What is land registration?

Unregistered land relies upon title deeds to show the history of ownership of property rights but after a successful application to the Land Registry the land is registered, the ownership of the Property and any rights and reservations are recorded in an up-to-date public record held at the Land Registry.

Whenever a change in the ownership of land occurs (eg on sale, or charge or lease for over 7 years) it is compulsory to apply to the Land Registry for 1st registration.

Over 30% of land in England and Wales remains unregistered. The Land Registry has indicated their intention to reduce this figure to 20% by 2012.

Why should I register my land?

• It provides proof that you own your property – with an official plan
• It gives you a much better protection against squatters and can assist in avoiding arguments over boundary issues
• It makes future sales of your land simpler, quicker and less expensive. All the information about your property becomes available in most cases at the click of a mouse from the Land Registry's website
• You never have to worry about missing deeds
• It helps stop fraud which can result from copying title deeds
• It gives an opportunity to sort out any problems with the title deeds.

Why register now?

The land registry is currently offering a 25% reduction on the fee for voluntary registration. Fees for first registration are calculated according to the value of the land being registered (e.g. registration of property valued under 50,000 is reduced to 40 upon voluntarily application)

What do I do now?

To discover if your land or property is registered contact our property team.

If your property is unregistered our Conveyancing Solicitors can help you with the process of registration and with any problems which may result. We provide a fixed fee for making the application to the Land Registry for First Registration. We can provide you with any necessary legal advice and check for defects in your unregistered title and offer solutions.

For expert advice on voluntary land registration from our property team, contact our Salisbury, Andover, Warminster, Verwood or Amesbury offices today.