Website of the UK government

Searching for information about property or land

You can find information about millions of properties or pieces of land by following the link below to the Land Registry website. You can search by postcode, address or using maps of the area that you are interested in.

• Search for property information - Land Register online Opens new window

Download a copy of the ‘registered title’ for £4 and find out:

• who owns the property
  
• a description of the property (including its price if sold since April 2000)
  
• the name of the mortgage lender, if there is one (but not usually the amount of money the mortgage is for)
  
• if any private rights of way exist across the property - for example, whether a neighbour has shared rights to use a path (public rights of way are not shown)
  
• any restrictions or conditions (but not including planning conditions) on the use of the property

You might need this information because you want to:

• look at the register or title plan of a property you own
  
• find out who owns a specific property
  
• discover the area a property covers
  
• contact a landlord about leasing or renting a property
  
• contact the owner of an unoccupied property you wish to buy
  

What is a ‘title register’?

A registered title provides the legal evidence that the land has been registered at Land Registry. When land is registered, Land Registry creates a document or register that provides an up-to-date record of legal ownership. The register also contains other information about the land or property. Every register has a unique number that makes it easy to identify.

Each title register is split into three parts:

• the property register describes the property
  
• the proprietorship register says who owns the property
  
• the charges register gives details of things like mortgages or rights that affect the property

Follow the link below to see what a title register looks like.

• Download an example of a title register from Land Registry (PDF, 114K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

Information on house prices

The ‘House Price Index’, published monthly by Land Registry, uses information collected on all residential house sales and purchases in England and Wales. It includes figures at national, regional, county and London borough level. You can produce lists of average house prices for these areas, going back to January 1995.

• House prices - search the index Opens new window

What is Land Registry?

Land Registry is the government department responsible for registering land in England and Wales. All land that is bought, sold or mortgaged must be registered. However, about a third of the land in England and Wales currently remains unregistered.

What is a title plan?

A title plan shows the location of the property and the area it covers. The plan does not normally show who owns features like walls, fences and hedges which form part of the boundary of the property.

Follow the link below to view an example of a title plan.

• Download an example of a title plan from Land Registry (PDF, 260K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

Benefits of registering your land

You will have a number of benefits if you register land. Registration of land:

• shows proof of ownership
• helps to protect your land if someone tries to make a claim on it
• simplifies conveyancing, making future changes in ownership easier

If you decide to register your land voluntarily for the first time, you could receive a discount of up to 25 per cent on the registration fee. The discount varies according to the size of the property. The cost ranges from £40 for property worth up to £50,000 to £690 for land worth over £1 million.

How to register your land

As the work involved in applying for first registration is quite technical, most people employ a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to do it. But you can do it yourself if you prefer. Follow the link below to ‘Public Guide 13 – Applications for first registration made by the owner in person’ that explains the process.

• Registering your land Opens new window

• Download 'Land registration services and fees' from Land registry (PDF, 3,000K) Opens new window

• Download 'Public Guide 13' - for first registration made by the owner (PDF, 692K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

Contact your local Land Registry office

You can contact local Land Registry offices by telephone and fax.

• Local Land Registry office - find out contact details Opens new window