Property Alerts at the Land Registry
The Land Registry offers a Property Alert function that allows you to keep tabs on registered properties and notifies you once changes are made to the legal title.
What is a property alert?
Property Alert is a free service offered by the Land Registry which allows you to receive notifications when any applications or priorities are made against the legal title of a registered property. This service is useful particularly if you own properties which you do not occupy and may rent out. Property and mortgage fraud is a very real risk whereby people will purport to be the registered proprietor and either attempt to sell or take out a mortgage against the property. Whilst solicitors will conduct relevant identity checks and carry out the necessary due diligence, Property Alert offers an extra layer of protection against this.
How does it work?
You can sign up and create an account at https://propertyalert.landregistry.gov.uk/. The alerts will go to the email address you sign up with. Each account you create allows you to monitor up to 10 properties and these properties can be changed. The alerts will contain information on who to contact if you believe any of the activity looks suspicious.
Who is it for?
Anyone can apply to monitor a property. You do not need to own the property you would like to sign up to alerts for. This means that multiple people can apply to receive alerts for the same property. It is likely, however, that only people who have a registered interest in the title will be able to object to an application being made to the title.
Additionally, you can also apply to put a restriction on your title which prevents the Land Registry from registering a sale or mortgage on the property unless a certificate is provided by a solicitor or a conveyancer that the application is being made by you. This can be done by completing a RQ form and emailing this to the Land Registry. Applying the restriction is free of charge but the RQ restriction can only be applied for if you do not reside at the property. If this is something you are interested in, please do not hesitate to contact us – we can assist in applying for this restriction when we handle your purchase.
