Rural Land Registry
Does your land have a registered title?

The Land Registry have been encouraging land owners to register their land by implementing a reduced fee for first time voluntary registration. This action has had a positive response, and over the past year nearly 10% of land in England and Wales has been registered. The result of this is that just over 75% of land in England and Wales, now has a registered title. However, 21.7% of land in Gloucestershire, 24.97% of land in Wiltshire and 19.28% of land in Oxfordshire is still unregistered.


Proprietors of unregistered land are relying on paper copies of deeds to prove their property boundaries and this can be risky. Paper deeds can often be faded, unclear, subject to wear and tear and are often many years old.


If your property is currently unregistered, voluntary registration is a choice you can make today to give you greater certainty and security about what you own. There is no better way to safeguard ownership of land and property than by registering your title.


Although registration is not currently compulsory until land is sold or mortgaged, making a voluntary application brings many advantages to give you peace of mind. Registration is the ultimate title guarantee; it proves that you own your land. It protects you against claims on your land if someone were to try to encroach on it and it is the most effective way to bring all your documentation up to date. There is also the added bonus that your title register can easily be accessed online, reducing the need to store old and often confusing deeds.


Value of Property (£)

Basic Fee (£)

Reduced Fee (£)
(For a voluntary first registration)

0 – 50,000

50

40

50,001 – 80,000

80

60

80,001 – 100,000

130

100

100,001 – 200,000

200

150

200,001 – 500,000

280

210

500,001 – 1,000,000

550

410

1,000,001 and over

920

690


To encourage land owners, there is still a 25% discount on the registration fee available for first time voluntary registration. However, it is unclear how long this promotion will last. There is a general view that land registration will become compulsory in the future and therefore the discount may be withdrawn and charges are likely to increase. The registration fee will depend on the value of your property and below is a table of the present charges:

 

Moore Allen & Innocent can help you with the voluntary registration process by:

  • establishing whether your property is already registered with the Land Registry
  • providing a valuation of your property
  • helping you to complete the registration form
  • providing Land Registry compliant plans of your property with our digital mapping service

It must be noted that for legal advice, your solicitor should be contacted. For more information on registering your land, please contact Amy Herring on 01285 648115 or email amy.herring@mooreallen.co.uk .

• Farm & Estate Management • Sales & Purchases of Rural Properties • Valuations • Estate Planning •
• Landlord & Tenant • Farming Agreements • Auctions • Compensation & Compulsory Purchase •
• Farm Buildings • Expert Witness • Planning & Development • Grants & Quotas • Agri-Environment •
• Woodland • Digital Mapping • Diversification • Employment • Payroll & Accounts •