Ground Rent Checker — How to Find What a Property Pays (and the 2024 Act Cap)

Last updated: 2026-07-05

Quick answer

To check a property's ground rent, read the lease — it states the amount and any review clause — or the title register and any ground-rent demands. If you don't hold these, ask the freeholder or managing agent. New long residential leases granted since 30 June 2022 must charge only a peppercorn (effectively zero) ground rent under the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022. A cap on existing ground rents has been consulted on but, as of 2026-07-05, is not yet in force.

Where to find the ground rent for a property

Source	What it tells you
The lease itself	The ground rent amount, frequency and any review/escalation clause
Ground-rent demands / statements	What is actually being charged now
Title register (HM Land Registry, £7)	Refers to the lease and may note the rent
Freeholder or managing agent	Current figure and review terms if you lack the paperwork
Your conveyancer (when buying)	Reviews the lease and flags onerous rent clauses

This is a how-to guide, not a live ground-rent database — the figure is specific to each lease and must be read from the lease or confirmed by the freeholder.

Watch out for escalating (doubling) ground rents

The problem clauses are those where ground rent rises sharply over time — for example doubling every 10 or 15 years — which can make a flat hard to sell or mortgage and expensive to own. When reviewing a lease, check not just the current figure but the review clause. An onerous escalation is a reason to renegotiate, seek a deed of variation, or reconsider the purchase.

The 2022 peppercorn rule and the proposed cap

The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 means most new long residential leases granted from 30 June 2022 can only charge a peppercorn ground rent — effectively zero. That protects new leaseholders, but millions of existing leases still carry real ground rents.

Status (verified 2026-07-05): The government has consulted on capping ground rents on existing leases, but as of this date no such cap is in force — existing ground rents are still payable as set out in the lease. Confirm the current position with GOV.UK or LEASE before relying on it.

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Frequently asked questions

Read the lease, which states the ground rent amount, frequency and any review clause; check recent ground-rent demands for what's actually charged; or ask the freeholder or managing agent if you don't hold the paperwork. The title register (£7 from HM Land Registry) refers to the lease. When buying, your conveyancer reviews the lease and flags any onerous rent.

No single public database lists every property's ground rent, because the figure is set individually in each lease. You find it by reading the lease or ground-rent demands, or by asking the freeholder. Treat any site claiming to 'check' a specific property's ground rent instantly with caution — the reliable source is the lease itself.

Generally no. Under the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, most new long residential leases granted from 30 June 2022 can only charge a peppercorn ground rent — effectively zero. This applies to qualifying new leases; existing leases granted before then can still carry a real ground rent as set out in their terms.

Not as of July 2026. The government has consulted on capping ground rents for existing leaseholders, but no cap is in force at this date, so existing ground rents remain payable as written in the lease. Because the position may change, check GOV.UK or LEASE for the latest before relying on it.