Why HM Land Registry is reviewing its fees and information services
HM Land Registry says parts of its present charging model, particularly Scale 2, can be difficult to calculate. Paying the wrong fee can lead to further enquiries, additional work and avoidable delay.
It is consulting on replacing the existing value-based Scale 2 bands with fixed fees. A separate consultation considers broader access to ownership information, new datasets and safeguards where easier access could create a serious risk of harm.
Current registration fees: Scale 1 and Scale 2
Scale 1 generally applies to transfers for value, such as a conventional sale, and to first registration. Scale 2 applies to several other transactions, including transfers of equity, some mortgage applications and an assent transferring a deceased owner's property to a beneficiary.
Current Scale 2 fees depend on the relevant value, the type of application and how it is submitted. The published bands presently range from £20 to £305. Applicants should use HM Land Registry's current fee guidance or fee calculator for the exact transaction rather than relying on a general example.
How registration fees may apply to inherited property
Transferring the property to a beneficiary
Where personal representatives assent a registered property to a beneficiary without monetary consideration, Scale 2 normally applies. The application may require form AP1, form AS1, the grant of probate or letters of administration, identity evidence and the correct fee.
Selling the property to a buyer
A sale to a third party is normally a transfer for value and is generally assessed under Scale 1, not Scale 2. Personal representatives may sometimes sell directly without first registering the beneficiary as proprietor.
Unregistered property
If the inherited property has never been registered, first-registration requirements and Scale 1 fees may apply. The supporting evidence can differ from an ordinary transfer of an existing registered title.
What the proposed fee changes could mean
HM Land Registry proposes replacing the five Scale 2 bands with two fixed fees:
- one for changes of ownership without monetary consideration, including assents to beneficiaries following a death;
- one for registering or transferring a mortgage when it is not submitted with another application attracting the relevant fee.
A fixed ownership fee would apply regardless of the property's value. This could make inherited-property assents easier to price and reduce calculation errors. Some applicants could pay more than under the current system and others less.
No final fixed amount has been decided. Scale 1 is not being replaced under this proposal: HM Land Registry is only seeking preliminary views on whether it could be simplified in future.
Proposed changes to access to ownership information
The second consultation considers:
- a new dataset covering owners of significant land holdings;
- cost-free access for public bodies across all titles;
- cost-free public access to information associated with commercially owned and significant land;
- broader access for approved researchers and other public-interest users;
- measures intended to encourage completion of the land register.
The proposed significant-land dataset is intended to exclude almost all ordinary home ownership. It does not amount to an approved, freely searchable database of every homeowner.
Under current arrangements, title registers and plans can normally be inspected online for £7 each. An inspected title is not necessarily the same as an official copy required as formal evidence in a legal or conveyancing process.
Privacy and protection of personal data
The consultation recognises that making ownership information easier to search, combine and reuse could create privacy, fraud and personal-safety risks.
Possible safeguards include authentication, limits on bulk access, restrictions on automated extraction, monitoring, controls on reuse and potential opt-outs for vulnerable people. It also asks whether HM Land Registry should have powers to restrict access in limited cases involving clear evidence of serious risk, such as domestic abuse, stalking, intimidation, identity crime or financial exploitation.
These are proposals. They do not currently create a general right to remove ownership information from the register.
What executors should check before transferring an inherited property
- Confirm whether the property is registered.
- Obtain the current title register and title plan.
- Check that names match the title and probate documents.
- Confirm whether the transaction is an assent, a sale or a first registration.
- Review mortgages, restrictions, notices and pending applications.
- Identify the correct forms and identity evidence.
- Use the current HM Land Registry fee calculator.
- Keep the valuation and fee-calculation records.
What beneficiaries should know before selling
Receiving an inherited property and selling it are separate transactions. An assent to a beneficiary may attract Scale 2, while a later sale will normally involve Scale 1.
The most appropriate route depends on the title, the will or intestacy position, the grant and the planned transaction. It can also have tax and administrative consequences. Ask the conveyancer to confirm the route before submitting registration documents.
What remains unchanged while the consultations are open
- Existing Scale 1 and Scale 2 fees continue to apply.
- An inherited-property assent remains subject to the current rules.
- A normal sale remains a transfer for value.
- Current title-information charges and access arrangements continue.
- Executors must use the rules in force when the application is submitted.
Frequently asked questions
Have HM Land Registry fees already changed?
No. These are proposals. Current fees continue until any replacement rules are formally introduced.
Does Scale 2 apply whenever property is inherited?
Not automatically. It commonly applies to an assent or transfer without monetary consideration. A sale normally falls under Scale 1, while first registration has separate requirements.
Has the new fixed fee been confirmed?
No. The proposed structure has been published, but the final amounts have not been determined.
Will everyone receive free access to residential ownership data?
That is not the current proposal. Wider public access would principally concern commercially owned and significant land. Broader access for public bodies and approved public-interest users would be subject to safeguards.
Can executors respond?
Yes. Members of the public and professional users can respond through the official consultation pages until 22 December 2026.
Official sources
- HM Land Registry: Restructuring HM Land Registry fees
- HM Land Registry: Future of access to HM Land Registry information
- HM Land Registry: current Registration Services fees
- GOV.UK: change the registered owner
- GOV.UK: first registration, including inherited property
General educational information about England and Wales, not legal, tax, financial or conveyancing advice. Registration requirements and fees depend on the transaction and the rules in force when the application is submitted. Different systems apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.