Many of the frustrations of Leasehold property come from a misunderstanding of the system.  Users purchase a lease and think that they "own" the flat.  What they have bought is the right to rent the flat at a very low annual rent for an exceedingly long time.

A typical modern lease starts out at 250 years, which is roughly 10 generations.

To give the option of effective full ownership, twenty years ago the concept of Commonhold was introduced.  This has not taken off due to lack of public demand.

To understand the difference between Commonhold and Leasehold, think of two car buyers approaching the car dealer, Mr F.  Ms C buys her car outright for £30,000.  It is then hers to use and maintain for as long as she likes.  Mr L purchases the exact same model, but he uses PCP.  He pays a deposit of £25,000 and commits to paying £25 per month for the next 20 years.  During this period, Mr F will organise repairs, service, road tax and MoT's, though Mr L will have to pay for this work.

There are pros and cons to the two different car-sourcing choices chosen by Ms C and Mr L.  Ms C paid the full price and has to manage and organise all of the aspects of her car ownership experience.  This could be an unwanted responsibility and hassle, but leaves her free to shop around for suppliers of her choice.  By contrast, Mr L has a much easier life.  Mr F is responsible for organising contractors to undertake all of the car maintenance and service, and can use his buying power to obtain great deals for Mr L.  However, Mr F does need some payment to cover his time in ensuring that Mr L's car remains roadworthy.  And of course, Mr L paid less cash upfront for his car. He has to pay a PCP charge to make up the difference.

Clearly, this analogy references the way Commonhold, Leaseholders and Freeholders interact.  Ms C, the Commonholder, has full ownership, more control but greater responsibility for her car.  Mr L, the Leaseholder, has Mr F the Freeholder, providing a service.  Additionally, Mr L has not paid full price for the car, and so has PCP payments (aka Ground Rent) to pay every month.