How to Get a Copy of Your Lease

Why your lease matters

Your lease normally sets out what the service charge can cover, how costs are shared between the flats in your building, and when you can be asked to pay. Some leases allow a landlord to ask for service charges in advance, before the work is done. When a Section 20 notice or a major works bill arrives, the lease is usually the first document worth checking, because the answers to many of your questions start there.

Where to look first

You may already have a copy, or be able to get one quickly, from:

• the solicitor or conveyancer who acted for you when you bought your home
• your mortgage lender
• your own purchase paperwork

You can also ask your landlord or managing agent whether they can send you a copy.

Ordering an official copy from HM Land Registry

If your lease is registered, you can order an official copy from HM Land Registry by post, using form OC2. You will normally need your property’s title number. If you don’t know it, you can find it by searching the register online, which costs a small fee and also gives you a copy of the title register. There is a separate fee for the copy of the lease itself, so check HM Land Registry’s current fees before you send the form.

HM Land Registry also has an online service for ordering copies of documents, but it is only for businesses and professionals, such as solicitors.

What to look for once you have it

When you have your lease, it can help to note the clauses that cover the service charge, repairs and maintenance, how your share of costs is worked out, and any reserve or sinking fund. Our guide to what evidence helps explains how the lease fits alongside the other documents worth gathering. You can also upload your lease when you build a Defence Pack, so it is organised with the rest of your evidence.

What a lease means for your own situation can depend on its exact wording. The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) gives free initial advice to leaseholders in England.