Property Types

Freehold

Definition

Full ownership of both the property and the land it sits on, with no time limit. Most houses in England and Wales are freehold. As the freeholder, you are responsible for all maintenance but have no ground rent or service charges to pay (unless on a managed estate). The strongest form of property ownership.

Why it matters

Freehold is generally the simplest and most desirable form of ownership — no ground rent, no service charges (unless on a managed estate), no wasting lease to worry about. If you're comparing a freehold house with a leasehold flat, the freehold's ongoing costs are typically much lower.

Frequently asked questions

Is freehold always better than leasehold?

For houses, freehold is almost always preferable. For flats, leasehold is still the norm — but share of freehold (where flat owners collectively own the freehold) offers many of the same benefits. The key question for flats is who controls the freehold and how the building is managed.