How to find out who owns a property
Ownership of registered land in England and Wales is public. You can buy a copy of the title register for any registered property from HM Land Registry for £7, and it names the registered owner. This guide covers what you get, what you don't, and the cases where the answer isn't available.
The official route
HM Land Registry sells two documents through its "Find a property" service:
- The title register — names the registered proprietor, the tenure (freehold or leasehold), and any restrictions, covenants or charges recorded against the title. Often it also records the price paid on the most recent transaction.
- The title plan — the extent of the registered land, shown on an Ordnance Survey base.
Each is charged separately. Downloaded online, HM Land Registry charges £7 per document — so the title register and title plan together come to £14. An official copy sent by post costs £11 per document. Take the current figure from GOV.UK before you budget: these fees are reviewed periodically and were last increased in December 2024. There is no subscription and no eligibility test — anyone can buy either document for any registered title.
What the register will not tell you
- Unregistered land. Registration became compulsory on sale progressively through the twentieth century, so land held continuously by one owner for a long period may never have been registered. Roughly speaking, if it has not changed hands in decades it may not be on the register at all — and then there is no title to buy.
- Who lives there. The registered proprietor is the legal owner, which is not the same as the occupier. A tenanted property names the landlord.
- Beneficial ownership behind a company. Where the proprietor is a company, the register names the company. Its own ownership is a separate question for Companies House.
- Contact details. The register gives a name and, usually, an address for service — not a phone number or email.
When the owner is a company
If the title names a company, Companies House holds its filed accounts, registered office and people with significant control. That is a separate free public register, and it is the route to understanding who ultimately stands behind a corporate proprietor.
Ownership versus sold price
These are two different records and they go out of step. The title register updates when a transfer is registered; Price Paid Data publishes monthly afterwards. So the register can name a new owner while the sold price is still not published — which is one way to confirm a sale has completed while you wait. See how long Land Registry takes to update sold prices.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to find out who owns a house?
Yes. The register of title for registered land in England and Wales is a public record, and HM Land Registry sells copies to anyone without requiring a reason.
How much does it cost to find out who owns a property?
£7 per document downloaded from HM Land Registry, or £11 for an official copy by post. The title register and the title plan are charged separately, so the pair costs £14 online. Check the current fee on GOV.UK before budgeting, and avoid resellers charging more for the same documents.
Can I find the owner of a property for free?
Not the official record. HM Land Registry charges £7 to download the title register. Where the owner is a company, Companies House information is free.
What if the property is not registered?
Then no title exists to buy, and ownership is evidenced by deeds held privately. Unregistered land is most likely where a property has not changed hands for a long time.