07/10/2011

Land Registry registers its 23 millionth title

The number of titles registered in England and Wales by Land Registry passed 23 million at the beginning of October 2011.

A registered title indicates legal ownership of land or property, which may be either freehold or leasehold. The aim of land registration is to create and maintain a register of land in England and Wales showing who owns what property.

The first million titles were registered by 1950, almost a century after the creation of Land Registry and the Land Register in 1862.

The five million figure was reached in 1975, eight million in 1983 and 10 million in 1990.

Registering your property provides security as:

state-backed registration gives security of title, providing you better protection against fraudulent or other claims
registration gives you greater certainty about what you own.
once registered, you're in an ideal position if you decide to sell all or some of your property. Potential buyers increasingly expect land to be registered before buying.
it simplifies conveyancing, making transactions easier and potentially less costly for all involved.

More than three quarters of England and Wales is registered. Registration of property is compulsory when a property is bought or sold or when a mortgage is taken out. However, there are some properties that have remained in the same family or organisation’s ownership for generations, and have therefore never been registered.

More information about registering your property.