HM Land Registry’s official service allows a person to search for property or land in England and Wales, even when that person does not own it.
The free property summary may show:
- The address held by Royal Mail
- A description of the property
- Whether it is freehold or leasehold
- Whether restrictive covenants are recorded
- Whether easements or rights over land are recorded
The free summary does not provide the full wording of restrictive covenants or easements. Those details normally require the title register, which costs £7 to download.
The title register may also show the registered owner, title number, recorded sale price, mortgage information and rights affecting the property. Registry Search UK: Key Facts and Costs
| Search or document | What it may provide | Current cost | Can it prove ownership? |
| Property summary for England and Wales | Address, description, tenure and indicators of covenants or easements | Free | No |
| Online title register | Registered owner, title number, price information, mortgage entries, rights and restrictions | £7 | No |
| Online title plan | Property location and general boundaries | £7 | No |
| Official copy of title register | Certified registration information sent by post | £11 | Can be used where formal evidence is required |
| Official copy of title plan | Official plan sent by post | £11 | Can be used where formal evidence is required |
| Scottish Land Register title sheet | Ownership and registered title information | £3 plus VAT | Depends on the purpose and document |
| Northern Ireland folio inspection | Registered owner, rights and charges | £5 per folio, map or instrument | Inspection only |
The fees shown are based on official guidance available on 10 July 2026. Government fees and service arrangements can change, so readers should confirm the amount displayed on the relevant official website before paying. e Official Free Land Registry Search?
The official service for England and Wales is operated by HM Land Registry. It can be accessed through the GOV.UK page for searching for land and property information.
The service allows searches for registered houses, flats, commercial premises and land by address or location. A user must sign in before using the service. New users can create sign-in details as part of the process.
A debit or credit card is only required when a paid title register or title plan is downloaded. The initial property summary is free. d Registry the Same as the Land Registry?
“Land Registry” is commonly used as a shortened name for HM Land Registry, the government department responsible for registering ownership of land and property in England and Wales.
It does not manage Scotland’s or Northern Ireland’s registers:
- England and Wales: HM Land Registry
- Scotland: Registers of Scotland
- Northern Ireland: Land & Property Services
This distinction matters because a GOV.UK HM Land Registry search will not return a Scottish or Northern Irish property.
What Information Is Available for Free?
The free property summary is intended as a basic overview rather than a complete legal record.
It normally includes the property’s address, a short property description and the tenure type. Tenure identifies the broad form of ownership, such as freehold or leasehold.
The summary may also indicate whether the registered title refers to:
- Restrictive covenants
- Easements
- Rights of way
- Other rights affecting the land
An indication that a covenant or easement exists does not explain its full legal effect. The title register or a separately filed deed may need to be obtained to see the detailed wording.
Does the Free Search Show the Property Owner?
The current HM Land Registry property-summary guidance does not list the registered owner’s name as part of the free summary. A person who needs to identify the registered proprietor should generally purchase the title register.
The £7 online title register usually includes the name of the registered owner, although the information available will depend on the individual title and its registration history. Free Search Show the Sale Price?
The free summary should not be treated as the only way to check a past sale price. HM Land Registry also provides a separate service through which property sale prices in England and Wales can be searched.
A title register is the main written record for a registered property or piece of land. It is sometimes informally called a title deed, although it should not be assumed to contain every historical deed or document connected with the property.
A title register will usually contain three main sections.
Property Register
The property register describes the land included in the title. Depending on the title, it may also refer to rights benefiting the property, such as access over a neighbouring road or driveway.
Proprietorship Register
The proprietorship register identifies the registered owner.
It may also include:
- The registered owner’s address for service
- The ownership class
- The recorded price paid, where available
- Restrictions affecting how the title may be transferred
The address for service should not automatically be treated as the owner’s present residential address.
Charges Register
The charges register may contain mortgages, restrictive covenants, rights affecting the land and other registered burdens.
A mortgage entry does not necessarily reveal the outstanding loan balance. It generally identifies the lender or legal charge registered against the title. The title may show that a previous mortgage has been discharged, but readers should interpret entries cautiously.
A title plan is a map showing the property’s location and its general boundaries. It is designed to be read alongside the title register.
The plan can help identify the approximate extent of the registered title, but it normally does not determine the precise legal boundary between neighbouring properties.
Features such as fences, walls, hedges and driveways may change over time. Their position on the ground may not correspond exactly with a title-plan line.
For that reason, a title plan should not be used alone to decide:
- Who owns a particular fence
- The exact width of a driveway
- Whether a wall crosses the legal boundary
- The precise ownership of a narrow strip of land
- Where a new extension may lawfully be built
HM Land Registry confirms that title plans show general boundaries and that there is usually no record of the exact boundary line. plete a Free Land Registry Search
The process for an England or Wales property is straightforward.
Step 1: Use the Official GOV.UK Page
The safest starting point is the official HM Land Registry property information service.
Beginning on GOV.UK helps users avoid confusing the government service with commercial websites that may offer different documents, additional reports or higher prices.
Step 2: Sign In or Create an Account
The official service requires sign-in details. A new account can be created where necessary.
Account registration does not mean that the user must buy a document. The property summary remains free.
Step 3: Search by Address or Location
The property can normally be located using its address. The address should be entered carefully, particularly for flats, converted buildings, new developments and premises containing several registered titles.
Some properties may have separate titles for:
- A flat and a parking space
- A house and adjoining land
- A commercial unit and storage area
- A freehold title and a leasehold title
- Multiple plots within the same development
The correct title should be selected before payment is made.
Step 4: Read the Free Property Summary
The summary can be used to confirm basic details such as the address, property description and tenure.
If the summary answers the reader’s question, no paid document may be necessary.
Step 5: Buy Only the Document Required
A title register and title plan are separate documents, each costing £7 online.
Someone who only needs the registered owner’s name may require the register but not the plan. A person examining the general extent of a plot may need both.
Step 6: Save the Downloaded Document Securely
Downloaded title documents may contain personal information, including names and addresses for service. Copies should therefore be stored and shared responsibly.
An online copy is useful for information and routine property checks, but it is not accepted as formal proof of ownership. Search the Land Registry?
A person does not need to own a property before searching its registered information. HM Land Registry states that information can be obtained about a property in England or Wales even when the person conducting the search is not the owner.
Documents for carrying out a search include:
- Checking the registered owner before contacting a landowner
- Confirming whether a property is freehold or leasehold
- Reviewing a property before making an offer
- Investigating rights of way or restrictive covenants
- Checking whether separate land is included in the title
- Looking into an inherited or family property
- Researching a neighbouring development proposal
Access to a public register does not permit the information to be used unlawfully, deceptively or for harassment.
Can a Property Be Searched by the Owner’s Name?
The public HM Land Registry property information service is mainly designed for searches by address or location rather than unrestricted searches for every property owned by a named individual.
A title register for a known property may reveal the registered proprietor. However, someone attempting to identify all land belonging to a person or organisation may need a different form of search, professional assistance or an application supported by the appropriate information.
The availability of ownership information should not be confused with unrestricted access to a person’s full property holdings.
What Happens If the Property Cannot Be Found?
A missing result does not necessarily mean that the property has no owner or that no records exist.
HM Land Registry holds records for most property or land sold in England and Wales since 1993. Some land may remain unregistered, particularly where it has not changed ownership or triggered compulsory registration for a long period.
Property can also be difficult to find because:
- The registered address differs from the postal address
- A flat is recorded under the main building address
- The land has no conventional postal address
- The property forms part of a larger registered title
- The address has changed
- A new-build registration is still being processed
- The title is indexed under an unexpected description
Where an address search fails, HM Land Registry advises requesting a search of the index map. This can help establish whether land is registered and identify the relevant title number. Official Copy of the Register?
An online title register or title plan is an informational copy. It cannot be used as proof of ownership in legal proceedings.
Where formal evidence is needed, an official copy must be ordered. HM Land Registry states that official copies cannot currently be downloaded through the standard public service and are sent by post.
The current fee is £11 per document. Official guidance says copies generally arrive in less than a week, although delivery and processing can vary.
A copy may be needed for matters such as:
- Court proceedings
- Probate or estate administration
- Formal ownership disputes
- Certain lender or professional requirements
- Evidence requested by a public authority
A solicitor or conveyancer can advise whether an online copy is sufficient for a particular legal matter.
Is a Land Registry Search a Substitute for Conveyancing Searches?
No. A title register search is not the same as the full package of searches normally ordered during a property purchase.
A title register mainly records ownership and registered rights, restrictions and charges. It does not provide a complete assessment of every issue affecting the property.
Conveyancing searches may separately examine:
- Planning decisions and building regulations
- Road adoption and highway proposals
- Drainage and water connections
- Contaminated land and environmental risks
- Flood risk
- Mining activity
- Local land charges
- Infrastructure proposals
A free Land Registry summary may be a useful starting point, but it should not be treated as a complete legal or due-diligence check.
How Do Land Registry Searches Work in Scotland?
Scotland has a separate registration system administered by Registers of Scotland.
The public can use Scotland’s Land Information Service, known as ScotLIS, to search the Land Register. The service can help users check whether a property is registered, view boundaries, examine property prices and find property information.
More detailed information, including the current owner, is available by purchasing a title sheet. Registers of Scotland currently states that a title sheet costs £3 plus VAT. starting point is the Registers of Scotland property information service.
What If the Scottish Property Is in the Sasine Register?
Some Scottish property remains recorded in the older Sasine Register rather than the modern Land Register.
A Sasine Register search requires manual investigation. Registers of Scotland currently lists its property help service at £30 plus VAT per property.
The resulting search sheet may provide current and historical ownership information and a chronological list of recorded deeds affecting the property. d Registry Searches Work in Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland’s Land Registry is maintained by Land & Property Services.
The Northern Ireland government states that an online public search is not currently available. Search requests can instead be made by email, telephone or during an appointment at an LPS office.
A registered folio may show:
- The current registered owner
- Rights affecting the folio
- Registered charges
- Previous ownership information
- Historical rights and charges from first registration
The current fee for inspecting each folio, map or instrument is £5. An uncertified folio or instrument copy costs £7, while a certified copy costs £17. Different charges apply to Registry Map copies. eview the official Northern Ireland Land Registry search guidance before making a request.
Practical Examples of Free and Paid Searches
Example 1: A Buyer Wants to Confirm the Tenure
A prospective buyer is considering a flat advertised as leasehold. The free property summary may confirm the tenure without the buyer purchasing a document.
However, it will not provide the full lease terms, remaining lease length, service charge arrangements or ground-rent provisions. The title register and lease may need to be obtained, followed by professional conveyancing checks.
Example 2: A Resident Wants to Identify a Property Owner
A resident needs to contact the owner of an empty neighbouring house. The free summary may confirm that the correct property title has been located, but the resident will generally need to pay £7 for the title register to see the registered proprietor.
The address listed for the owner may be an address for service rather than the person’s present home.
Example 3: Neighbours Disagree About a Fence
Two neighbours disagree about whether a fence has been moved. A title plan may help identify the general registered extent of each property, but it will rarely determine the exact legal boundary.
The register, conveyance documents, physical features, historical evidence and professional boundary advice may all be relevant.
Example 4: Ownership Must Be Proved in Court
A downloaded £7 register cannot be relied on as formal proof of ownership. An official copy costing £11 per document should be ordered where formally admissible evidence is required.
How to Avoid Paying More Than Necessary?
Readers should first identify the precise information needed.
A free summary may be sufficient when the only question concerns tenure or whether the title refers to restrictive covenants. A £7 register may be required for ownership or detailed rights, while a title plan may be unnecessary unless the land’s general extent is relevant.
Before paying, the user should check:
- That the service was reached through an official government website
- That the correct property and title have been selected
- Whether the register, plan or both are needed
- Whether an informational or official copy is required
- Whether the property is in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
Commercial property-report services are not necessarily unlawful or unsuitable, but they may charge more, package documents with additional services or use different terminology. Their product should be compared carefully with the official government document.
Final Takeaway
A free Land Registry search is available for basic property information in England and Wales, but it does not provide every ownership or legal detail at no cost.
The free HM Land Registry property summary may confirm the address, property description, tenure and the existence of certain rights or restrictions. A title register or title plan costs £7 per document, while an official copy costs £11.
The most important point is that there is no single UK-wide service. England and Wales use HM Land Registry, Scotland uses Registers of Scotland, and Northern Ireland uses Land & Property Services.
Starting with the correct official government website helps property owners, buyers and researchers obtain the right information without paying unnecessarily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a completely free Land Registry search in the UK?
A limited property search is free for England and Wales through HM Land Registry. The free summary provides basic information, but the title register and title plan cost £7 each. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate services and fees.
Can someone find out who owns a house for free?
The current England and Wales property summary does not promise to show the registered owner. The title register, currently costing £7, is normally required. Some ownership information in Scotland and Northern Ireland also requires payment.
Can a Land Registry search be completed without an account?
The HM Land Registry property information service requires users to sign in. A new user can create sign-in details before searching.
Can a property be searched by postcode?
An address or location can be used to find a property. A postcode may help narrow the results, but the correct flat, building, parcel or title must still be selected.
How much does it cost to check a property owner?
For an England or Wales property, the online title register containing the registered proprietor’s details currently costs £7.
Is the Land Registry title plan free?
No. The online title plan currently costs £7. The free property summary does not include the downloadable title plan.
Does a title register show whether a property has a mortgage?
The register may show a registered legal charge and the lender’s details. It does not normally show the outstanding mortgage balance.
Can Land Registry information show the exact property boundary?
Usually not. The title plan generally shows the property’s location and general boundaries rather than a precisely measured legal boundary.
Why does a house not appear in the search?
The property may be unregistered, recorded under a different address, included within a larger title or awaiting registration. A search of the index map may be needed.
Does HM Land Registry cover Scotland?
No. Scottish property records are managed by Registers of Scotland and can be searched through ScotLIS or other Registers of Scotland services.
Important Note:
Editorial Note: This article has been reviewed against official HM Land Registry, GOV.UK, Registers of Scotland and Northern Ireland government guidance.
