> But they have no obligation to actually renew if the leaseholder doesn’t make them.

I don't understand your point. My understanding is that if there is more than 21 years left on the lease the landlord has zero recourse to not give you a renewal of, I think,50 years, and if you apply for it and they fail to respond it renews automatically.

Most people facing this will engage long before 21 years as well

Your original comment suggested that renewal was in some way automatic. It isn’t, the leaseholder has to request it.

We’re not actually disagreeing here, I just found your original comment ambiguous.

> give you a renewal of, I think,50 years

Based on what my solicitor told me, I think you get a 999 year lease with peppercorn rent. But I could never find source for that.

You can take the freeholder to a tribunal to force them to renew the lease, but in addition to the lease, you have to pay their legal costs.

So if the leaseholder is bot cooperating it can get very expensive. If the lease goes below 80 years even more so.