiate with the freeholder’s surveyor, and a solicitor to handle the legal notices, drafting, and Land Registry registration. extension.lease provides both in a single coordinated service.
How long does a lease extension take in London?
A statutory lease extension typically takes between six and twelve months, depending on how quickly the freeholder responds and how long negotiations take. Informal extensions can sometimes complete more quickly but carry fewer legal protections. Our combined service is designed to keep things moving as efficiently as possible.
Can I extend my lease if I have just bought the flat?
As of 31 January 2025, the two-year ownership requirement has been abolished under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. Most leaseholders can now start the statutory process immediately after purchase, regardless of how long they have owned the property.
What if my lease has already dropped below 80 years?
You can still extend your lease — it just becomes more expensive due to marriage value. The sooner you act, the lower the cost is likely to be. Contact us for a free consultation and we will give you a realistic picture of the premium you are likely to face.
Extend your lease with confidence
extension.lease is the lease extension company London leaseholders trust when they want expert valuation and legal representation without the stress of managing two separate firms. Our fixed-fee service, friendly team, and thousands of satisfied clients speak for themselves.
Arrange a free consultation today →
Or call us on 020 7388 0000 — we are always happy to talk through your situation before you commit to anything.
extension.lease is a partnership between Blakes Chartered Surveyors (RICS regulated) and Arcadia Law (SRA regulated)
