Where are my deeds kept
Generally we only have the original title deeds when land or property is first registered, as we need them to prepare the register.
After registration, we return the original title deeds to whoever lodged them, usually the purchaser’s solicitor or licensed conveyancer. – See more at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry/
Electronically
You no longer need to hold title deeds to prove you are the owner of your registered land or property, as we hold details of all registered land or property electronically.
Many mortgage companies now have a policy of not holding any deeds for registered land or property; they rely on our electronic records.
Get a copy
If you or anyone else wants to confirm ownership of registered land or property then you/they can apply for an official copy at any time – see Property Ownership?‘
If the register refers to deeds being ‘filed’ this means we should have kept a scanned image. For further information, see ‘How can I get copies of deeds referred to in the register?‘.
Unregistered property and missing deeds
If your land or property is not registered, your title deeds may be with the solicitor who acted for you when you bought the property. If you have a mortgage your deeds may be with your mortgage company.
Are land certificates and charge certificates still valid?
In the past when we registered land or property we used to issue documents called either:
- a land certificate (where there was no mortgage on the land or property), or
- a charge certificate (where there was a mortgage on the land or property).
We no longer issue these certificates and any that are still in existence have no legal status.
Further information
Generally we only have the original title deeds when land or property is first registered, as we need them to prepare the register. After registration, we return the original title deeds to whoever lodged them, usually the purchaser’s solicitor or licensed conveyancer. – See more at: http://blog.landregistry.gov.uk/title-deeds/
