Those pursuing lease renewal experienced difficulties caused by a lack of awareness of the details of the legislation, poor professional advice, uncertainties over costs and disputes with freeholders. The procedures for lease renewal are much less involved than those for enfranchisement - but any problems which do arise in renewal have to be faced individually, rather than shared with others in the same position. This absence of any collective momentum to change the terms of the lease seems to have deterred many people who were originally interested in lease renewal. The leaseholders in the sample had similar characteristics to all long leaseholders occupying flats surveyed in the Survey of English Housing. A quarter were under the age of 35 years, around half were aged between 35 and 64 years, and just under a quarter were aged 65 years or over.
Leaseholders are mainly households without children.
The decision to pursue enfranchisement stemmed from various factors, such as the structural condition of the block, the ability of residents to cooperate, knowledge of the legislation, and the relationship with the freeholder or managing agent. On the whole, the decision to enfranchise was based largely on negative experiences and attitudes toward existing leasehold arrangements. In another case the service charge included the 'freeholder's administration charge', which was estimated to be approximately 8,000 for a year. As the freeholder employed a managing agent during this period, it was rather difficult for leaseholders to see the justification for the charge. Leaseholders complained variously of unsatisfactory, potentially dangerous and unhealthy living conditions, and claimed that profits were being made on the back of such property neglect.