Share of Freehold
You hold a long lease on the flat AND a share in the freehold of the building — often the best of both worlds.
How it's structured
Either: a limited company owns the freehold and each leaseholder owns one share, or the freehold is held on trust for the leaseholders by named individuals. The company structure is now more common.
Why buyers love it
- Lease extensions are cheap and quick (self-granted)
- No absent freeholder charging premiums
- Ground rent almost always peppercorn
- Major works decided by residents, not an external managing agent
Where Offrly fits
Our free UK house valuation takes tenure into account — share-of-freehold flats typically trade at a small premium over straight leasehold in the same block.
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 hyperlocal pricing resolves prices down to the street rather than the postcode. Live comparables on every query. About 30 seconds, no mandatory signup, no email.
Free house valuation · Free rental valuation · AI property search
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.
Is share of freehold better than leasehold?
Usually. You can extend your lease cheaply (because you are, in effect, granting it to yourself), ground rent is typically peppercorn, and decisions about the building are made by the residents.
What are the downsides?
You become partly responsible for managing the building. Disputes between flat owners over repairs, freeholder costs and service charges are possible.