ALEP

What ALEP does

ALEP (Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners) is a UK not-for-profit professional membership association founded in 2007 and headquartered in Folkestone, operating in England and Wales. It vets and certifies practitioners working in the residential leasehold enfranchisement sector, covering five practitioner types: barristers, managing agents, project managers, solicitors and valuers. Membership requires demonstration of annual activity thresholds (e.g., at least two collective enfranchisement projects totalling 20+ flats for organisations, or five enfranchisement cases for barristers), professional indemnity insurance, satisfactory references and adherence to an evolving Code of Practice. As of the most recent disclosures, ALEP represents 260+ member organisations covering 1,200+ professionals and is governed by two Directors (Mark Chick of Bishop & Sewell and John Midgley of Seddons), a Non-Executive Director (Henrietta Hammonds), and an Executive and Advisory Committee drawn from senior partners at Magic Circle and major surveying firms (CMS, Knight Frank, JLL, Edwin Coe, Landmark Chambers).

The association's core products are (i) membership subscriptions, priced at £515+VAT annually for organisations (with additional offices at £180+VAT each) and £160+VAT for individual barristers; (ii) the public-facing "Find a Practitioner" searchable directory and enquiry form, hosted on a WordPress/WooCommerce/Elementor website with Google Analytics, reCAPTCHA and YouTube integrations; (iii) an annual conference and member training/events programme (the ALEP Conference 2026 scheduled at 30 Euston Square, London on 14 October); (iv) a member resources hub; and (v) an independent complaints procedure. Distribution is community-led: the directory drives inbound enquiries from leaseholders and freeholders to vetted members, supplemented by organic social (LinkedIn, X), content marketing, PR/earned media around leasehold reform, and a long-running annual conference.

The business model is subscription-recurring membership dues augmented by commercial sponsorships (Zurich Insurance as primary sponsor since 2019, Kerry London as insurance partner for over a decade) and advertising/sponsorship packages listed as a member benefit. The association also runs three GTM/Commercial partnerships (Kerry London, Zurich, and Virtual Company Secretary) providing complementary services to members and clients. ALEP has been referenced in government publications tied to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, contributing to policy discussions on leasehold reform and reinforcing its position as the recognised professional body for the niche.

Name

ALEP

Legal name

Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners Limited

Website

https://alep.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ALEP is a UK not-for-profit professional membership association that vets and certifies barristers, managing agents, project managers, solicitors and valuers working in the residential leasehold enfranchisement sector across England and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Folkestone

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ALEP generates revenue through annual membership fees charged to practitioners and organisations. Organisation membership costs £515 plus VAT annually, individual barrister membership costs £160 plus VAT annually, with additional office registration at £180 plus VAT per office per year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ALEP is a not-for-profit professional membership association that vets and certifies barristers, managing agents, project managers, solicitors and valuers working in the residential leasehold enfranchisement sector in England and Wales. It sells annual memberships to practitioners, and supports leaseholders and freeholders through a postcode-based "Find a Practitioner" directory and enquiry routing service, alongside an independent complaints procedure and Code of Practice.

Product overview

ALEP (Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners) is a not-for-profit professional membership association founded in 2007, serving the residential leasehold sector in England and Wales. The organisation offers membership for barristers, managing agents, project managers, solicitors and valuers, coupled with public-facing services including a searchable practitioner directory, an enquiry form for leaseholders and freeholders, events and conferences, member resources, an independent complaints procedure, and an evolving Code of Practice. ALEP now represents over 260 member organisations and more than 1,200 professionals. The association provides information on leasehold rights including lease extensions, freehold acquisition, right to manage, commonhold, and section 5 notices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ALEP Membership Annual professional membership for barristers, managing agents, project managers, solicitors and valuers working in residential leasehold enfranchisement in England and Wales, requiring adherence to a Code of Practice, demonstration of activity thresholds, professional indemnity insurance, and references. Tiered pricing at £515 + VAT for organisations and £160 + VAT for individual barristers, with £180 + VAT per additional office per year.
• Find a Practitioner Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 260 member organisations vetted to consistently high standards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Kerry LondoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of the leading insurance brokers in the professional services sector. Kerry London has partnered with ALEP for over a decade, providing essential buildings insurance cover to enfranchising lessees. The firm offers competitive quotes, quick turnaround solutions, and cost savings of up to 15% on new insurance policies for ALEP members. Through this exclusive arrangement, solicitor and valuer members have access to personal and professional insurance services.
• Zurich Insurance GroupmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerZurich Insurance group has been one of ALEP's primary sponsors since 2019 and has supported the Association's growth into one of the leading voices in the leasehold sector. The partnership provides mutual support between the two organisations.
• VCS (Virtual Company Secretary)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerVirtual Company Secretary provides outsourced Corporate Secretarial and Accounting Services across the UK, with a focus on companies that own freehold property or exercise the Right to Manage. VCS supports a portfolio of over 2,000 clients involved in communal freehold ownership or Right to Manage. They assist volunteer directors in meeting Companies Act compliance obligations efficiently.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Property Litigation Association: UK membership organisation for solicitors and barristers specialising in property disputes, including leasehold enfranchisement litigation. Operates as a niche professional association with member events, training, and directory functions similar to ALEP.
• ARMA (Association of Residential Managing Agents): UK membership association for residential managing agents, the same practitioner type ALEP certifies. ARMA operates in the closely overlapping residential leasehold/property management sector with a similar vetting, code of practice, and directory model.
• IRPM (Institute of Residential Property Management): UK professional body for residential property managers, including managing agents working on leasehold buildings. Directly comparable in serving the same practitioner population (managing agents) and providing CPD, recognition, and standards.
• The Conveyancing Association: UK trade association for conveyancing solicitors and conveyancers, who are central to leasehold enfranchisement transactions. Operates with a similar member-vetting and standards framework and overlaps substantially with ALEP's solicitor membership.
• Propertymark (NAEA Propertymark): UK membership body for estate and letting agents, valuers, and property professionals. Comparable in operating a vetted practitioner directory, code of practice, and member-led certification framework across the residential property sector.

Broad incumbents

• RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors): Much larger UK and global professional body for chartered surveyors, including valuers active in leasehold enfranchisement. Operates a broader surveyor credentialing and complaints regime, of which ALEP's valuer members are a sub-segment.
• CILEx (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives): UK professional body for Chartered Legal Executives, many of whom practise in residential property and leasehold work. Comparable as a membership and credentialing body serving legal practitioners, though broader in scope than ALEP.
• The Law Society of England and Wales: The statutory professional body for all solicitors in England and Wales. ALEP's solicitor members are a subset of Law Society members, but the Law Society sets the regulatory floor; it is a broader incumbent against which ALEP positions its specialist vetting.

Others

• STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners): Global professional association for trust and estate practitioners, intersecting with leasehold and property work through succession, trusts of land, and estate planning angles. Comparable as a specialist credentialed membership body but focused on a different primary domain.
• British Property Federation: UK industry body representing property owners, developers, and investors. Comparable as a membership-driven organisation engaged in leasehold reform policy advocacy, though it represents the freeholder/investor side rather than practitioners advising leaseholders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alepofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alepofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/ALEPHQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ALEP