Property
Registered title at HM Land Registry, with leasehold reform underway
Most land in England and Wales has registered title guaranteed by HM Land Registry. Residential purchases run through solicitors with searches and stamp duty; long residential leasehold is being reformed.
Key rules
- Registered title is guaranteed by the state, with an indemnity for register errors.
- Stamp Duty Land Tax is charged on a banded scale, with surcharges for additional and overseas buyers.
- Leasehold and freehold reform is extending lease-extension and enfranchisement rights.
Governing law
- Land Registration Act 2002
- Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024
In practice
Scotland has a separate system (missives, the Land Register of Scotland and LBTT), so English guidance does not transfer north of the border.