Title deeds are the record of who owns a property and on what terms. Traditionally they were a bundle of paper documents, but ownership of most UK property is now recorded digitally by HM Land Registry, and that electronic record is the definitive proof of title.
Paper deeds vs the Land Registry
When land is registered, HM Land Registry holds the official record: a title register (the owner, any mortgage or charge, and any restrictions) and a title plan (the boundaries). The old paper deeds then become largely historical. You do not need them to sell registered property; an official copy of the register, obtained in minutes, is what conveyancers actually rely on.
Registered vs unregistered land
Around 15% of land in England and Wales is still unregistered, usually because it has not changed hands since registration became compulsory in that area. For unregistered property the paper deeds still matter a great deal: they are the primary proof of ownership, and losing them is a genuine problem. Selling unregistered land triggers first registration, which adds legal work and time to the transaction.
What the title records
- Proprietorship: the legal owner or owners, and how they hold the property.
- Charges: mortgages and other secured debts.
- Restrictions and covenants: limits on use, rights of way, and restrictive covenants.
- For a flat, the lease details (see leasehold vs freehold).
Lost or missing deeds
If the property is registered, lost paper deeds are rarely an issue: the register is the proof. If it is unregistered and the deeds are lost, ownership can usually still be reconstructed from other evidence and registered, but it takes time, and it can stall a sale that depends on a mortgage.
Why deeds matter when you sell
Your conveyancer has to establish clean title before a buyer will exchange. Missing deeds, unregistered land, boundary discrepancies, or an unexpected charge or covenant on the register are all things that can slow, or derail, a conventional sale that relies on mortgage lending.
How RPJ helps
Because we buy with our own cash and no lender, we can take on titles that make mortgaged buyers nervous: unregistered land, missing paper deeds, historic covenants, or boundary quirks. We handle first registration and the legal legwork on our side, so a title problem that would stall an open-market sale need not stop you selling. See conveyancing for how the legal process runs.
Related
- Conveyancing: where title is checked and proven.
- Leasehold vs freehold: how ownership type shows on the title.
- Restrictive covenant: a common entry on the register.