What is Unregistered Property?
Back to FAQ ContentsLand registration is now compulsory in the UK and properties must be registered when changing ownership or being mortgaged at the first time. However if a property has not been affected by transactions that trigger compulsory registration and the owners have not applied for voluntary registration the property remains unregistered.
HM Land Registry holds no records of unregistered properties in England and Wales, however in Scotland the Sasine Register and in Northern Ireland the Register of Deeds can provide information about properties that have not been registered in the modern Land Registers.
Unregistered property does not mean property without an owner. All property have owners but the Land Register may not have records of them.In England and Wales approximately 25 percent, in Scotland 50 percent of land remains unregistered.
To find out whether an unregistered property is affected by a pending application or a caution against first registration you may request the search of the index map.
