HM Land Registry has unveiled plans to make property ownership information more widely available and simplify registration fees in a move that could affect estate agents, conveyancers, developers and property investors.
The government body has launched two consultations covering access to land ownership data and changes to its fee structure.
Under the proposals, individuals and businesses could gain free access to searchable, mappable datasets showing who owns the vast majority of land in England and Wales.
The changes could make it easier for developers and property professionals to identify landowners, assess development opportunities and investigate land ownership.
However, access to information about most individual homeowners would remain restricted under the proposed arrangements.
Free access to land ownership records
HM Land Registry currently charges £7 for most individual title register documents. These must generally be obtained separately.
The proposed system would allow the public, businesses and community groups to access ownership datasets covering most land by area.
Users could also inspect detailed title information for land included in those datasets without charge.
However, the proposals distinguish between the amount of land covered and the number of individual property titles.
Most registered titles relate to residential properties, while larger non-residential holdings account for much of the land area.
As a result, the new public datasets would exclude information relating to most ordinary homeowners.
Public sector organisations would receive free access to information across all Land Registry titles, including residential properties.
Researchers working in the public interest, including academics, regulators and investigative journalists, could also qualify for free access. They would need to demonstrate a public-interest purpose and meet safeguards.
HM Land Registry is also considering datasets covering major landholdings and properties owned by commercial entities.
Currently, bulk ownership information is already available for the 16% of titles held by corporate bodies.
Registration fees face overhaul
A separate consultation proposes simplifying Scale Two registration fees.
These apply to transactions including property transfers where no money changes hands, transfers below market value and mortgage registrations.
At present, fees are generally calculated using property values. HM Land Registry says this can create difficulties when the relevant value is unclear.
The resulting errors can lead to additional enquiries, known as requisitions, and delays in processing applications.
The proposed changes aim to make fees easier to calculate and reduce unnecessary administrative work.
Government targets greater transparency
Baroness Taylor, Minister for Housing and Local Government, said improving access to ownership information could support development and infrastructure decisions.
“Under our proposals, everyone would be able to access datasets showing ownership across the vast majority of land in England and Wales, helping to increase transparency and support better-informed decisions about land use,” she said.
She added that simplifying the fee structure could help avoid unnecessary delays.
Iain Banfield, chief executive of HM Land Registry, said the organisation wanted to balance the needs of customers using its services.
“The proposals in these consultations have the potential to dramatically improve the way we work with our customers, and feedback will only make these proposals stronger,” he said.
The changes remain subject to consultation. HM Land Registry will consider the potential impact on privacy and its revenue before deciding how to proceed.
Both consultations opened on 27 October and will close on 22 December 2026.
