Sell a short lease flat fast — even under 80 years.
Lease below 80 years, lenders refusing mortgages, a freeholder quoting a fortune to extend? We buy short-lease flats for cash across England and Wales. Written offer in 24 hours, no fees, no need to extend first.
Why short-lease flats stop selling
Once a lease falls below 80 years, marriage value becomes payable when you extend, and the premium usually jumps sharply. At the same time most mainstream lenders want a healthy term left at the end of the mortgage, so ordinary buyers cannot borrow against the flat. The result: viewings, an agreed sale, then a collapse when the buyer's lender reads the lease.
The statutory extension route under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 works, but it means a valuation, a Section 42 notice, the freeholder's costs and often many months of waiting. We buy the flat as it is, with the lease priced in from the start, so you skip the extension entirely.
Short lease situations we buy
Leases under 80 years
The most common case. Marriage value makes extending expensive, and buyers needing a mortgage struggle. We price the remaining term in openly and do not renegotiate later.
Leases under 60 years
Very few lenders will touch these and extension premiums can be a significant share of the flat's value. A cash purchase is often the only practical exit.
Inherited short-lease flats
Executors frequently discover the lease is short only once probate is under way. We can buy from the estate without the executors funding an extension first.
Short lease plus onerous ground rent
Doubling or escalating ground rent on top of a short term compounds the lending problem. We buy both together.
Absent or unresponsive freeholder
Where the freeholder cannot be traced or will not engage, extending is slow and costly. We handle the purchase without you having to resolve it first.
Tenanted short-lease flats
Landlords exiting with a tenant in place and a falling lease term. We buy with the occupier in situ.
What to send us
The address, the remaining lease term (or the lease start date and original length), the current ground rent and service charge, and anything the freeholder has already quoted for an extension. If you are not sure of the term, tell us and we will check the title.
Quick answers — short lease flats
- Can you sell a flat with less than 80 years on the lease?
- Yes, but usually to a cash buyer or investor rather than a mortgage buyer. Below 80 years marriage value makes extension more expensive and many lenders decline the flat. A cash purchase does not depend on lender criteria.
- Should I extend the lease before selling?
- Only if you have the time and funds. A statutory extension involves a valuation, a formal notice and the freeholder's costs, and can take months. Selling for cash with the short lease priced in avoids that outlay and delay.
- How fast can a short lease flat be sold for cash?
- Typically 7 to 28 days from accepting a written offer. The leasehold management pack from the freeholder or managing agent usually sets the pace.
Frequently asked questions
Do you buy flats with very short leases, such as 50 years?
Yes. The shorter the lease, the more it affects the figure, but it does not stop us buying. We explain how the term affects the offer in writing.
Can I sell if I've already served a Section 42 notice?
Often yes. The benefit of a served notice can usually be assigned to the buyer with the sale. Tell us where the process is and we will factor it in.
Will your offer change after the legal checks?
Not because of the lease. We price the remaining term from the start, so it is not used as a reason to reduce the figure later.
Who pays the legal fees?
We cover the standard legal costs on the purchase and charge no fees to you.
What will you offer?
Below open-market value — we say that plainly. A short lease reduces any buyer's figure; the difference with us is speed, certainty and no extension costs to fund first.
Send us the address and the lease term.
Written offer within 24 hours. Free, and no obligation.
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