The title register: what it shows and how to get it

England and Wales: what the register contains

GOV.UK says most registers have three parts, sometimes with schedules:

• A, the property register: describes the property, including whether it is freehold or leasehold.
• B, the proprietorship register: lists the current owners, their contact addresses and any restrictions. It sometimes shows what the owner paid, or an indication of value on a stated date.
• C, the charges register: lists mortgages and other financial charges, rights of way and restrictive covenants. Not every register has a C section.

The class of title also appears. The best and most common are absolute freehold and absolute leasehold; some registers have a more limited class. In the Land Registry’s words the register “probably won’t show the amount of money involved” for a mortgage, and the price paid is only sometimes included. HM Land Registry cannot give legal advice, so ask your conveyancer to interpret anything unclear.

The title plan shows the property’s location and general boundaries.

What you can get and what it costs

(GOV.UK, search for property information.) You must sign in to use the service, and you can create sign-in details if you do not have them. Download options and fees can change, so confirm them on the GOV.UK page before you pay.

Registering a purchase: Scale 1 fees

After completion, your legal representative registers the change of ownership at HM Land Registry (GOV.UK). The fee for a transfer of the whole of a property for value is set by value. These Scale 1 fees came into effect on 9 December 2024 and still apply (GOV.UK):

Fees are paid on the VAT-inclusive consideration. As a worked reading of the table, a purchase at £250,000 falls in the £200,001 to £500,000 band: £150 online or £330 by post. Your conveyancer lists this fee among the disbursements. HM Land Registry also has a fee calculator for other applications.

Scotland: the Land Register

mygov.scot says that after settlement your details are added to the land register, which records the owner, the price, mortgage details and any conditions. The older Sasine Register is being replaced, so new purchases will not appear there. Fees payable to Registers of Scotland are counted among the government fees that mygov.scot calls outlays. I did not find a fee table on the pages read: ask your solicitor, or check Registers of Scotland. See buying a home in Scotland.

Northern Ireland: Land Registry and Registry of Deeds

Land & Property Services keeps the Land Registry (registered land, in folios) and the Registry of Deeds (unregistered land). A folio is “an individual section of the Title Register which records the title to a specific property”. For registered land, a search shows the folio: the current registered owner and any rights or charges affecting it, with previous owners and charges since first registration. nidirect says online searches are not available at present; requests go by email, telephone or in person, with the postal address. Fees: £5.00 to inspect each folio, map or instrument, £7.00 for an uncertified copy of a folio, £17.00 for a certified copy. See buying a home in Northern Ireland.

Side by side

Using the register when you buy

Ask your conveyancer to explain the register entries: who is registered as owner, whether the seller’s name matches, which charges will be removed on sale, and which covenants limit what you can do. See property searches and conveyancing explained.

Which professional to consult

A conveyancer reads the register and registers your purchase. A surveyor checks what the plan cannot, such as the physical boundaries.