Nine out of 10 leaseholders would not buy another property under this tenure again, with campaigners warning it remains a “life sentence” for those trapped by soaring costs and complex rules.

Despite some legislative progress, 93% of leaseholders would not buy another leasehold property, a new report by Propertymark in conjunction with the National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) and Leasehold Knowledge Partnership (LKP) has revealed.

It found that 86% of leaseholders have seen service charges rise in the past two years and 89% say it is difficult to challenge unfair costs.

The report, Leasehold: Still a Life Sentence?, also revealed that 78% of estate agents have taken a leasehold property off the market over the past two years because it was ‘unsellable’ and 74% say onerous service charges are the main barrier to selling flats.

A status quo where 90% of buyers regret their purchase cannot continue to exist, the report says.

Progress on implementing reforms has been too slow, it argues, leaving hundreds of thousands of leaseholders trapped in their own homes, with escalating payments that they often find difficult to afford.

To date, only 10 of the 125 sections of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 have been passed, with no further regulations tabled since February 2025.

Propertymark chief Nathan Emerson: “The government plans to replace leasehold with commonhold, but the transition will take time.

“While leasehold reform is needed, relying solely on commonhold could leave thousands of existing leaseholders without meaningful change for decades.

“Our evidence highlights the need to support current leaseholders during the transition.

“However, it remains essential that reforms deliver meaningful and measurable change, creating a system that is fit for future generations.”

NLC co-founder Katie Kendrick says: “Eight years on, this report makes one thing undeniable: leasehold remains a life sentence.

“The NLC strongly support its findings.

“Despite nearly a decade of commitments, progress has been too slow, too limited, and too easily diluted.

“As a result, too many leaseholders remain trapped — unable to sell, unable to move, and facing costs they cannot afford.

“This is not just a failure for leaseholders — it is a failure of the housing market.

“The lack of implementation of leasehold reform is not only harming individuals — it is actively choking supply and confidence across the market.

“The government’s ambition to transition to commonhold is welcome, but it cannot be used as a substitute for action now.

“That transition will take years, potentially decades, leaving hundreds of thousands of existing leaseholders trapped in limbo.

“This report reinforces a simple but urgent truth: without immediate, targeted reform for existing leaseholders, the crisis will persist — for individuals, for families, and for the wider housing system.”

LKP director Sebastian O’Kelly says: “Despite nearly a decade of promises, consultations and legislation, too many leaseholders remain trapped in homes they cannot sell, facing escalating service charges, unaffordable lease extension costs and ground rents that continue to blight the market.

“This is no longer just a leaseholder crisis — it is a housing market crisis. The report’s findings are particularly significant because they reflect not only the experiences of leaseholders, but also those of property professionals.

“Estate agents identified onerous service charges, escalating ground rents and short leases as the three biggest barriers to selling flats, demonstrating that leasehold is actively restricting mobility, reducing confidence and undermining the functioning of the housing market.”

He says: “Leaseholders cannot be expected to wait another decade for change.

“The government must now accelerate the implementation of leasehold reform, including measures to tackle excessive and opaque service charges, regulate managing agents, make enfranchisement and lease extensions more affordable, and deliver meaningful protection for existing leaseholders.”