The consultation is open untl 22 December 2026 for members to read the proposals and respond to the consultation, sharing examples of how access costs, data availability, or privacy concerns affect their work.
Who could access information for free?
The proposed arrangements would depend on the user and their purpose:
|
Users |
Proposed free access |
|
Everyone, including property agents |
Ownership datasets and inspection of title information for company-owned properties and significant land holdings |
|
Public sector bodies |
Information across all titles, including residential properties, subject to controls |
|
Approved public-interest users, such as researchers and investigative journalists |
Access across all titles where they demonstrate a public-interest purpose and meet safeguards |
The new general free-access arrangements would exclude most ordinary homeowners. Larger land holdings account for much of the land area, while homes account for most individual titles.
The consultation is open for responses until 22 December 2026.
A new picture of land ownership
A proposed dataset would identify freehold owners of significant land holdings. Inclusion would depend on the size of each registered title, rather than an owner’s combined holdings. HMLR is seeking views on size thresholds and how to exclude homes.
Free inspection would not replace paid official copies needed for legal transactions. Usage limits would also apply.
Bringing more land onto the register
HMLR is exploring whether registration should become a condition of receiving public payments for land-based activities. It wants to avoid disadvantaging tenant farmers whose landlords have not registered their land, and to understand the costs and administrative burden.
Protecting people at risk
The consultation asks whether HMLR needs powers to restrict access where there is evidence of serious harm, including domestic abuse or harassment. Other safeguards could include identity checks and restrictions on bulk access.
Part of wider changes to services
Alongside these proposals, HMLR is consulting separately on changes to their fee structure to simplify the registration of property ownership changes.
