About HM Land Registry

HM Land Registry protect your land ownership and provide services and data that underpin an efficient and informed property market.

The value of land in England and Wales is estimated at around £8 trillion – more than half the wealth of the nation. With over £260 billion worth of property transacted each year, the UK property market is one of the largest in the world. For 160 years HM Land Registry has served as the critical institution protecting the right to property and enabling the market to operate. By keeping the definitive and guaranteed record of property ownership in England and Wales, we allow property to be transacted securely and with confidence.

Our objective is to supply the property market with digital, near real-time information on ownership, location, mortgages, local land charges and more.

The property market is short of immediately available digital data about land and properties. The initial decision to buy is almost always made without full knowledge of such things as the property’s rights and restrictions; physical condition; environmental constraints on its use; and possible disputes with neighbours. Subsequent enquiries to find out that information slow down the purchase and risk its failure. If all information that is useful to making a buying decision on a home were available up front in a consumer-focused way, decisions would be better informed and buying and selling property would be quicker, less uncertain and less stressful[11]. There are similar gains to be had in the commercial property sector. The public interest in and demand for greater transparency of property ownership and related property information has also increased, alongside a focus on combating economic crime.

Through collaboration, we can dramatically improve the experience for all those involved in the property market, including homebuyers and sellers, and unlock value in a way that has never happened before.

Local Land Charges

HM Land Registry is working in partnership with local authorities in England and Wales to standardise and migrate local land charges register information to one accessible place. The LLC programme is the most ambitious geospatial data transformation ever attempted by a UK government. We are transforming the LLC services currently delivered by 331 local authorities in England and Wales, into a single national, digital LLC Register. This change will make the conveyancing process quicker and simpler for property-buyers.

The LLC register provides digital data to support planning and other infrastructure projects. It will transform and digitise more than 25 million data items from local authority registers across England and Wales. A modernised LLC service supports wider Government digital obligations and ambitions and contributes to government’s industrial strategy – with focus on key elements of the productivity challenge that include data; places; infrastructure; and improving business growth.

Get in touch

If you would like to learn more about how we can help, please contact us via telephone (0300 004 611) or email (llcproject@landregistry.gov.uk)