Leasehold Information Form TA7 (UK)

A Leasehold Information Form TA7 in the United Kingdom is a legally binding written instrument. It records the rental price, deposit, term, maintenance duties, and notice periods between landlord and tenant.

Leasehold ownership is one of the most distinctive features of English property law. A leaseholder does not own the freehold of their property — they hold a long lease (typically 99, 125, or 999 years) granted by the freeholder, under which they pay ground rent and service charges and are subject to covenants restricting how they use and alter the property. England and Wales have approximately 4.6 million leasehold dwellings, the majority of which are flats, though a significant number of houses are also leasehold following the practice of some developers of selling new houses on a leasehold basis prior to the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022.

The Law Society TA7 form is not itself a statutory requirement, but it is the universally accepted mechanism for leasehold disclosure in English and Welsh conveyancing practice. The Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) Code of Conduct requires solicitors to act in their clients' best interests, which in a leasehold transaction means confirming that all material information about the lease is disclosed to the buyer before contracts are exchanged. Providing false or misleading information in a TA7 can give rise to a misrepresentation claim under the Misrepresentation Act 1967 and a potential criminal offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and the earlier Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 represent the most significant legislative changes to leasehold law in a generation. The 2022 Act abolished ground rents on new regulated leases from 30 June 2022. The 2024 Act, which is being brought into force in stages, extends the statutory rights of leaseholders to extend their leases and acquire the freehold, reduces the qualification period for lease extension from two years to zero, and introduces a new regime for service charge transparency. Buyers and sellers completing TA7 forms must be aware of these legislative changes as they affect both the valuation of the lease and the obligations of the parties.

The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, as amended by the Building Safety Act 2022, governs leaseholders' rights to manage their buildings through Right to Manage Companies, and the Building Safety Act 2022 introduced new protections for leaseholders of buildings over 11 metres in relation to building safety remediation costs. The TA7 must reflect any building safety issues, remediation works, or Landlord's Certificate under the Building Safety Act 2022 that apply to the property.

A Leasehold Information Form TA7 is needed in every residential leasehold sale in England and Wales where the property being sold is held on a long lease. The TA7 is required alongside the TA6 Property Information Form as part of the seller's pre-contract disclosure obligations.

The TA7 is needed when a flat owner sells their leasehold flat, whether purpose-built or converted. The buyer's solicitor will always request the TA7 as standard in flat sales because it reveals the critical financial and legal information that determines whether the property is mortgageable, whether major service charge liability is imminent, and whether the lease has sufficient years remaining to satisfy mortgage lender requirements.

The TA7 is equally needed when the seller of a leasehold house — a property originally sold as a new build on a leasehold basis — is completing a sale. Leasehold houses sold before the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 may have ground rent provisions that double periodically, which can make the property difficult to mortgage. The TA7 must disclose these terms.

Where a Section 20 consultation notice under section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 has been served by the landlord or management company for proposed major works whose cost to any individual leaseholder will exceed £250, the TA7 must disclose this. An undisclosed Section 20 notice can expose a buyer to significant and unexpected service charge liability after completion.

The TA7 is also needed where the seller is a member or shareholder of a residents' management company or a right to manage company, since the buyer must be informed of this status and the associated obligations so they can decide whether to acquire the seller's share or membership interest.

Where the property is subject to any dispute with the freeholder, management company, or neighbouring leaseholders — including any Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (now the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)) proceedings — the TA7 must disclose it. Buyers who discover post-completion disputes that were not disclosed have a misrepresentation claim against the seller under the Misrepresentation Act 1967.

Buildings in scope of the Building Safety Act 2022 (generally those over 11 metres or 5 storeys) require a Landlord's Certificate and may have pending or completed remediation works that affect service charges. The TA7 must address these matters for buildings in scope.

A complete UK Leasehold Information Form TA7 must address every material leasehold matter that could affect a buyer's decision to proceed with the purchase or a mortgage lender's willingness to lend on the property.

The lease details section records the unexpired term of the lease, the original term granted, the start date, and the ground rent provisions. Under the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, new regulated residential leases granted on or after 30 June 2022 must not charge more than a peppercorn ground rent. For existing leases, the TA7 must disclose the current ground rent, any doubling or review provisions, and whether any ground rent has been paid or is in arrears. Mortgage lenders apply strict criteria: most will not lend where the annual ground rent exceeds 0.1% of the property value or where doubling provisions apply.

The service charge section discloses the current annual service charge, the most recent three years of service charge accounts (where available), the balance of any reserve or sinking fund, and whether any service charges are in dispute or unpaid. Under section 19 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, service charges must be reasonable and may only be recovered to the extent that they are. The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) has jurisdiction to determine the reasonableness of service charges under section 27A of the Act.

The major works and Section 20 notice section discloses whether a Section 20 consultation notice under section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 has been served, is anticipated, or has resulted in works whose costs are yet to be collected. This section is of critical importance: a buyer who takes on a property with a pending Section 20 notice could face a five- or six-figure service charge contribution for cladding remediation, lift replacement, or other major works within months of completion.

The building insurance section states whether insurance is arranged by the landlord or management company or by the leaseholder, identifies the insurer, and confirms whether any claims have been made or are pending. Where the landlord arranges building insurance, the leaseholder typically contributes to the premium through the service charge. Under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, leaseholders have new rights to challenge insurance arrangements.

The management company or managing agent section identifies the landlord, any intermediate landlord, the residents' management company (if applicable), the right to manage company (if applicable), and the managing agent, together with their contact details. The buyer needs this information to instruct solicitors on enquiries and to contact the management company post-completion.

The consents required section discloses whether the lease requires the landlord's consent for subletting, alterations, or change of use, and whether any such consents have been obtained and are available for inspection. The absence of required consents for works already carried out can be a significant title defect.

The disputes and notices section requires the seller to disclose any disputes with the landlord, management company, or neighbouring leaseholders; any notices served under the Housing Act 2004 (improvement notices, prohibition orders); and any enforcement action by the local housing authority. Disputes that are already before the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) must be disclosed with full details.

The Building Safety Act 2022 section, introduced in the latest edition of the TA7, requires disclosure of whether the building is a higher-risk building under the Building Safety Act 2022, whether a Landlord's Certificate has been issued, whether there are any building safety remediation works, and whether the seller has received any Building Safety Levy contributions from the developer. The forms-legal.com Leasehold Information Form TA7 (UK) template covers the mandatory elements under Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.