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Real Estate vocabulary · Contracts, Deeds & Title

Freehold

Meaning in real estate, with examples

/ˈfriːhoʊld/nounCommon term

In real estate, freehold means: Full ownership of a property and the land it stands on, with no time limit. The owner is called the freeholder.

In Turkish: tam mülkiyet, süresiz mülkiyet

How it is used

Mainly British English, where listings state whether a home is freehold or leasehold. Most houses in England are sold freehold, while most flats are leasehold. It works as a noun and as an adjective: a freehold house.

Example sentences

  1. The house is freehold, so there's no ground rent or service charge.

  2. The residents bought the freehold of the building from the developer.

Common collocations

  • freehold property
  • own the freehold
  • buy the freehold
  • share of freehold
  • leaseholdOwnership of a property, usually a flat, for a fixed number of years under a long lease, while someone else owns the building and the land.
  • titleThe legal right to own a property, together with the records that show who the owner is and whether anyone else has a claim on it.
  • land registryThe government office or database that records who owns land and buildings, together with any mortgages or rights attached to them.
  • service chargeA regular fee that owners or tenants of flats and commercial units pay toward the upkeep of shared areas and services, such as cleaning, lifts, security and insurance.

More terms: Contracts, Deeds & Title

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