How to Find Out Who Owns a Property in England and Wales

Why You Might Need to Know Who Owns a Property

There are many legitimate reasons to check property ownership: buying land adjacent to your home, tracing the owner of a derelict building, pursuing a boundary dispute, or confirming the seller is actually entitled to sell. In England and Wales, HM Land Registry is the authoritative source.

How HM Land Registry Works

HM Land Registry (HMLR) maintains a register of title to land and property in England and Wales. As of 2024, approximately 88% of land in England and Wales is registered. Registration is compulsory on any qualifying transaction (sale, mortgage, gift, or inherited property) so the proportion of unregistered land continues to fall each year.

Each registered property is given a unique **title number** and the register contains:

• **Proprietorship register:** The name(s) of the current registered owner(s) and the price paid on last registration
• **Property register:** Description of the property and any rights benefiting it
• **Charges register:** Mortgages and other encumbrances secured against the property

How to Search for an Owner

Official Copies via HMLR

You can apply to HMLR for an Official Copy of the register entries for any registered title. This costs £3 per register (title register) and £3 per document (e.g. lease). Applications can be made online via the HMLR portal.

The title register will show the name of the **registered proprietor**, the title number, and the price paid on last registration (if registered since April 2000).

Title Plan

Alongside the register, you can obtain the title plan, a Land Registry-approved Ordnance Survey map showing the general extent of the land in the title. Title plans use a red boundary to indicate the registered extent. Note that the exact legal boundary is defined by the **general boundary rule**, the register records a general boundary, not a precise legal boundary.

Find a Property Search (HMLR)

HMLR also provides a 'Find a property' search tool, allowing you to locate the title number for a property by address. You can then purchase the official copies.

What If the Land Is Unregistered?

For unregistered land (approximately 12% of England and Wales), there is no central register. Ownership is evidenced by title deeds, a chain of paper documents going back at least 15 years. Unregistered land is more complex to investigate: you may need to instruct a solicitor and request deeds from the current owner or their solicitor. First registration at HMLR is required when an unregistered property is first sold, mortgaged, or gifted.

Corporate and Overseas Owners

Since January 2023, the Register of Overseas Entities (maintained by Companies House) requires overseas entities that own UK land to register their beneficial ownership. HMLR's register shows this as part of the registered proprietor entry for affected titles.

Companies registered in England and Wales can be searched on Companies House for their registered address and directors.

Property Passport UK and Ownership Data

Property Passport UK surfaces key HMLR data, including tenure, title number, and transaction history, making it quick to understand the ownership context of any property before proceeding with a transaction. This can be particularly useful when researching a property before instructing solicitors.