Calculate Your Land Registry Fee
Your Land Registry Fee
Land Registry Fee
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Online application
Property value
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Fee tier
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Application method
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Land Registry fee
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Total Buying Costs Estimate
Land Registry fee
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SDLT (estimated, standard buyer)
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Total (LR + SDLT)
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Important Notes
⚠️ Online applications are cheaper — Registering online at HM Land Registry costs significantly less than paper applications. Your solicitor should use the online portal.
⚠️ Fee tiers are fixed — Land Registry fees are set by statutory instrument and are fixed flat fees per tier, not percentages. A property at £200,001 pays the same fee as one at £499,999.
⚠️ Fees change periodically — The fee scale shown is current as of March 2026. Always verify the latest fees at gov.uk/registering-land-or-property-with-land-registry before completing.
HM Land Registry Fee Scale 2024/25
Scale 1 (Transfer of whole) — flat fees per price tier
| Property value | Online fee | Paper fee |
|---|---|---|
| £0 – £80,000 | £20 | £45 |
| £80,001 – £100,000 | £40 | £95 |
| £100,001 – £200,000 | £95 | £230 |
| £200,001 – £500,000 | £135 | £330 |
| £500,001 – £1,000,000 | £270 | £655 |
| Over £1,000,000 | £455 | £1,105 |
New lease (Scale 2) fees are approximately 50% of Scale 1 (minimum £20). Source: GOV.UK
Worked Examples
How Land Registry fees look in practice for typical property purchases
£285,000
Online transfer of whole
Property value£285,000
Fee tier£200,001–£500,000
Application methodOnline
Land Registry fee£135
£450,000
Online transfer of whole + SDLT
Land Registry fee£135
SDLT (standard buyer)£12,500
Total (LR + SDLT)£12,635
£850,000
Online transfer of whole + SDLT
Land Registry fee£270
SDLT (standard buyer)£37,500
Total (LR + SDLT)£37,770
How Land Registry Fees Work in 2026
HM Land Registry charges a fee every time property ownership is transferred, a new mortgage is registered, or a title is updated. Fees are based on the property value and the type of application. Electronic applications (submitted by your solicitor through the Land Registry portal) are cheaper than paper applications.
Land Registry fees are a disbursement — a third-party cost that your conveyancer pays on your behalf and includes in their completion statement. You do not pay the Land Registry directly.
Land Registry Fee Scale (2026)
| Property Value | Electronic Fee | Paper Fee |
|---|---|---|
| £0 – £80,000 | £20 | £45 |
| £80,001 – £100,000 | £40 | £95 |
| £100,001 – £200,000 | £100 | £230 |
| £200,001 – £500,000 | £150 | £330 |
| £500,001 – £1,000,000 | £295 | £655 |
| £1,000,001+ | £500 | £1,105 |
Fees shown are for transfers of whole (sale/purchase). Different fee scales apply for new leases, charges (mortgages), and other applications. Source: HM Land Registry.
What Changed in 2026
The Land Registry fee schedule has not changed since 2022 and the same scale applies for 2025/26. However, HM Land Registry continues its digital transformation programme — virtually all solicitor applications are now submitted electronically, meaning most buyers pay the lower electronic fee.
Processing times have improved but still vary. Standard applications typically complete within 4–6 weeks, though complex cases (new builds, first registrations, lease extensions) can take 3–6 months. Expedited services are available for an additional fee in urgent cases.
The Land Registry's Practice Guide 67 was updated to clarify identity verification requirements, reflecting tighter anti-fraud measures. Your solicitor handles this as part of the conveyancing process.
Related Purchase Cost Tools
Land Registry fees are one of several disbursements in a property transaction. Calculate all your costs:
- Conveyancing Calculator — see the full breakdown of solicitor fees and disbursements, including Land Registry fees, searches, and bank transfer charges.
- Stamp Duty Calculator — SDLT is filed via the Land Registry process. Calculate your stamp duty to know the total due on completion.
- Moving Costs Calculator — budget for all purchase costs together: deposit, SDLT, legal fees, Land Registry, surveys, and removals.
- Property Value Estimator — Land Registry fees are based on property value. Check the current estimated value to calculate the correct fee band.
- Deposit Calculator — factor Land Registry fees into your total upfront savings target alongside deposit and stamp duty.
✅ Fees verified against HM Land Registry fee schedule, March 2026. This calculator is for guidance only. Your solicitor will confirm the exact fee applicable to your transaction type.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Registering Property
- Missing the priority period deadline. After your search result is issued, you have only 30 working days to submit your application. Letting this lapse means another party could register an interest ahead of yours.
- Using the wrong fee scale. HM Land Registry charges different fees for voluntary first registrations, transfers of whole title, and new leases. Applying the wrong schedule can mean under-paying (and having your application rejected) or over-paying unnecessarily.
- Forgetting to budget for the digital vs postal price gap. Online applications via the Land Registry portal attract significantly lower fees than postal submissions. In 2026, a postal transfer on a £300,000 property costs £270 compared with just £135 online — double the price.
- Not registering a change of name or address. After marriage, divorce, or simply moving, failing to update the register means official correspondence goes to the wrong place and could delay future sales or re-mortgages.
- Assuming your solicitor handles everything automatically. While conveyancers submit the application, they rely on you providing accurate ID, proof of address, and signed forms on time. Delays at your end push the application outside priority protection windows.
5 Steps to Register Your Property
- Instruct a conveyancer. Appoint a solicitor or licensed conveyancer who will manage the Land Registry application on your behalf as part of the purchase or transfer process.
- Run official searches. Your solicitor requests an Official Search with Priority (OS1 form) from Land Registry. This protects the transaction for 30 working days while the paperwork is finalised.
- Prepare and submit the application. Your conveyancer lodges the AP1 (application to change the register) together with the signed transfer deed (TR1), your ID verification, and the correct fee — ideally online to benefit from lower charges.
- Land Registry processes the application. Standard applications typically complete within 4–6 weeks in 2026, though complex cases involving first registrations or boundary disputes can take longer.
- Receive your updated title. Once processed, the register is updated and you can view or download your official title register and title plan from the Land Registry portal at any time for £3 each.
Land Registry Fee Scale 2026 — Online Applications
The table below shows the standard Scale 1 fees for a transfer of whole title submitted digitally. Postal fees are approximately double.
| Property Value Band | Online Fee | Postal Fee |
|---|---|---|
| £0 – £80,000 | £20 | £45 |
| £80,001 – £100,000 | £40 | £95 |
| £100,001 – £200,000 | £100 | £230 |
| £200,001 – £500,000 | £135 | £270 |
| £500,001 – £1,000,000 | £190 | £380 |
| Over £1,000,000 | £270 | £540 |
Did You Know?
Did You Know? Around 15% of land in England and Wales is still unregistered. If you own unregistered land you can apply for voluntary first registration — and the fee is only 50% of the standard Scale 1 charge, saving you up to £135 on a property worth over £1 million.
Did You Know? HM Land Registry processes over 30 million searches and 6 million applications per year, making it one of the busiest land registries in the world. Digital submissions now account for more than 95% of all applications.
Did You Know? You can download an official copy of any registered title in England or Wales for just £3 from the Land Registry website — useful for checking boundaries, ownership, or charges on a property before making an offer.
Pro Tips for Land Registry Applications
- Solicitors recommend: Always submit applications online through the Land Registry portal. Not only are fees up to 50% cheaper, but digital applications are processed faster and have a lower rejection rate because built-in validation catches common errors.
- Conveyancers advise: Request your Official Search (OS1) as early as possible in the transaction. The 30-working-day priority window starts from the date of the search result — if completion is delayed, you may need to pay for a fresh search.
- Property lawyers suggest: Keep certified copies of your title deeds and transfer documents even after registration is complete. If a dispute arises years later, having your own records speeds up resolution significantly.
- HMRC notes: Stamp Duty Land Tax must be paid and the SDLT5 certificate obtained before Land Registry will accept your application. Ensure your solicitor files the SDLT return within 14 days of completion to avoid penalties that could also delay registration.
Potential Savings on Land Registry Fees
Save £135 with online submission. On a £300,000 property, the online fee is £135 versus £270 by post. Simply ensuring your solicitor submits digitally halves the registration cost and typically results in faster processing.
Save up to £135 with voluntary first registration. If you own unregistered land worth over £1,000,000, applying voluntarily attracts a 50% discount — paying £135 instead of £270 online. For lower-value properties the savings are proportional, e.g. £67.50 saved on a £300,000 property.
Avoid £50–£100 in rejected-application costs. Common errors such as incorrect fee payments, missing ID, or unsigned forms lead to requisitions (requests for more information) or outright rejection. Each resubmission wastes time and can incur additional solicitor charges of £50–£100 per correction.
Land Registry FAQs
Everything you need to know about HM Land Registry fees.
The Land Registry fee (officially called the HM Land Registry registration fee) is a charge paid to register a change of ownership or new interest in land or property in England or Wales. It is set by statutory instrument and goes to HM Land Registry, not HMRC. It is separate from Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Land Registry fees are calculated using a tiered scale based on the purchase price (or the premium or rent for a lease). Each tier attracts a flat fixed fee — not a percentage — so every property within the same tier pays exactly the same amount. For example, both a £250,000 and a £480,000 property pay the same £135 online fee because they fall in the £200,001–£500,000 tier.
Yes. Online applications through HM Land Registry's portal cost significantly less than paper applications — roughly 40–60% of the paper fee. For example, a property worth £350,000 costs £135 to register online versus £330 by paper. Your solicitor should always use the online portal unless there is a specific reason to use paper.
The buyer pays the Land Registry fee because it is the buyer who is registering their new title at the Land Registry. The fee is collected by your solicitor or conveyancer as a disbursement and submitted with the registration application. It is not a negotiable cost — it is a fixed statutory charge.
The Land Registry fee is paid at or shortly after completion. Your conveyancer will collect it as a disbursement and submit the registration application on your behalf, usually within a few days of completion. You will typically have paid it as part of your completion funds before moving day.
Yes, Land Registry fees should be itemised as a disbursement in any fixed-fee conveyancing quote. Always check that the quote includes both the solicitor's legal fee and all disbursements including Land Registry, searches and SDLT. If a quote only shows the legal fee it may look cheaper but the total could be much higher once disbursements are added.
Registration at HM Land Registry records your legal ownership of the property on the official public register. It provides proof of title, protects your ownership against third-party claims, and is required by mortgage lenders. Without registration, your legal title is not fully protected. Since 1990, registration has been compulsory on sale throughout England and Wales.
Yes, but the fee for registering a new mortgage (charge) is much lower than for a transfer. It uses Scale 2 fees and is based on the amount of the mortgage advance rather than the property value. Your solicitor will confirm the exact fee when they provide your remortgage quotation. You do not pay SDLT on a remortgage.
Registration times vary considerably. Online applications for straightforward transactions can complete in a few weeks, but complex cases or backlogs at HM Land Registry can mean several months. Your solicitor will apply for a priority period (via an OS1 search) to protect your title in the interim. You are legally the owner from the date of completion — registration simply records this.
Technically yes — HM Land Registry allows individuals to submit their own applications using AP1 or FR1 forms. However, this is complex and any errors can cause significant legal problems including rejection of the application or loss of priority. Most mortgage lenders require a qualified solicitor or licensed conveyancer to act on their behalf, making self-registration impractical for mortgaged purchases.
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