How do I get a copy of my title deeds?
For registered land the register and plan are downloadable in minutes for a small fee, and the same route tells you who owns the land next door.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 3 min
Short answer
Search the HM Land Registry title register and title plan on GOV.UK by address. Each is available as a download for a small fee, and no proof of ownership is needed — the register is public. For unregistered land, which is a minority and usually long-held, the paper deeds are held by the owner or their solicitor and there is nothing to download.
People expect deeds to be a bundle of parchment held by a bank. For registered land that has not been true for decades: the register is the definitive record, the old deeds are historical, and anyone can buy a copy of anyone's title. That last point is what makes this the answer to a whole set of neighbour and boundary questions as well as your own paperwork.
Step by step
- Search by address on the Land Registry service.GOV.UK's find-a-property service returns the title number for a registered address. Where several titles cover one address — a flat with a leasehold title and the building with a freehold title — you may need more than one.
- Buy the title register.It names the registered owner, the class of title, the price paid where recorded since 2000, any mortgage, and the rights and restrictive covenants affecting the land. It is the document most questions are answered by.
- Buy the title plan as well.It shows the extent of the land edged in red on an Ordnance Survey base. Note that it shows general boundaries only — it is not a measured survey and it does not determine the exact line of a boundary or ownership of a particular fence.
- Ask for filed documents where the register refers to them.The register often refers to a lease, a transfer or a deed containing covenants. Copies of those filed documents can be ordered separately and are what actually contain the detail.
- Use the same route for a neighbouring property.The register is public and no relationship to the property is needed. This is the standard way to identify the owner of an adjoining strip, a shared driveway, or land you want to ask about.
- Deal with unregistered land differently.Roughly a minority of land in England and Wales is still unregistered, typically where it has not changed hands for a long time. There is no register to buy; the paper deeds are held by the owner, a solicitor or a lender. First registration is voluntary and worth doing.
- Check whether the register is up to date.Registration lags transactions, and applications can be pending for months. A recently sold property may still show the previous owner, and the register notes pending applications.
- Do not mistake a copy for the deeds.For registered land, the register is the title. There is no original document that has to be produced to sell, which is why lost paper deeds are not usually a problem.
Questions people ask
How do I find out who owns a piece of land?
Search the address or use the Land Registry map search for the title number, then buy the title register. It names the registered owner and is public.
Do title plans show exact boundaries?
No. They show general boundaries on an Ordnance Survey base. They do not establish the precise legal boundary or which side of a fence belongs to whom — the deeds and any filed plan may say more, and a determined boundary application is the formal route.
What if my property is not registered?
Then there is nothing to download and the paper deeds are the title. They are usually with the owner, a solicitor or the mortgage lender. Voluntary first registration is available and is worth doing.