Important developments

New fee order - now in effect

A new Land Registration Fee Order comes into force on Monday 6 July 2009.

The new Order increases all of our fees.

This is the first time that there have been increases in Land Registry's scale and fixed fees for substantive applications since 1993. We last increased our fees for information services in 2006.

As a government agency with trading fund status we need to cover our operating costs and return on capital employed from our fee income.

Due to the downturn in the property market and the deterioration in the economy generally, our intakes of work fell heavily in 2008 and 2009 leading to an unsustainable reduction in our fee income.

A range of measures has already been taken to cut costs including a voluntary redundancy scheme and an accelerated plan to merge offices. Despite this the increases are, regrettably, unavoidable. We would not be able to cover our operating costs without increases in our fees.

Summary of main changes

The scale and fixed fees payable on substantive applications will be increased.

There will still be a reduction of up to 25% in fees for voluntary first registrations.

The fees payable for applications for an inspection, official copy and official search will be increased. There will still be a reduced fee where these applications are made from a remote terminal.

There will now be a fee payable for all searches of the index map (including those which do not reveal a title number) and the method of assessing the fee based on the number of titles revealed on the result of the search will be revised.

There will no longer be a separate fee payable for supplying a title number in connection with an application for an official copy (or inspection) - the fee for the provision of each copy (or inspection) will cover the cost of the provision of the title number.

The fees payable for large-scale applications will be increased and there will no longer be a maximum fee payable for such applications (other than first registrations, for which the maximum fee payable will be increased).

The fee for the issue of a certificate of inspection of a title plan (Form CI) will be payable for each certificate.

There will no longer be a maximum fee for applications made under r.140, Land Registration Rules 2003 (applications for official copies, inspections, searches of the index map and searches of the index of manors and franchises in connection with court proceedings, insolvency and tax liability).

The fees payable in respect of commonhold applications will be increased.

Publications

The new fees are available for viewing in web page format.

We have also updated key Land Registry publications to reflect the new fees. They are available in PDF format below.

Practice guides

• Practice guide 10 - Official searches of the Index Map
• Practice guide 11 - Inspection and applications for official copies
• Practice guide 32 - Applications affecting one or more Land Registry office
• Practice guide 60 - Commonhold
• Practice guide 68 - Amending deeds that effect dispositions of registered land

Public guides

• Public guide 1 - A guide to the information we keep and how you can obtain it
• Public guide 4 - Protecting matrimonial home rights under the Family Law Act 1996
• Public guide 13 - Applications for first registration made by the owner in person

Practice bulletins

• Practice bulletin 17 - The Land Registration Fee Order 2009

Ready reference guides

• Ready reference guide - Registration services fees
• Ready reference guide - Information services fees

Last updated: 6 July 2009