# commonhold.property

> Plain-English, source-cited coverage of UK leasehold and commonhold reform in England and Wales: the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, its commencement regulations, the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, the proposed £250 ground rent cap, the planned ban on new leasehold flats, service charge transparency reforms and right to manage. An editorial project by Manage.Management Limited (Bournemouth, England). Not legal advice.

Last updated: 2026-10-29. Every article cites primary sources (legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK, Hansard, court judgments) inline. Each page below has a Markdown twin at the same URL ending in .md, and the full text of every article is in [llms-full.txt](https://commonhold.property/llms-full.txt).

## Key facts (as of 29 October 2026)

- Service charge reforms in Part 4 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 start in England on 1 April 2027 (information requests, future demand notices, fixed service charges, litigation costs) and 1 November 2027 (prescribed demands, accounts, annual reports, insurance commission limits, administration charge schedules), with demands, accounts and annual reports for social landlords on 1 November 2028. Source: SI 2026/1128.
- The draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill (published 27 January 2026) proposes capping existing ground rents at £250 a year, falling to a peppercorn after 40 years, and lowering the commonhold conversion threshold to 50%. The Prime Minister pledged on 29 September 2026 to introduce the Bill before Christmas 2026.
- Existing leasehold flats will not convert to commonhold automatically.
- The valuation rates consultation for lease extensions and freehold purchases closed on 21 October 2026; the 990-year extension and abolition of marriage value are not yet in force.

## Live tracker

- [Bill Tracker and dated update log](https://commonhold.property/#tracker): every legislative step, consultation, commencement order and court ruling, newest first, with sources.

## Explainers and analysis

- [Service charge reforms now have start dates: the Commencement No. 4 Regulations, decoded](https://commonhold.property/articles/service-charge-reform-start-dates.html): On 25 October 2026 the government made SI 2026/1128, which sets the dates the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024's service charge reforms take effect in England: 6 November 2026, 1 April 2027, 1 November 2027 and 1 November 2028. Here is what starts on each date, who it applies to, what is still missing, and what boards should do before each deadline. (updated 2026-10-29; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/service-charge-reform-start-dates.md)
- [Commonhold vs leasehold: what's actually different](https://commonhold.property/articles/commonhold-vs-leasehold.html): Two ways to own a flat, one clear winner on paper — here's what changes when a lease disappears and a commonhold association takes over. (updated 2026-08-02; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/commonhold-vs-leasehold.md)
- [What is commonhold, really?](https://commonhold.property/articles/what-is-commonhold.html): Commonhold has been legal in England and Wales since 2002 — so why does almost nobody live in one, and what's the government doing to fix that? (updated 2026-08-02; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/what-is-commonhold.md)
- [Will my flat convert automatically? (FAQ)](https://commonhold.property/articles/will-my-flat-convert.html): No — nothing happens to your existing lease unless you and your neighbours actively choose it. Here's how conversion is actually meant to work. (updated 2026-08-02; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/will-my-flat-convert.md)
- [The ground rent cap, explained](https://commonhold.property/articles/ground-rent-cap.html): £250 a year, tapering to nothing over 40 years — but a Commons committee wants it faster, and even the government doesn't expect it to bite before 2027–28. (updated 2026-09-08; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/ground-rent-cap.md)
- [The commonhold glossary](https://commonhold.property/articles/glossary.html): Twenty-one terms every leaseholder, RTM director and RMC director should be able to explain in one sentence, in plain English with no jargon. (updated 2026-10-29; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/glossary.md)
- [The service charge transparency reforms, decoded](https://commonhold.property/articles/leaseholder-protections-response.html): On 15 July 2026 the government confirmed how it will implement Part 4 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024: standardised demands, annual building reports, six-year information rights and a reversal of the litigation-costs default. On 25 October 2026 it set the start dates in law, from 1 April 2027. Here is exactly what was decided, what was deferred, and what it means for your building. (updated 2026-10-29; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/leaseholder-protections-response.md)
- [The Supreme Court just disarmed the landlord's favourite RTM defence](https://commonhold.property/articles/rtm-procedural-defaults-supreme-court.html): On 27 August 2026 the Supreme Court unanimously held that a right to manage claim does not fail because the RTM company missed a participation notice. Procedural slips are no longer a ground for a landlord's counter-notice at all. This is the most leaseholder-friendly reading of the 2002 Act yet — and it matters enormously for the years between now and commonhold. (updated 2026-08-27; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/rtm-procedural-defaults-supreme-court.md)
- [The one exemption that could keep your ground rent above £250](https://commonhold.property/articles/quid-pro-quo-ground-rent-exemption.html): A government consultation on "quid pro quo" leases closed on 27 August 2026. It asks whether some leases should escape the £250 ground rent cap entirely — and the freeholder lobby is arguing the carve-out should be far wider than ministers intend. Here is what was actually proposed, and what it would mean for your bill. (updated 2026-09-08; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/quid-pro-quo-ground-rent-exemption.md)
- [Enfranchisement, explained: extending your lease or buying your freehold](https://commonhold.property/articles/enfranchisement-explained.html): The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 promises 990-year extensions, no marriage value and no more paying your freeholder's legal bills. Here is what works today, what is still waiting to be switched on, and the rates that will decide your price. (updated 2026-10-22; Markdown: https://commonhold.property/articles/enfranchisement-explained.md)

## About

- [About commonhold.property and our editorial standards](https://commonhold.property/about.html)
- Publisher: [Manage.Management](https://manage.management), block management and right to manage software for UK leaseholders, RTM and RMC directors.
- Right to manage eligibility checker: https://rightto.manage.management
- Contact: hello@commonhold.property