A definitive timeline has been established for rolling out major components of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 across England.
These incoming updates primarily reshape how service charges are handled, how insurance costs are disclosed, and who pays for legal disputes. The new rules will directly impact leaseholders, freeholders, Right to Manage (RTM) companies, and Resident Management Companies (RMCs).
CRITICAL: What is not changing yet?
It is vital to separate these specific administrative updates from the valuation reforms. The Government is not implementing the cost-saving lease extension changes through these dates.
- Marriage Value Remains Payable: Although Parliament legislated to ban “marriage value” (the costly fee applied to leases with less than 80 years left), this change is not yet active.
- Landlord Legal Fee Reimbursements: Existing laws remain in place. Landlords still retain their statutory right to recover reasonable legal and survey fees when processing a valid lease extension or freehold purchase.
The Valuation Delay: Fixing the 2024 Act via the Commonhold Bill
Before the cheaper premium calculations can be switched on, the government must pass new primary legislation to fix errors in the previous law:
- The Legislative Fix: The government has acknowledged that the 2024 Act contains technical flaws that make its valuation provisions unworkable. Ministers have explicitly stated that the planned changes to lease extensions and buying freeholds cannot go ahead until they use the upcoming Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill to alter and fix these problems.
- Recent Technical Consultations Closed (September & October 2026): A key consultation on the legal and valuation costs landlords can recover closed on 23 September 2026. This was closely followed by the broader valuation rates consultation, which closed on 21 October 2026 to determine the exact capitalisation and deferment rates used in the new premium formulas. The Government is currently analysing these responses.
- No Confirmed Start Date: While the draft Commonhold Bill was published for pre-legislative scrutiny, it must still pass fully through Parliament. Because it is required to fix the 2024 Act’s flaws first, there is still no confirmed commencement date for the new valuation scheme.
The Implementation Timeline (Service Charges & Litigation Costs)
While valuation changes are delayed, the administrative reforms will roll out in four distinct stages:
- 6 November 2026 | Legal Groundwork Begins
The government receives the formal authority to draft the granular details of the new regulations. This date marks a legal starting point and does not immediately alter day-to-day service charge bills or insurance invoices. - 1 April 2027 | First Major Adjustments
The first practical changes go live. These include expanded information rights for leaseholders, new rules for the formal notices required to recover service charges, and overhauled regulations regarding litigation costs. - 1 November 2027 | Private Sector Compliance
Private landlords must comply with stricter standards for issuing service charge demands, financial accounts, and comprehensive annual reports. Clearer breakdowns of insurance expenses and administration fees also become mandatory. - 1 November 2028 | Social Housing Compliance
The final phase applies the identical demand, accounting, and annual reporting mandates to social housing providers.