Land Registry First Registration
01/11/2022
4 min read
When buying property, you will need to register its title with the Land Registry, the official authority which keeps a record of land and property ownership. Registering is essential, as it can help prove your ownership without the original deeds and protect your rights to the property.
What is Land Registry first registration?
When you come into possession of a house or land, you need to check if it is registered. If not, depending on the circumstances of your acquisition, a Land Registry first registration might be compulsory.
This means that you need to fill out the necessary paperwork and have the Land Registry recognize your ownership, so that you:
- are granted proof of this ownership
- protect your property from fraud
- easily manage the property in the future
It might make more sense to request the help of a solicitor, since they will have the necessary knowledge to deal with this procedure. If you're buying a house, with or without a mortgage, your conveyancing solicitor will be able to apply for the first registration for you.
Should you ever lose the original title deeds to your property, you can check with the Land Registry for details of the ownership. Similarly, your property can be at risk from fraud. You might find yourself in a situation where you need to evict squatters or set up a property alert. In order to solve these matters, you will need to be registered with the Land Registry.
If you come into possession of a new property and are unsure whether it is registered with the Land Registry or not, you can check the register. If registered, you will be able to find information regarding your property.
The application process involves:
- 1
Checking if the property is registered and alternatively, ordering a search on records of previous owners
2Fill in the necessary forms
3Prepare a scale plan with the property or land boundaries, unless this is already shown on the original deeds
4Once you know what the costs are, send the documents to the Land Registry
What happens if your property is not registered with Land Registry?
If a property is not registered with the Land Registry, this may not necessarily affect it. It is still safe to purchase an unregistered property. Most transactions involving will trigger compulsory registration, but if that is not applicable, you can choose not to register your property.
Compulsory registration is triggered in instances where:
- you purchase a property/land
- a property/land is gifted
- you inherit a house or land
- a property or land is exchanged
- you get a mortgage
Leasehold properties or land must also be registered, with one exception. If there are 7 years or less on the lease when you take ownership, it is not mandatory.
What do I send with first registration?
When applying for a Land Registry First Registration, you will need multiple documents. To help make it easier to keep track of all necessary documents, you can get an application checklist. The most important one is the Form FR1, although it is important to remember that when sending out the forms, you will need to include 2 copies of the list of documents form (DL).
Apart from all the extra documents which are included in that checklist, you will also need a different document, depending on the case:
Bought Property | You will need all of the regular forms + | |
|---|---|---|
Inherited Property | You will need all of the regular forms + |
|
Frequently Asked Questions
UNREGISTERED
TIME
PROOF
