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Leasehold reform is in progress but not yet fully in force. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will eventually change ground rent rules, but as of now most existing leases still carry the ground rent set out in the original lease. This tool is a planning estimate only — check your actual lease document and speak to a solicitor for anything you plan to rely on.

Ground Rent Calculator

Estimate how much ground rent you could pay over time, including doubling, fixed-increase and RPI-linked review clauses, and see whether the pattern looks like it could be considered onerous.

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Annual Ground Rent Over Time

Ground Rent by Year

How this calculator works: It projects your ground rent forward using the review pattern you select, based on the figures in your own lease. It does not look up your actual lease terms and cannot tell you what your lease says — check your lease document or ask your solicitor if you are unsure how your ground rent reviews work. Leases granted from 30 June 2022 onwards are generally required to charge a peppercorn (effectively zero) ground rent under the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022; this tool is aimed at older leases that still carry a real ground rent.

Ground Rent Calculator UK 2026

Our Ground Rent Calculator projects how much ground rent you could pay over time, based on how your lease reviews the rent — whether it’s fixed, doubles periodically, rises by a fixed percentage, or is linked to inflation. Ground rent that escalates quickly, particularly through doubling clauses, has been a major driver of leasehold reform in recent years.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter your current annual ground rent — check your lease or service charge demand for the exact figure.
  2. Choose your review pattern — fixed, doubling, fixed percentage increase, or inflation-linked. This must match what your actual lease says.
  3. Set the review interval (for doubling or percentage reviews) — e.g. every 10, 15 or 25 years.
  4. Choose how many years to project forward.
  5. Optionally enter your property value to see ground rent as a rough proportion of value, for context.
  6. Click Calculate to see the projection, chart and year-by-year breakdown.

What Is “Onerous” Ground Rent?

There is no single legal definition of onerous ground rent that applies across every lender and buyer. In practice, the leases that attract the most concern tend to share a pattern: rent that doubles every 10–15 years, or that otherwise rises quickly enough to become a large sum within a normal mortgage term. Some lenders decline to lend, or lend on different terms, against leases they consider to carry too much ground rent risk — but the specific criteria vary by lender and change over time, so always check current lending criteria directly rather than relying on a rule of thumb.

Does the Ground Rent Act 2022 Help Me?

The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 requires most new residential leases granted from 30 June 2022 onwards to charge no more than a peppercorn (effectively zero) ground rent. It does not reduce or remove ground rent on leases granted before that date — if you have an older lease with an existing ground rent clause, that clause continues to apply until the lease is varied, for example by a statutory lease extension.

Will the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 Change My Ground Rent?

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 contains further ground rent proposals, but as of now the relevant provisions have not been brought into force, and the government has been consulting separately on related valuation rates. Because this area is actively changing, treat any figures from this calculator as based on your lease as it stands today, and check for updates before making decisions based on an assumption that reform has already taken effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still have to pay ground rent if I never extend my lease?

Yes. Ground rent is payable under the terms of your existing lease regardless of whether or when you extend it. Extending your lease can sometimes reduce ground rent to a peppercorn as part of the negotiated terms, but that is a feature of the extension itself, not something that happens automatically.

What is a doubling ground rent clause?

A doubling clause means the ground rent doubles at set intervals written into the lease, commonly every 10 or 15 years. Because doubling compounds, a modest starting rent can become very large after several decades, which is why these clauses have attracted regulatory and media attention.

Does the Ground Rent Act 2022 remove my ground rent?

Only for new leases granted from 30 June 2022 onwards, which must generally be set at a peppercorn. It does not apply retrospectively to leases granted before that date.

Will the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 change my ground rent?

It may in future, but the relevant provisions have not yet been brought into force. Check official government and legal sources for the current commencement position before assuming any change already applies to you.

Can I get my ground rent reduced or removed?

Often, yes — typically through a statutory lease extension or by negotiating directly with your freeholder, sometimes as part of a wider deal to buy the freehold. A solicitor or specialist leasehold advisor can explain the options that apply to your specific lease.

Does ground rent affect my ability to sell or remortgage?

It can. Some mortgage lenders apply their own criteria to leases with high or rapidly escalating ground rent, and some buyers or their lenders may be cautious about certain review patterns. This varies by lender and over time, so it is worth checking current lending criteria if you are concerned.

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