Leasehold vs freehold: what you actually own

5 chapters·15 min·action plan·mastery check

Chapter 1 of 5

The idea

A flat with a short lease can be very hard to sell or mortgage.

Two kinds of ownership

Freehold means you own the building and land. Leasehold (common for flats in some countries) means you own the right to live there for a set number of years, and usually pay service charges and sometimes ground rent to the freeholder. Rules vary widely by country.

Predict first

Many lenders get cautious when a lease falls below about how many years?

Money Pro

Unlock the full deep dive.

5 chapters, a real case study, your own action plan and a mastery check. Every Pro lesson on investing, tax, property, self-employment, retirement and protection, all Pro tools, and everything in Plus. From £7.99 a month.

Get Money Pro
Up nextRent vs buy: a fair comparison→