The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill received Royal Assent on 24 May as part of the “wash-up” before the election, becoming the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
However, the provisions needed to cap ground rent were not added to the Bill before the election was called, despite it being a 2019 election manifesto commitment from the Conservatives.
In the briefing notes to the 2024 King’s Speech, the Labour government said that it would “act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024”.
The government also committed in the King’s Speech to “tackling existing ground rents”, without giving any specifics, in a new Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.
This post sets out where we are on the road to the implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, and answers key questions about the status of leasehold and commonhold reform.
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Last updated: 7 July 2025
Quick Links: Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act Timetable
What happened with the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill?
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill received Royal Assent, becoming Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
What has happened to the replacement of leasehold with commonhold?
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act doesn’t include provisions to replace leasehold with commonhold for flats, even though Michael Gove had referred to leasehold as “unfair” in an interview with the Sunday Times in January 2023, and “an outdated feudal system that needs to go”.
The replacement of leasehold with commonhold was not in the Conservative Party 2019 manifesto and was seen as too complex to include in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.
The Labour government listed a “Draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill” in the 2024 King’s Speech, which will include provisions to “reinvigorate” commonhold by “modernising the legal framework”, making commonhold the default tenure.
The government made a big first step towards this by publishing the Commonhold White Paper on 3 March 2025, and confirmed they will publish a draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill later in 2025, with a view to making commonhold the default tenure for new flats by end of this parliament. The reference to the “end of this parliament” means it is likely to happen by the time of the next election.
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Does the new Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act affect existing leases?
Yes, the Act affects both new and existing leases as it amends the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.
Section 70 of the Act specifically states that each section of Part 3 of the Bill, which regulates leasehold, has effect in relation to a lease “whether the lease was entered into before or after the section comes into force”.
What’s the situation with the restriction of ground rent?
The Conservative government launched a consultation into the restriction of ground rent at the end of 2023, which closed on 17 January 2024. After much lobbying on both sides, the Conservative government never published the outcome of the consultation on ground rent. No amendments to restrict ground rent were added to the Bill before it received Royal Assent.
In the 2024 King’s Speech briefing notes, the Labour government said they would “tackle” existing ground rents by “regulating ground rents for existing leaseholders so they no longer face unregulated and unaffordable costs”. Unlike the 2024 Conservative manifesto, which referred to capping ground rents at £250, Labour have not given any specifics on exactly how they plan to “tackle” ground rents.
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Timeline for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act towards implementation
In the timeline below, I show the key milestones for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill to becoming law and being implemented:
11 December 2023
Second Reading Debate
This was the first big step in the Bill’s journey through parliament when MPs debated the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill for the first time. It took place on 11 December 2023.
16 January to 30 January 2024
Committee Stage
The Committee Stage started by hearing oral evidence from a wide selection of witnesses before moving through a line-by-line analysis of the original text and amendments tabled by the government and opposition parties.
It concluded on 30 January 2024.
27 February 2024
Report Stage and Third Reading
At the Report Stage, MPs debated and voted on amendments and new clauses to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill from both the Government and the Opposition. The Third Reading followed shortly afterwards, and these remaining stages in the House of Commons were both completed on 27 February.
28 February to 24 May 2024
House of Lords
The whole process started in the House of Lords, with the First Reading taking place on 28 February, the Second Reading on 27 March and the Committee Stage ending on 1 May.
The Bill finished the remaining stages in the Lords as part of the “wash-up” on 24 May, before parliament was prorogued ahead of the General Election.
24 May 2024
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