HMLR Official Copies Information

On completion of a ‘disposition’ (e.g. grant of a mortgage, remortgage, lease, assent, gift or sale) it is now compulsory for every property to be registered with the Land Registry that wasn’t before. The registration process involves various details about the property being entered onto a public electronic register by the Land Registry. Once done, the property receives its own identification number; the ‘Title Number’.

When looking to view the records produced by the Land Registry for a property, you will need to obtain a copy of the register entries for this property. The title number isn’t required to do this so long as you have the property address. This is known as an Official Copy of the Register and can be accessed through the Land Registry’s Portal (if you have an account), by post, or through an online third party provider such as ourselves.

Official Copy of the Register – What is this?

The proof of any interests on some land and who owns this registered land will be contained in the Land Registry’s register. The proof of ownership isn’t provided by possessing the title deeds; instead, this Official Copy of the Register provides the evidence regarding the contents of the register and can be relied upon by the buyer.

You can obtain what is called a ‘register view’ from the Land Registry, which is a downloadable copy of the register. However, this isn’t classed as an official copy, meaning that the Land Registry are not accountable for any mistakes, and it won’t be suitable for conveyancing transactions.

The Layout of an Official Copy

When viewing an Official Copy of the Register, you will find it is made up of several sections. Firstly, there will be header – this will provide you with the Title Number, the relevant Land Registry office, the date this Official Copy was produced and when it was last updated.

Then, there are three other sections, which include the Charges Register, the Proprietorship Register and the Property Register. At the end, you will find a Title Plan.

In short, the Charges Register will indicate if there have been any charges (i.e. mortgages) registered on this property; the Proprietorship Register will show the owner(s) of the property, and, post-2003 it will also show the price paid by the present owner; and the Property Register will give the property address.