If you pay an estate charge on a freehold home, your protections are weaker than a leaseholder's — but that is changing, and quickly. This page is a plain-English, dated tracker of what you can do today and what's coming under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

Because this is a live, shifting legal regime, we date-stamp it. Last updated: 15 June 2026.

Comuna is independent and homeowner-side. This is general information, not legal advice.

What rights do you have right now?

As of June 2026, freehold estate residents have limited but real options. You can ask the managing agent for a breakdown of charges, you can complain — and escalate to the Property Ombudsman if the agent is a member — and in some cases you can dispute charges through the county court. What you do not yet have is the leaseholder's straightforward route to challenge "reasonableness" at the First-tier Tribunal.

So the practical position today is: get the detail, hold the agent to account, and build your evidence. See can you challenge your estate charges and how to complain about your managing agent.

What's changing under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024?

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024. Its estate-management provisions sit in Part 5 and are designed to give managed-estate freeholders protections similar to leaseholders':

  • a right to information — clear, itemised charges and accounts
  • a right to challenge unreasonable charges at the First-tier Tribunal
  • limits and transparency on administration charges
  • stronger protection around the Section 121 repossession remedy

We explain the detail in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and estate charges.

What's in force vs pending (June 2026)

ProvisionStatus (June 2026)
Act received Royal AssentIn force (May 2024)
Right to information (Part 5)Pending secondary legislation
Right to challenge at First-tier TribunalPending secondary legislation
Administration charge limitsPending secondary legislation
Section 121 reform for estate rentchargesPending / under consultation

The government ran a consultation, "Enhanced protections for homeowners on freehold estates," which closed on 12 March 2026. Secondary legislation is expected to follow during 2026, but no commencement date for the main estate-management rights had been confirmed as of this update.

Why the date matters

Anything you read about these rights — here or anywhere — can go out of date the moment a commencement order is made. Always check the date on the page. We update this tracker as each provision goes live.

What you can do while you wait

You don't have to wait for the law to catch up to get on the front foot:

    • Ask for a full, itemised breakdown of your charge and the accounts behind it.
    • Keep records of what's actually maintained on your estate, and how well.
    • Compare your charge against comparable estates — see how much should it cost.
    • Raise issues formally with the managing agent, in writing.
    • If you get nowhere, complain and escalate.

In this tracker

Part of our complete guide to estate management charges.

Common questions

Can freeholders challenge estate charges? Not yet at a tribunal — that's coming under the 2024 Act but isn't in force as of June 2026. Today you can request information, complain, and in some cases use the county court.

Is the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 in force? It received Royal Assent in 2024, but the Part 5 estate-management rights need secondary legislation and are mostly not yet live.

When will the new rights start? The consultation closed in March 2026 and legislation is expected during 2026; no firm commencement date for the main rights was confirmed at the time of writing.

Comuna Team
Independent, homeowner-side. We hold no client money.

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