Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 in force: 2026 guide

If you own a freehold house on a privately managed estate and pay an annual estate management charge, you've probably heard that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 was going to fix things. The honest, current answer — as of 17 July 2026 — is that almost none of the protections that would help you are in force yet. This guide tracks exactly what has commenced, what hasn't, and what you can actually do in the meantime. For the wider picture, see our guide to the 2024 Act and estate management charges.

TL;DR

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024, but the new rights for homeowners on managed freehold estates are not yet in force — they need secondary legislation to switch them on, and that hasn't happened. The government ran a consultation on how to implement the estate-charge protections that closed on 12 March 2026, with the detailed regulations expected to follow in stages. So today you still cannot rely on a statutory right to an annual report, to challenge your charge's reasonableness at a tribunal, or to be protected from the harshest rentcharge enforcement. What you can do is use the existing, more limited routes — ask for a breakdown, benchmark the charge, and use the managing agent's complaints and redress process. Last reviewed 17/07/2026.

What does 'in force' mean, and why does it matter for estate charges?

A UK Act of Parliament becoming law at Royal Assent is not the same as its provisions being 'in force'. Most of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (full text on legislation.gov.uk) only takes effect once the government makes separate commencement regulations — secondary legislation — and, for the estate-management provisions, further detailed regulations that set out exactly how the new duties work. Until those are made, the words are on the statute book but create no usable right for you.

This matters because the estate-charge measures are some of the most detailed in the Act. They require the government to design report templates, notice periods and enforcement limits before anything can commence. According to the government's consultation on enhanced protections for homeowners on freehold estates, which ran from 18 December 2025 to 12 March 2026, ministers were still working out how to implement this framework through secondary legislation — a clear sign the protections were not yet live when the consultation ran. The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) similarly notes that only a handful of the Act's provisions have commenced so far, all on the leasehold side.

Royal Assent is the starting gun, not the finish line. For estate charges, the race is still being run through secondary legislation.

Which estate-charge protections are not yet in force?

The Act promises freeholders on managed estates a set of rights that broadly mirror what leaseholders have long had. Based on the government's summary of the reforms, the headline measures being introduced — but not yet commenced — are:

• A new annual report from your estate manager, setting out relevant financial and non-financial information about how the estate is run.
• Information on request, so you can scrutinise what you are being charged for.
• Advance notice of major works, rather than a surprise bill after the fact.
• Standardised information to make it easier to challenge an unreasonable bill.
• A ban on using Sections 121 and 122 of the Law of Property Act 1925 — the harsh right-of-re-entry and leasing remedies — for failing to pay an estate rentcharge.

That last one matters most. Right now, a freehold estate rentcharge can, in the wrong circumstances, still be enforced through the drastic remedies in Section 121 of the Law of Property Act 1925. The 2024 Act is designed to remove that for estate rentcharges — but until commencement, the old position stands, which is why our guide to Section 121 rentcharge enforcement is still essential reading.

What can you do about an estate charge today?

Plenty — just not by citing the un-commenced 2024 Act. In practice, the sting on a managed estate is rarely the base cost of cutting the grass; it's the opacity and the fees stacked on top, and the fact that once you own the property you're committed to paying indefinitely. The good news is that the practical levers below don't depend on any new law:

1. Ask for a written breakdown. Put a polite request in writing to your managing agent for an itemised breakdown of the charge — what each line buys, and the basis of any management fee. A vague 'management expenses' line is exactly what you're entitled to question.
2. Check it against your deeds and comparable estates. Your transfer or deed sets out what you actually agreed to pay for. Compare your per-household charge with neighbours and similar local estates — a charge that's clearly out of line is your strongest negotiating point.
3. Use the managing agent's complaints process, then escalate. If the agent belongs to a redress scheme, you can escalate a poorly handled complaint to that scheme. Keep it factual and specific, and see our guide on how to challenge an estate management charge.
4. Keep everything in writing and dated. A clear paper trail is what turns a grievance into a case — and it's exactly what you'll need if and when the new tribunal-style rights do come into force.

None of this needs the 2024 Act, and it's the same groundwork you'd rely on later. For a fuller rundown of where residents stand right now, see freehold estate resident rights in 2026.

When will the new estate-charge rights come into force?

Honestly: there's no confirmed date yet. Implementing the Act requires an extensive programme of secondary legislation, and the government has indicated it is working through a package of statutory instruments — several subject to the affirmative procedure, meaning they need active approval by Parliament — with the aim of bringing reforms forward in stages. The freehold-estates consultation closed on 12 March 2026, so the earliest the estate-charge duties could realistically switch on is after the government publishes its response and lays the regulations. As of 17 July 2026, no commencement date for the freehold estate-management-charge protections has been confirmed, so treat any specific 'from [date]' claim with caution and re-check the current position before acting.

Take a worked example. Say you're one of 60 households on a new-build estate, each paying £250 a year, and the managing agent adds a 25% management fee plus a vague four-figure 'management expenses' line on top of the actual maintenance cost. Under the Act's planned rules you would eventually get a standardised annual report showing exactly how that money splits, and a clearer route to challenge the fee. Today you don't have that statutory report — but you can still write and ask for the same breakdown, and a well-run agent should provide it. The law here is catching up to what a reasonable resident could already ask for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 in force?

Only partly. The Act received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024 and a small number of provisions have commenced, but the protections for homeowners on managed freehold estates are not yet in force and await secondary legislation as of 17 July 2026.

Can I challenge my estate management charge at a tribunal yet?

The 2024 Act is designed to give freeholders on managed estates clearer routes to challenge unreasonable charges, but that framework has not been commenced. For now your options depend on the terms of your deed and existing routes — check the current position with LEASE before relying on a statutory right.

Has the ban on Section 121 rentcharge enforcement come into force?

Not yet. The government intends to ban the use of Sections 121 and 122 of the Law of Property Act 1925 for non-payment of an estate rentcharge, but until the relevant secondary legislation is made, the existing enforcement position still applies.

When will the estate management charge protections start?

No date has been confirmed. The government's consultation on implementing the freehold-estate protections closed on 12 March 2026, with detailed regulations expected to follow in stages — so the rights are likely to commence at some point after the government publishes its response, not before.

What can I do about a high estate charge right now?

Ask your managing agent in writing for an itemised breakdown, compare your charge against your deed and comparable estates, and use the agent's complaints process and any redress scheme. Keep a dated paper trail in case you need it when the new rights commence.

Last reviewed 17/07/2026. Comuna tracks the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 as it commences, re-checking the government's implementation pages before each update. This is general information, not legal advice.