FAQs

Enfranchisement refers to the purchase of the freehold of leasehold houses, whereas collective enfranchisement refers to the purchase of the freehold of a building containing multiple flats/apartments.

Collective Enfranchisement is the right outlined in the Leasehold Reform Housing & Urban Development Act 1993 for leaseholders of a building containing flats to collectively purchase the freehold. Learn more here.

Tenants qualify for Collective Enfranchisment if at least two-thirds of the flats are owned by qualifying tenants and their leases were granted with an original term of more than 21 years. If tenants own more than two flats in the building, they will not be eligible. Find out more.

If a leaseholder or group of leaseholders wish to purchase their freehold, they could approach the landlord informally. However, if they are unsuccessful they are able to serve their landlord with an enfranchisement notice. Leaseholders can only collectively enfranchise if they qualify to do so. Learn more about enfranchisement here.

In most cases you will not be able to prevent your tenants from purchasing the freehold unless they are not eligible to do so. Once you are served with a notice of enfranchisement, you will have two-months to issue your counter notice. Learn more here.