Fees and charging call for evidence

Overview

This is a public call for evidence by HM Land Registry.

HM Land Registry (HMLR) is a non-ministerial department, responsible for protecting the right to property and providing services and data that underpin an efficient and informed property market. By keeping the definitive and guaranteed record of property ownership in England and Wales, we allow property to be transacted securely and with confidence.

HMLR's objective is to provide a digital, efficient and secure service to the property market and to maximise the potential of the data it holds. We continue to explore ways in which we can provide greater transparency and easier online access to our ownership information and to support the wider government aims to improve the home buying and selling process, taking account of fraud risks and data ethics.

Our current fees and charging structure is complex and hasn’t been significantly revised since its introduction. This often leads to incorrect fee payments. In 2023 HMLR issued around 141,000 written and telephone requisitions (requests for more information or clarification) relating to fees, which caused applications to be delayed.

We are therefore seeking views on how we might increase access to land and property data for greater land transparency and may restructure our fees to make it simpler for customers and generate operating efficiencies whilst ensuring our costs are met and that we continue to invest in providing the modern, efficient services that customers want.