The gap between house and flat prices across the UK is the widest it has been in 30 years - since records began, new analysis from Zoopla shows.
The average price of a house is up 43% since 2016 across the UK, but flats have increased by just 10% over the same period. As such, the average house in the UK now costs 1.7 times the price of a typical flat, up from 1.3 times a decade ago.
Across the UK, the average flat costs £193,000, vs £327,000 for a house. Outside London the gap is even wider - a house now costs 2.3 times the price of a flat, up from 1.8 times in 2016.
In Scotland, where the long leasehold system does not apply, the ratio has barely changed in a decade - the flats market operates much like the market for houses. Flat owners hold the freehold of their property, the same house to flat price ratio stands at 1.9 times — almost identical to its level in 2016 (1.8x) and barely changed in 30 years.
Four in five flats listed for sale in England are leasehold. Zoopla analysis of leasehold listings shows the typical leaseholder pays £200 a year in ground rent and £1,900 a year in service charges - a combined £2,100 a year.
However, Zoopla says the growing gap between the price of a house and flat "goes beyond what these running costs alone can explain - affordability also plays a role". The flat-house price gap is widest in the Midlands and Northern regions, where houses are affordable enough that many first-time buyers skip flats entirely. Zoopla data shows that over 50% of first-time buyers outside London want to buy a three bedroom house. In the West Midlands a house costs 2.5 times a flat, the highest ratio of any English region.
In London the ratio is lower at 1.9 times. House prices are much higher meaning flats remain the only realistic route to property ownership for most buyers - seven in ten London first-time buyers are actively looking for a flat. This supports demand and keeps the house-flat ratio more in check.
Uncertainty around buying flats is clearly impacting the market, but not all flats face the same challenges and the leasehold system is undergoing significant reforms. Ground rents have already been banned on new leases. In January 2026 the Government published a draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill which proposes to cap existing ground rents at £250 a year, ban the sale of new leasehold flats and make commonhold the default tenure for new-build flats. The Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament in autumn 2026, with Royal Assent targeted for 2027.
Zoopla's analysis shows average leasehold running costs range from 0.7% to 1.3% of property value a year - and that range matters, because lenders typically scrutinise properties where costs exceed 1% of value. Lender criteria vary and some will scrutinise properties more closely, especially in lower-value northern markets or where service charge and ground rent costs are high.
Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, commented: "The gap between house and flat prices has never been wider, and for buyers who are prepared to do their homework, that presents an opportunity. For many, flats remain the main route into home ownership, particularly in London and the South East where the cost of buying a house is higher.
"Buying a leasehold flat is more complex than buying a house - lease length, service charges and ground rent terms all matter and vary significantly from one property to the next. This complexity is not the same as risk, and the leasehold system is being actively reformed. Buyers who invest time to research and understand the system and get support can take advantage of the gap between flat and house prices. A well-managed building with a long lease and stable service charges is a very different proposition from a property with less clarity on service charges and a short lease.”
