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Public Guide 1 – A guide to the information we keep and how you can obtain it

Updated: May 2013

Update

This edition of the guide replaces the April 2013 edition. Section 12 has been amended as a result of a change to Weymouth Office’s telephone and fax numbers.

Scope of this guide

This 'questions and answers' guide tells you what information Land Registry keeps and how you can obtain it. It aims to give you brief and straightforward answers to general questions.

1 Introduction

This guide tells you what information Land Registry keeps and how to obtain it, based on questions we are frequently asked. It also contains the forms you will need to obtain information from us.

If you have other questions about what we do our staff will be able to help. If you want more information about the possible legal or business effects of registration, or a similar matter, you should think about getting legal advice. Our staff will try to help as much as possible but please remember that we cannot give legal advice.

2 Frequently asked questions

2.1 Why is land registered?

The aim of registering title to land is to create and maintain a register of land, the title to which is guaranteed by the state. The guarantee means that if a mistake occurs in the register and the owner suffers loss, we can pay compensation. A system of land registration also makes it simpler to buy, sell and charge (or mortgage) land and property. When we refer to land within this guide this also includes any property that may be built on this land.

2.2 Is all land registered?

No, not all land is registered. This could be for a number of reasons. For example, the land may have been in the same ownership for many years and the event triggering its first registration, such as a sale or mortgage, has not occurred. However, we do have details of more than 20 million registered properties in England and Wales, a number that increases every day. But there are still millions of properties that have not yet been registered and we do not hold information on them.

2.3 What is a registered title?

A registered title provides the legal evidence that the land has been registered at Land Registry. When land is registered, we create a register that provides an up-to-date record of the legal ownership and other matters relating to the land or property in question. Every register has a unique title number that enables the easy identification of the register of the property in question.

2.4 How do I find out whether land is registered?

Land Registry keeps a computerised map based on the Ordnance Survey map. This map (the ‘index map’) provides an index of the land in the title for the vast majority of registrations and pending applications for first registration. To find out if land is registered you should complete form SIM to apply for an official search of the index map. To get form SIM, see section 5 How to get our other guides and forms. If you cannot quote a full postal address on form SIM, or if there is likely to be any doubt about where the property is, or the area it covers, you will need to provide a plan that must:

be based on the latest published edition of the large scale Ordnance Survey map
be drawn to scale
indicate the scale and north point
show the precise extent of the property by suitable colouring/edging
show the position of the land in relation to nearby roads and other relevant features.

The certificate of result of search will show whether or not the land is registered, the title numbers that affect it and the type of registration that has been disclosed. We index the following types of registration on the index map.

Pending applications for first registration (other than of title to a relating franchise).
Pending applications for caution against first registration (other than where the subject of the caution is a relating franchise).
Registered estates in land.
Registered rentcharges.
Registered profits a prendre in gross.
Registered affecting franchises.
Cautions against first registration (other than where the subject of the caution is a relating franchise).

We also index the following types of registration (defined below), but these make up a very small percentage of the titles we hold.

Registered rentcharges.
Registered profits a prendre in gross.
Registered affecting franchises.

A franchise is a right or privilege that the Crown grants. Examples include the right to take a toll or to hold a market or fair. A profit a prendre in gross is a right to take something from somebody else’s land, for example, fishing or shooting rights. A rentcharge is a periodic payment of money charged on land, but it excludes rent payable under a lease or tenancy and sums payable as interest.

The following types of registration are not indexed on the index map.

Relating franchises (a franchise not related to a defined area of land).
Manors (includes lordships, manorial land and rights affecting such land, such as shooting or fishing).

The reason they are excluded is because the extent of a relating franchise or manor cannot be determined with any precision. We hold information about these types of registration in an index of verbal descriptions called the index of relating franchises and manors. This index is arranged by administrative area.

You should complete form SIF to apply for an official search of the index of relating franchises and manors. You can make a personal application to search both the index map and the index of relating franchises and manors at any Land Registry office. To do so, you must have a plan that clearly shows the land that you are interested in.

2.5 What information do you keep on the register?

There is an example of a register set out in section 7 Appendix A – Example of a register. You will see that there are three parts of the register. The extent of the registered land is shown on the title plan. In some cases specific documents that the register refers to are filed at Land Registry. Some registers of titles in Wales may have entries in Welsh. If you have any queries regarding these, please contact Land Registry, Wales Office (see section 13 Appendix G – Addresses of Land Registry offices).

The first part of the register is the property register. This contains a description of the land in the title. It also refers to a title plan, which is prepared for each title (an example of this plan is set out in section 8 Appendix B – Example of a title plan). It may also give details of any rights that benefit the land, such as a right of way over nearby land. In the case of a leasehold title, it gives brief details of the lease. The title plan is based on the large-scale maps of the Ordnance Survey. You can find information about boundaries in Public Guide 19 – Title plans and boundaries.

The second part of the register is the proprietorship register. This gives the quality of the title, such as an absolute title, and the name and address of the legal owner, and shows whether there are any restrictions on their power to sell, mortgage or otherwise deal with the land. When we are completely satisfied about who owns the property we will give absolute title. In some cases, however, we will give a more limited class of title.

The third part of the register is the charges register. This contains details of registered mortgages and notice of other financial burdens secured on the property (but does not usually give details of the amounts of money involved). It also gives notice of other rights and interests that affect the property, such as leases, rights of way or covenants that limit how the property can be used.

2.6 How can I get information about the register?

You can download a copy of the register online by visiting www.landregistry.gov.uk and selecting the Find a property service. You will need a valid email address, to register as a user and have a valid debit/credit card. Details of services offered and instructions to follow are given on the website.

You can obtain a copy of the register entries or a copy of the title plan (or both) by post by completing Land Registry form OC1. See section 9 Appendix C – Form OC1 for an example, which you can use if you wish. You need to fill in one form for each registered title you want to look at and post it to us.

If you think the property is probably registered and has a postal address (for instance 145 Green Road, Anytown) but you do not know the title number, you can fill in form OC1 to apply for a copy of the register or the title plan (or both) but leave the title number box blank. If you do apply in this way, please write ‘PLEASE SUPPLY TITLE NUMBER’ in capitals at the top of form OC1.

We will reject 'please supply title number' applications with a non-postal address (for instance 'land on the west side of High Street, Anytown' or '33 Cannon Road and land adjoining, Anytown'). We will reject 'please supply title number' applications which are accompanied by a plan even if the property has a postal address. We will also reject such applications where the number of title numbers revealed exceeds five. Where we reject these applications, we will request that you apply for a search of the index map using form SIM (see section 2.4 How do I find out if land is registered?)

2.7 Can I look at documents too?

Yes, you can apply for an official copy of:

any document referred to in the register provided we hold a copy, or
any document that is not referred to in the register that relates to an application, provided we hold a copy.

These documents are available as of right under the Land Registration Rules 2003 (unless they have been designated an exempt information document – see section 2.8 What if I need a copy of a document that has been made an exempt information document? for more information or are otherwise excepted from the right to inspect and obtain copies). You should use form OC2, an example of which is set out in section 10 Appendix D – Form OC2, to apply.

There is a fee for this service (see section 3 Fees). Please ensure that you complete the relevant part of section 7 of the OC2 with details of the document that you want. If you want a copy of a document that is not referred to in the register, please supply as much information as possible, such as the date of the document, parties and the date (or approximate date) that the document was sent to us. This will help us find the correct document in our files. Please try to avoid asking for "all documents connected with the transfer to me" unless you really need all this information. This is because 'all information' would include application forms and routine letters to us, which may be of little interest to you but could increase the fees you need to pay. We may also hold electronic documents that were used to create the register, but to keep your costs down we will not supply copies of these unless you specifically ask for them.

For more information please see Practice Guide 11 – Inspection and applications for official copies.

2.8 What if I need a copy of a document that has been made an exempt information document?

Since 13 October 2003 it has been possible to exempt documents that contain prejudicial information from the general right to inspect and copy documents we hold.

If you apply for an official copy of an exempt information document using form OC2, you will receive an edited copy of the document that does not contain the prejudicial information. If you want a full copy, which contains all the prejudicial information you can apply in writing, by email or by using form EX2.

For more information please see Practice Guide 57 – Exempting documents from the general right to inspect and copy.

2.9 Does the Freedom of Information Act 2000 apply to documents that Land Registry holds?

Yes. From 1 January 2005 you have the right to information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA 2000).

Where information is available as of right under the Land Registration Rules 2003 (LRR 2003) any request for information is governed by the LRR 2003 and not by the FOIA 2000. This is because section 21, FOIA 2000 makes information exempt from FOIA 2000 when it is "reasonably accessible by other means." For this reason we claim exemption under s.21 as the information is already accessible through our Rules and so cannot be made available by the FOIA 2000. For details of information that is available as of right under the LRR 2003 please see sections 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 and in particular 2.7 Can I look at documents too?

You can still apply for a copy of an exempt information document under the LRR 2003. Please see section 2.8 What if I need a copy of a document that has been made an exempt information document? for more information. As these are documents that are not available as of right under the LRR 2003 you can also request the information under the FOIA 2000. An application for information under the FOIA 2000 must be made in writing, by letter, fax or email. For more information regarding the FOIA 2000 please see Public Guide 15 – Your rights under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

A fee may be payable for any requests for information under the FOIA 2000; please see section 3 Fees for more information.

2.10 What documents do you not keep?

There are some documents that we do not generally keep. These are:

title deeds dated before the date the property was first registered, other than those referred to in the register as being filed. See entry number 2 in the charges register of the specimen register in section 7 Appendix A – Example of a register
copies of deeds that are not referred to in the register
court orders¹
birth, marriage or death certificates¹
civil partnership documents¹
grants of probate or letters of administration¹.

¹ These items are public documents and can be obtained from the appropriate court officials, the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the Probate Registry.

We do not have information about:

individual land or property values before 1 April 2000
matters relating to planning permission, compulsory purchase, redevelopment, road charges, public-health charges, building lines or tree conservation (the local authority will record these)
unregistered land or property
tenancy agreements
land held under a lease for a term of seven years or less. (We may also not have information about leases granted for a longer term. Before 13 October 2003, we only dealt with leases if they were for more than 21 years.)
land or property outside England and Wales, or
matters relating to the community charge, council tax and rating assessments.

2.11 Where do I apply?

You should send your application to the Land Registry office that serves the area where the property you are interested in is located. A list of Land Registry offices, their addresses and phone numbers and the areas they serve is set out in sections 12 and 13 Appendices F and G. If you have any questions, please email or telephone Customer Support.

2.12 What information is available on the internet?

We have various services on our website to help you.

www.landregistry.gov.uk is our main website and provides information about our services, and forms and guides for viewing or downloading.
the ‘Find a property’ service on our main website provides electronic access to some of our records. This service is aimed at the general public. To use this service you will need a valid email address and debit/credit card.
Property professionals would be better served registering to use either the Land Registry portal or Business Gateway or the National Land Information Service at www.nlis.org.uk

2.13 Can I visit one of your offices to get any of this information?

You can obtain Land Registry information and services in a variety of ways, so it may not always be necessary to visit one of our customer information centres.

If you have an enquiry or would like help understanding how to obtain information and services please contact Customer Support at customersupport@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk or telephone 0844 892 1111, or 0844 892 1122 for a Welsh-speaking service, from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm (except public holidays).

If you need to visit us in person our customer information centres are open between 8.30am and 6pm Monday to Friday (except public holidays). You must make an appointment, giving at least 24 hours’ notice.

To make an appointment you can either:

use the 'request appointment form' in the Contact us section of our website, or
telephone Customer Support on 0844 892 1111.

You will need to complete a form PIC if you want to inspect the register, title plan, any document referred to in the register or any document that is not referred to in the register but relates to an application (such as a transfer of the land where no new entries needed to be made in the register other than to register the new owners).

Any other requests may be made under FOIA 2000; please see section 2.9 Does the Freedom of Information Act 2000 apply to documents that Land Registry holds? and Public Guide 15 – Your rights under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

2.14 Can I get an historical copy of the register?

Since 1993 we have kept earlier editions (versions of the register) held in electronic form. If we hold an earlier edition of a register in electronic form, you can apply for a copy using form HC1.

If we do not hold the information you require in electronic form, we may hold paper copies of earlier editions of the register and we may be able to provide you with a copy if you apply in writing, by letter, fax or email, under the FOIA 2000. More information can be found in Practice Guide 11 – Inspection and applications for official copies and Public Guide 15 – Your rights under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Please note that historical copies of the register are not available on www.landregistry.gov.uk

3 Fees

For any applications for information made under the Land Registration Rules 2003, details of the fee payable for each service are given in the current Land Registration Fee Order, which can be obtained from any Land Registry office or the Land Registry website www.landregistry.gov.uk

Please enclose the correct fee with your application, which is payable by cheque or postal order made payable to ‘Land Registry’. Please do not send money through the post.

Different considerations apply for requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; please contact Customer Support for further information.

4 What if I think there is a mistake on my register

If you think your register is wrong in some way, please contact Customer Support (see Contact details) and we will look into the matter. If we do not agree that something is wrong we will tell you why. If we agree that there is a mistake, we will explain how it happened and try to put it right. Mistakes may not always be our fault, but we are responsible for making sure that our title plans are accurate.

You may be asked to put your comments in writing.

5 How to get our other guides and forms

You can get more copies of this guide and single copies of the Land Registry forms and other guides we have mentioned by writing to any Land Registry office, on our website www.landregistry.gov.uk or from:

Land Registry
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ
(DX 8888 Croydon 3)

Tel: 0300 006 0001

If you need a lot of Land Registry forms, you can buy them from any bookshop of The Stationery Office or from any law stationer.

6 Appendix A – Example of a register

Example of a register

7 Appendix B – Example of a title plan

Example of a title plan

8 Appendix C - Form OC1

OC1 example

9 Appendix D - Form OC2

OC2 example

10 Appendix E - Form PIC

PID example

11 Appendix F – Areas served by Land Registry offices

Administrative area	Land Registry proper office
England
Barnsley	Nottingham
Bath & North East Somerset	Plymouth
Bedford	Peterborough
Birmingham	Coventry
Blackburn with Darwen	Fylde
Blackpool	Fylde
Bolton	Fylde
Bournemouth	Weymouth
Bracknell Forest	Gloucester
Bradford	Nottingham
Brighton & Hove (City of)	Coventry
Bristol (City of)	Gloucester
Buckinghamshire	Leicester
Bury	Fylde
Calderdale	Nottingham
Cambridgeshire	Peterborough
Central Bedfordshire	Peterborough
Cheshire East	Birkenhead
Cheshire West and Chester	Birkenhead
Cornwall	Plymouth
County Durham	Durham
Coventry	Coventry
Cumbria	Durham
Darlington	Durham
Derby (City of)	Nottingham
Derbyshire	Nottingham
Devon	Plymouth
Doncaster	Nottingham
Dorset	Weymouth
Dudley	Coventry
East Riding of Yorkshire	Kingston upon Hull
East Sussex	Coventry
Essex	Peterborough
Gateshead	Durham
Gloucestershire	Gloucester
Greater London	See below
Halton	Birkenhead
Hampshire	Weymouth
Hartlepool	Durham
Herefordshire (County of)	Telford
Hertfordshire	Leicester
Isle of Wight	Weymouth
Isles of Scilly	Plymouth
Kent	Nottingham
Kingston upon Hull	Kingston upon Hull
Kirklees	Nottingham
Knowsley	Birkenhead
Lancashire	Fylde
Leeds	Nottingham
Leicester	Leicester
Leicestershire	Leicester
Lincolnshire	Kingston upon Hull
Liverpool	Birkenhead
Luton	Peterborough
Manchester	Fylde
Medway	Nottingham
Middlesbrough	Durham
Milton Keynes	Leicester
Newcastle upon Tyne	Durham
Norfolk	Kingston upon Hull
North East Lincolnshire	Kingston upon Hull
North Lincolnshire	Kingston upon Hull
North Somerset	Plymouth
North Tyneside	Durham
North Yorkshire	Durham
Northamptonshire	Leicester
Northumberland	Durham
Nottingham (City of)	Nottingham
Nottinghamshire	Nottingham
Oldham	Fylde
Oxfordshire	Gloucester
Peterborough (City of)	Peterborough
Plymouth (City of)	Plymouth
Poole	Weymouth
Portsmouth	Weymouth
Reading	Gloucester
Redcar and Cleveland	Durham
Rochdale	Fylde
Rotherham	Nottingham
Rutland	Leicester
St Helens	Birkenhead
Salford	Fylde
Sandwell	Coventry
Sefton	Birkenhead
Sheffield	Nottingham
Shropshire	Telford
Slough	Gloucester
Solihull	Coventry
Somerset: Sedgemoor Taunton Deane West Somerset	Plymouth
Somerset: Mendip South Somerset	Weymouth
South Gloucestershire	Gloucester
South Tyneside	Durham
Southampton	Weymouth
Southend-on-Sea	Peterborough
Staffordshire	Birkenhead
Stockport	Fylde
Stockton-on-Tees	Durham
Stoke-on-Trent (City of)	Birkenhead
Suffolk	Kingston upon Hull
Sunderland	Durham
Surrey	Durham
Swindon	Weymouth
Tameside	Fylde
Thurrock	Peterborough
Torbay	Plymouth
Trafford	Fylde
Wakefield	Nottingham
Walsall	Coventry
Warrington	Birkenhead
Warwickshire	Gloucester
West Berkshire	Gloucester
West Sussex	Durham
Wigan	Fylde
Wiltshire	Weymouth
Windsor and Maidenhead	Gloucester
Wirral	Birkenhead
Wokingham	Gloucester
Wolverhampton (City of)	Coventry
Worcestershire	Coventry
Wrekin (County of) (otherwise known as The Wrekin)	Telford
York	Durham
Wales All administrative areas	Wales/Cymru
Greater London
Barking and Dagenham	Telford
Barnet	Wales
Bexley	Croydon
Brent	Wales
Bromley	Croydon
Camden	Croydon
City and County of the City of London	Wales
City of Westminster	Croydon
Croydon	Croydon
Ealing	Wales
Enfield	Wales
Greenwich	Telford
Hackney	Wales
Hammersmith and Fulham	Birkenhead
Haringey	Wales
Harrow	Wales
Havering	Birkenhead
Hillingdon	Wales
Hounslow	Wales
The Inner Temple and The Middle Temple	Wales
Islington	Wales
Kensington and Chelsea	Birkenhead
Kingston upon Thames	Croydon
Lambeth	Telford
Lewisham	Telford
Merton	Croydon
Newham	Telford
Redbridge	Birkenhead
Richmond upon Thames	Telford
Southwark	Telford
Sutton	Croydon
Tower Hamlets	Wales
Waltham Forest	Wales
Wandsworth	Telford

12 Appendix G – Addresses of Land Registry offices

NB: DX addresses are for use by members of the British Document Exchange only.

Birkenhead

Land Registry
Birkenhead Office
Rosebrae Court
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside CH41 6DU

(DX 24270 Birkenhead 4)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 5666 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 5789

Coventry

Land Registry
Coventry Office
Leigh Court
Torrington Avenue, Tile Hill
Coventry CV4 9XZ

(DX 18900 Coventry 3)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 0005 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0025

Croydon

Land Registry
Croydon Office
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon CR0 2AQ

(DX 2699 Croydon 3)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 0004 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0024

Durham

Land Registry
Durham Office
Southfield House
Southfield Way
Durham DH1 5TR

(DX 60200 Durham 3)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 0010 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0030

Fylde

Land Registry
Fylde Office
Wrea Brook Court
Lytham Road
Warton, Preston PR4 1TE

(DX 721560 Lytham 6)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 01772 836700 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 01772 836970

Gloucester

Land Registry
Gloucester Office
Twyver House
Bruton Way
Gloucester GL1 1DQ

(DX 7599 Gloucester 3)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 1111 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0050

Kingston upon Hull

Land Registry
Kingston upon Hull Office
Earle House
Colonial Street
Hull HU2 8JN

(DX 26700 Hull 4)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 0011 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0031

Leicester

Land Registry
Leicester Office
Westbridge Place
Leicester LE3 5DR

(DX 11900 Leicester 5)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 0003 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0023

Nottingham

Land Registry
Nottingham Office
Castle Wharf House
2 Canal Street
Nottingham
NG1 7AU

(DX 10298 Nottingham 3)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 0008 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0028

Peterborough

Land Registry
Peterborough Office
Stuart House, West Wing
City Road
Peterborough PE1 1QF

(DX 12598 Peterborough 4)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 0007 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0027

Plymouth

Land Registry
Plymouth Office
Seaton Court
2 William Prance Road
Plymouth PL6 5WS

(DX 8299 Plymouth 4)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 6000 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 6123

Telford

Land Registry
Telford Office
Parkside Court
Hall Park Way
Telford TF3 4LR

(DX 28100 Telford 2)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111
Switchboard: 0300 006 0006 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0026

Wales

Land Registry
Wales Office
Ty Cwm Tawe
Phoenix Way
Llansamlet
Swansea SA7 9FQ

(DX 82800 Swansea 2)

General enquiries: 0844 892 1111 or 0844 892 1122 for a Welsh-speaking service.
Switchboard: 0300 006 0009 (Note: General enquiry calls cannot be taken on this number.)
Fax: 0300 006 0029