{"id":184,"date":"2021-11-03T16:07:59","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T16:07:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.affalo.co.uk\/blog-api\/?p=184"},"modified":"2022-08-22T11:17:03","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T11:17:03","slug":"whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the difference between a freehold and a leasehold?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The terms \u201cfreehold\u201d and \u201cleasehold\u201d tend to come up a lot when looking to buy a house. If you\u2019re looking to buy a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/guides\/what-is-shared-ownership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shared ownership property<\/a>, you will especially hear the term \u201cleasehold\u201d used a lot. But what\u2019s the difference? Does it matter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-flat ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">What&#039;s Included?<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#Freeholds_vs_leaseholds_%E2%80%93_whats_the_fuss_about\" >Freeholds vs. leaseholds \u2013 what\u2019s the fuss about?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#The_downsides_of_leaseholding\" >The downsides of leaseholding<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#Can_I_buy_myself_out_of_a_leasehold\" >Can I buy myself out of a leasehold?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#What_happens_when_a_leasehold_expires\" >What happens when a leasehold expires?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#Leaseholding_and_shared_ownership\" >Leaseholding and shared ownership<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#Credit-Score_offers_two_fabulous_solutions\" >Credit-Score offers two fabulous solutions.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Freeholds_vs_leaseholds_%E2%80%93_whats_the_fuss_about\"><\/span>Freeholds vs. leaseholds \u2013 what\u2019s the fuss about?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In short, the difference between a freehold and a leasehold is that &#8220;freehold&#8221; means you own the house <em>and <\/em>the land it is built on. On the other hand, leasehold means you own the house, but <em>not<\/em> the land it is built on. If you are a leaseholder, the plot your house is built on has its own freeholder. You lease the land from them for a fixed period of time. (Some leases are as long as 999 years!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leaseholders are expected to pay ground rent and service charges to the freeholder to maintain the upkeep of the property. This usually means repair work, cleaning and gardening, on top of gas, electric, Internet and council tax bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With leaseholds, you usually have to ask the freeholder for permission before undertaking major works on the property. This includes projects such as building a conservatory or a loft extension. This means you have less freedom to do with your home as you wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leaseholds are much more common with flats and apartments, for obvious reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the past, some estate agents sold new build houses as leaseholds until quite recently, when changes in legislation made it so that new builds had to be sold as freeholds. These days, most houses sold on a leasehold basis are those that belong to housing associations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_downsides_of_leaseholding\"><\/span><strong>The downsides of leaseholding<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As mentioned above, leaseholders don\u2019t have as much control over their homes as freeholders. They have to use their home in whichever way the freeholder thinks best. The freeholder can even exclude you from keeping a pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You are also expected to pay the freeholder towards upkeep of the land and the house, which can end up costing you a lot of money. This means that if you do build extensions, your service charges and ground rent might go up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, you do own the house, and this, as a leaseholder, is quite expensive for a number of reasons. As the lease reaches its end it can be harder to sell the house, meaning you may end up having to accept an offer lower than the house is actually worth. Leaseholding also makes the homebuying and selling process more expensive, which means that conveyancing fees are likely to be higher before and after you buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In short, being a leaseholder can often feel no different from renting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_buy_myself_out_of_a_leasehold\"><\/span><strong>Can I buy myself out of a leasehold?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s possible to buy the freehold after you\u2019ve already bought the house on leasehold. However, this can be expensive, and will require the help of a solicitor. Freeholding is a lucrative source of passive income for the freeholder, due to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.affalo.co.uk\/blog\/equity-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">equity<\/a> as well as the aforementioned ground rent, so the freeholder will need some convincing and a fair amount of money to give it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you own a flat on a leasehold basis you can buy a share in the freehold of your building, which means you effectively become part of the housing association that maintains the upkeep of the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_when_a_leasehold_expires\"><\/span><strong>What happens when a leasehold expires?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once a leasehold expires, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leaseholdvaluations.com\/what-happens-when-the-lease-expires-on-a-leasehold-property\/#:~:text=What%20happens%20when%20the%20leasehold,the%20right%20to%20stay%20there.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">it reverts to the freeholder<\/a>, and you cease to have the right to live there. In many cases a leasehold lasts more than a lifetime, so it\u2019s not likely you\u2019ll be kicked out before you die. However, this can also cause problems if you bequeath the property to relatives after you\u2019re gone. They may have the lease, but the leasehold can make living in or selling the house very difficult for your heirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Leaseholding_and_shared_ownership\"><\/span><strong>Leaseholding and shared ownership<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most common situation in which a person buying a house will end up owning a leasehold is shared ownership. In this arrangement, you own a stake in the leasehold of your home while paying rent on the remainder to a landlord. It\u2019s intended to be a cheaper way of doing things, but it comes with the downsides listed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.affalo.co.uk\/guides\/what-is-shared-ownership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> to read more on shared ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Credit-Score_offers_two_fabulous_solutions\"><\/span>Credit-Score offers two fabulous solutions.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re preparing to take a mortgage, never apply until you\u2019ve tried our unique and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/home.credit-score.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FREE Credit-Score Home app.<\/a>&nbsp;Our smart technology will tell you what you need to fix so you avoid rejection. The app predicts when you will be able to buy, for how much and tracks your month-by-month progress to mortgage success. We\u2019ve even added your own mortgage broker, so you get the best deals available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More focused on your credit rating? Well, get started for free with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/register\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Credit-Score\u2019s 24- Factor Credit Check<\/a>&nbsp;to truly help you improve your creditworthiness and how lenders view you. (Remember: lenders don\u2019t use your credit score! We\u2019ll show you what lenders look for and how to get your credit report in the best shape possible).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you&#8217;re a first-time buyer you might hear &#8220;freehold&#8221; and &#8220;leasehold&#8221; mentioned a lot. But what is a leasehold? And does it matter?\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":5146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[514],"tags":[506,507,508,620,477,686,687,558,688,621,689],"class_list":["post-184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-first-time-buyer","tag-buying-a-home","tag-buying-a-home-for-the-first-time","tag-buying-a-house","tag-creditscore","tag-first-time-buyer","tag-freehold","tag-freehold-vs-leasehold","tag-homebuyer","tag-leasehold","tag-mortgage-score-home","tag-what-is-the-difference-between-freehold-and-leasehold"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Robert Edwards","author_link":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/author\/conor-mullinsaffalo-co-uk\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Freeholds vs leaseholds: A Guide for Newbies | Credit-Score UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you&#039;re a first-time buyer you might hear &quot;freehold&quot; and &quot;leasehold&quot; mentioned a lot. But what is a leasehold? And does it matter?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Freeholds vs leaseholds: A Guide for Newbies | Credit-Score UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you&#039;re a first-time buyer you might hear &quot;freehold&quot; and &quot;leasehold&quot; mentioned a lot. But what is a leasehold? And does it matter?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Check.co.uk - See the problems your credit score hides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/creditscore.co.uk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-11-03T16:07:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-08-22T11:17:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Robert Edwards\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Robert Edwards\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Robert Edwards\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/506e3586a0f8046fbea761167a250683\"},\"headline\":\"What\u2019s the difference between a freehold and a leasehold?\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-11-03T16:07:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-08-22T11:17:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":864,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/11\\\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"buying a home\",\"buying a home for the first time\",\"buying a house\",\"credit-score\",\"first time buyer\",\"freehold\",\"freehold vs leasehold\",\"homebuyer\",\"leasehold\",\"Mortgage-Score home\",\"what is the difference between freehold and leasehold\"],\"articleSection\":[\"First-time buyer\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/\",\"name\":\"Freeholds vs leaseholds: A Guide for Newbies | Credit-Score UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/11\\\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-11-03T16:07:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-08-22T11:17:03+00:00\",\"description\":\"If you're a first-time buyer you might hear \\\"freehold\\\" and \\\"leasehold\\\" mentioned a lot. But what is a leasehold? And does it matter?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/11\\\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/11\\\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg\",\"width\":2400,\"height\":1600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"First-time buyer\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/first-time-buyer\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What\u2019s the difference between a freehold and a leasehold?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Check.co.uk - See the problems your credit score hides\",\"description\":\"See the problems your credit score hides\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Credit-score\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/logo-check-black.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/logo-check-black.png\",\"width\":705,\"height\":279,\"caption\":\"Credit-score\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/creditscore.co.uk\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/506e3586a0f8046fbea761167a250683\",\"name\":\"Robert Edwards\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e3e65930bb09c7cf5b9a91ea19747c44d5b4023eec0afc649f3a4ce0ddf18f42?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e3e65930bb09c7cf5b9a91ea19747c44d5b4023eec0afc649f3a4ce0ddf18f42?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e3e65930bb09c7cf5b9a91ea19747c44d5b4023eec0afc649f3a4ce0ddf18f42?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Robert Edwards\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.check.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/conor-mullinsaffalo-co-uk\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Freeholds vs leaseholds: A Guide for Newbies | Credit-Score UK","description":"If you're a first-time buyer you might hear \"freehold\" and \"leasehold\" mentioned a lot. But what is a leasehold? And does it matter?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Freeholds vs leaseholds: A Guide for Newbies | Credit-Score UK","og_description":"If you're a first-time buyer you might hear \"freehold\" and \"leasehold\" mentioned a lot. But what is a leasehold? And does it matter?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/","og_site_name":"Check.co.uk - See the problems your credit score hides","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/creditscore.co.uk","article_published_time":"2021-11-03T16:07:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-08-22T11:17:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2400,"height":1600,"url":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Robert Edwards","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Robert Edwards","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/"},"author":{"name":"Robert Edwards","@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/506e3586a0f8046fbea761167a250683"},"headline":"What\u2019s the difference between a freehold and a leasehold?","datePublished":"2021-11-03T16:07:59+00:00","dateModified":"2022-08-22T11:17:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/"},"wordCount":864,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg","keywords":["buying a home","buying a home for the first time","buying a house","credit-score","first time buyer","freehold","freehold vs leasehold","homebuyer","leasehold","Mortgage-Score home","what is the difference between freehold and leasehold"],"articleSection":["First-time buyer"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/","url":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/","name":"Freeholds vs leaseholds: A Guide for Newbies | Credit-Score UK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg","datePublished":"2021-11-03T16:07:59+00:00","dateModified":"2022-08-22T11:17:03+00:00","description":"If you're a first-time buyer you might hear \"freehold\" and \"leasehold\" mentioned a lot. But what is a leasehold? And does it matter?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/toa-heftiba-nrSzRUWqmoI-unsplash.jpg","width":2400,"height":1600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/first-time-buyer\/whats-the-difference-between-a-freehold-and-a-leasehold\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"First-time buyer","item":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/category\/first-time-buyer\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What\u2019s the difference between a freehold and a leasehold?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/","name":"Check.co.uk - See the problems your credit score hides","description":"See the problems your credit score hides","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/#organization","name":"Credit-score","url":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/logo-check-black.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/logo-check-black.png","width":705,"height":279,"caption":"Credit-score"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/creditscore.co.uk"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/506e3586a0f8046fbea761167a250683","name":"Robert Edwards","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e3e65930bb09c7cf5b9a91ea19747c44d5b4023eec0afc649f3a4ce0ddf18f42?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e3e65930bb09c7cf5b9a91ea19747c44d5b4023eec0afc649f3a4ce0ddf18f42?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e3e65930bb09c7cf5b9a91ea19747c44d5b4023eec0afc649f3a4ce0ddf18f42?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Robert Edwards"},"url":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/author\/conor-mullinsaffalo-co-uk\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5578,"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184\/revisions\/5578"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.check.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}