Leasehold reform tracker: what's in force (Oct 2026)

Short answer: almost nothing that changes the price of a flat lease extension is in force yet. As of 30 October 2026, marriage value is still payable when your lease is under 80 years, the statutory route still adds 90 years, and the only big change for lease extensions that has been switched on is the end of the two-year ownership rule (31 January 2025). Everything else is in law but not commenced, out for consultation, or still in a draft Bill.

Key takeaways (30 October 2026)

In force: you no longer need to have owned the flat for two years before using the statutory route (since 31 January 2025).

Not in force: marriage value abolition, the 990-year extension, the new valuation method and "each side pays its own costs".

Consultation closed: the government's consultation on valuation rates ran 15 July to 21 October 2026 and is being analysed.

Still pending: a Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill (draft published 27 January 2026) and a freeholders' appeal that must be heard by 23 April 2027.

Practitioner view: new valuation rules in 2027 is the optimistic case; 2028 is described as more realistic.

Are the leasehold reforms in force yet for lease extensions?

Mostly no. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (often shortened to "LAFRA") received Royal Assent in 2024, but each part of an Act only takes effect when it is "commenced" by separate regulations. Royal Assent is not the same as "now applies to your lease".

One law firm's October 2026 update puts it bluntly: "Marriage value is still payable on every sub-80-year extension completing in 2026" (Connaught Law). HomeOwners Alliance, updated 21 October 2026, lists marriage value as "In law but not yet implemented" and quotes housing minister Matthew Pennycook saying the government can't switch on the enfranchisement provisions until flaws in the 2024 Act are fixed by a future Bill (HomeOwners Alliance).

A few key terms:

Marriage value: the extra value released when your lease is extended. Once a lease drops below 80 years, you currently pay the freeholder a 50% share of it (HouseCheckup).
Statutory extension (Section 42 route): the legal right to a lease extension, started by serving a "Section 42 notice". For flats it currently adds 90 years (LEASE), and the ground rent drops to a "peppercorn", which in practice means nothing.
Deferment and capitalisation rates: percentages valuers use to put today's value on the freeholder's future interest and on the ground rent. Small changes move the premium a lot.

Reform tracker: status of each measure on 30 October 2026

Reform measure	Status on 30 Oct 2026	What it means for you if you extend now
Two-year ownership rule removed	In force since 31 January 2025 (Connaught Law; MSE)	You can serve a Section 42 notice straight after buying, which helps buyers of short-lease flats.
Right to manage costs reforms	In force since March 2025 (Connaught Law)	Relevant to managing your block, not to the price of your extension.
Ground rent on new long residential leases	Banned since 2022 (MSE)	Does not reduce the ground rent on your existing lease; a statutory extension already takes ground rent to a peppercorn.
Marriage value abolished	In law, not commenced (HomeOwners Alliance)	Under 80 years, you still pay 50% of marriage value.
Standard extension of 990 years (flats and houses)	In law, not commenced (LEASE)	A statutory extension today still adds 90 years.
Prescribed deferment and capitalisation rates	Consultation closed 21 Oct 2026; government "analysing your feedback" (gov.uk)	Valuers still use current market practice. LEASE notes the current deferment rate for flats is 5% (LEASE).
Ground rent counted at no more than 0.1% of freehold value in the calculation	Proposed in the consultation (Howes Percival)	Not applicable yet. It could matter if your ground rent is high or doubles.
Each side pays its own costs	In law, not commenced (LEASE)	On the statutory route you still pay the freeholder's reasonable legal and valuation costs.
Cap on existing ground rents (£250, falling to zero after 40 years)	Draft Bill only, "unlikely before 2028" (MSE)	Not law. LEASE says the plan "is not yet law and needs to be approved by Parliament" (LEASE).
Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill	Draft published 27 Jan 2026, confirmed in the King's Speech on 13 May 2026 (Connaught Law); expected in Parliament in autumn 2026 (Howes Percival)	Needed to fix the 2024 Act before the valuation changes can be switched on. Check bills.parliament.uk for formal introduction.
Freeholders' human-rights challenge (A1P1)	High Court dismissed it in October 2025; permission to appeal granted 1 April 2026 (Connaught Law); appeal must be heard by 23 April 2027 (Howes Percival)	Another source of uncertainty about timing.

When will marriage value actually be abolished?

Nobody can give you a date, and no official commencement date has been published. The gov.uk consultation page gives no year (gov.uk). Practitioner estimates:

Connaught Law (7 October 2026): "commencement in 2027 is the optimistic case and 2028 the realistic one" (Connaught Law).
MoneySavingExpert (17 August 2026): homeowners are unlikely to benefit "until at least 2027" (MSE).
Mortgage Solutions (9 September 2026): "Nobody yet knows where the prescribed valuation rates will land or exactly when the new regime will take effect" (Mortgage Solutions).

Where sources conflict (for example on when the consultation launched or when the appeal will be heard), this tracker uses the primary source (gov.uk) or the most recent dated one.

Could the reforms make my lease extension cheaper, or more expensive?

The answer depends on rates the government has not chosen yet. Under the consultation, ministers could keep the current approach, update it with new evidence, or use a different method, and prescribed rates "could remain in use for up to 10 years" (LEASE). The Government Actuary's Department modelled deferment rates "from 1.61% to 6.3%" (Property118).

Government modelling quoted by Mortgage Solutions shows how sensitive the price is. For a £250,000 flat with 80 years left, the reversion element (the freeholder's right to get the flat back) came to £10,846 at 4%, £5,044 at 5% and £2,363 at 6%. These are illustrative figures for one part of the premium (Mortgage Solutions). LEASE says "we cannot say for certain yet that every leaseholder will be better off" (LEASE).

With more than 80 years left you pay no marriage value now, so the reforms mainly change your rates and costs, in either direction.

How to read leasehold reform news without getting caught out

Headlines are often written for clicks. Before acting on one, check:

Is it "law" or "in force"? Royal Assent, a draft Bill, a King's Speech and a consultation are all steps before commencement. Only commencement regulations switch a rule on.
What date is the article? Some pages from 2019-2021 still rank and show today's date in the header. The notes behind this tracker found a 2021 "stick or twist" article served with a 2026 header (Property Reporter).
Does it say "proposed", "expected" or "could"? Then it is not a rule you can rely on today.
Does it apply to a notice served now? This site's reform page says that existing valuation assumptions may still apply to a notice served now (Lease Extension Compass). Ask your solicitor which rules would govern your claim.

An early-2025 forum reply predicted that "LAFRA comes into force relatively soon" (r/HousingUK snapshot). It still hasn't.

How often is this tracker updated?

Monthly review, dated in the page header (updated field).
Extra updates on trigger events:
- the government's response to the valuation-rates consultation;
- formal introduction and each stage of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill;
- the Court of Appeal hearing and judgment in the freeholders' challenge;
- any commencement regulations for marriage value, the 990-year term or the costs rules.
Each status line links to its source and gives the source's date. If something has changed and we haven't updated yet, the primary sources listed below are the place to check.

FAQ

Has marriage value been abolished? Not yet. It is in the 2024 Act but has not been commenced, so if your lease is under 80 years you still pay 50% of marriage value. Practitioners expect the change in 2027 at the earliest, and 2028 is seen as more realistic.

Is the two-year rule still in place for lease extensions? No. Since 31 January 2025 you can start a statutory lease extension without having owned the flat for two years.

Can I get a 990-year lease extension now? Not through the statutory route. The 990-year term is in the 2024 Act but not in force, so a Section 42 claim still adds 90 years. A longer term can only be agreed informally with the freeholder.

I'm in the process of extending my lease. Can I put it on hold until the new changes come in? Withdrawing a Section 42 notice usually means paying the freeholder's reasonable costs up to that point, and you cannot serve a new notice for 12 months (Osbornes Law). Talk to your solicitor first; our decision guide sets out the costs.

Will the reforms make a lease extension cheaper for me? That depends on the rates the government prescribes, which haven't been decided. The modelled range is wide (1.61% to 6.3%), so some leaseholders could pay less and others more. Leases under 80 years have the most to gain from marriage value abolition.

Why has there been a leasehold reform delay? The government says flaws in the 2024 Act must be fixed by a new Bill before the valuation provisions can be switched on. The rates also have to be set after a consultation, and freeholders have challenged the Act in court.

Next steps

Start with facts you can check: years left, ground rent terms and sale or remortgage plans. Use our free Prepare a lease extension quote brief checklist to collect them privately, then compare statutory and informal routes before you speak to a solicitor or valuer.

Related guides:

Important: this is not legal or financial advice. Lease Extension Compass is an independent guide, not a law firm, and we don't take paid rankings. This tracker summarises public sources dated up to 30 October 2026 and may change at any time. Before you serve or withdraw a notice, or accept an offer, get advice from a qualified leasehold solicitor and a chartered surveyor (RICS) about your own lease.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Rules and deadlines can change by jurisdiction. Check current laws and consult an appropriately qualified professional before acting.

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Leasehold reform tracker: what is actually in force for lease extensions (October 2026)