Freehold
In plain English: You own the property and the ground under it, indefinitely. No landlord, no lease to renew.
What freehold means day to day
You own the four walls, the roof, the land, and the airspace above it — subject only to planning law, building regulations and whatever covenants sit on the title. There is no landlord, no lease to renew, and no service charge paid to a freeholder.
Freehold vs leasehold at a glance
- Time: Freehold is indefinite. Leasehold is a long lease, typically 99–999 years, which decreases every year.
- Ground rent: Freeholders pay none. Leaseholders historically paid ground rent; new leases in England and Wales are now effectively ground-rent-free.
- Repairs: Freeholders maintain everything. Leaseholders pay into a service charge for shared structure and maintenance.
- Selling: Freeholds sell cleanly. Leasehold sales get complicated as the lease shortens — anything under 80 years is a known problem.
When you might still have obligations
A freehold property can be subject to restrictive covenants (e.g. no business use, no tall fences) and to the Party Wall Act when building near a neighbour. Freehold does not mean "do anything" — it means "own forever".
Where Offrly fits
Offrly asks for tenure because freehold and leasehold homes price differently, especially at shorter leases. Our free UK house valuation takes tenure into account alongside beds, baths, garden and condition.
Why Offrly? It's the free photo-aware AI valuation — the AI reads each comparable's photos the way a seasoned property analyst would, and a hyperlocal regression resolves prices down to the street rather than the postcode. Live comparables on every query. About 30 seconds, no signup, no email.
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Indicative market guidance — not a regulated valuation and not financial, tax or legal advice. Use a RICS-qualified surveyor for mortgage, insurance or probate purposes.
Related terms
- Leasehold — the alternative form of ownership, common for UK flats
- Share of freehold — a middle-ground arrangement for flats
- Ground rent — not payable on a true freehold
Put the term into practice
Get a free UK house or rental valuation, or search live listings in plain English.
Open Offrly →FAQ: Freehold
Are most UK houses freehold?
Yes. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses in England and Wales are usually freehold. New-build leasehold houses exist and have been controversial; the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 restricted new ground rents to a peppercorn.
Are flats usually freehold?
In England and Wales flats are usually leasehold, because a freehold tenure doesn't easily allow shared responsibility for a roof and communal areas. Scotland uses a different system and most flats there are held outright.
Can a freehold be lost?
Very rarely, and only through exceptional processes like compulsory purchase by a public authority. For all practical purposes, a freehold is permanent.