HMLR Land Registry News: Price Increases for 2022 You Should Know

Posted on: Monday, 15 November 2021

The economy moves forward by growing its different industries, but it’s only possible to scale up if businesses have access to lands where they can build their organisations and contribute to society with their innovation. Seeing the importance of extending one’s reach—be it in suburban communities or cosmopolitan cities—the HM Land Registry (HMLR) is on top of the chain as it plays one of the most pivotal roles in driving the UK’s economic stability.

Aiming to establish trust and confidence in UK’s land ownership, the HMLR announced price changes to anticipate in 2022 as the economy strives to recover from the recent impact of the pandemic. With that in mind, the HMLR announced that land registration fees will see an uptick in their prices starting from the 31st January 2022 moving forward.

What to Expect with HMLR’s Announcement and Price Changes for 2022

To speed up the digitisation in the UK, the HMLR announced a whopping 19.7 per cent boost to all land registry spending to accelerate the processing times and meet higher customer demands.

As HMLR stated, the boost in their pricing paves the way for higher quality service delivery, enabling operational activities to embrace digital transformation. This digitalisation and automation optimise the land registration processes in more ways than one. Some of the fee changes to consider include the following:

A New Entry in the Land Register

With the recent changes made by the HMLR, applications for a new entry in the register now cost:

• £20 when lodged electronically;

• £40 by post;

Fees Changes for Historical Copies

Each application for a historical copy of the register costs:

• £3 more when lodged electronically;

• £7 more by post;

As for the application of a historical copy of a title plan, it now costs:
 

• £3 more when lodged electronically;

• £7 more by post;

Here are the different application fees to expect when registering land on 31 January 2022 and beyond:

Application Fee by Post

 

Value	New Fee
£0 to £80,000	£45
£80,001 to £100,000	£95
£100,001 to £200,000	£230
£200,001 to £500,000	£330
£500,001 to £1,000,000	£655
£1,000,001 and over	£1,105

 

Application Fee by Business Gateway or Portal

Transfers All Leases and Part of the Registered Title

 

Value	New Fee
£0 to £80,000	£45
£80,001 to £100,000	£95
£100,001 to £200,000	£230
£200,001 to £500,000	£330
£500,001 to £1,000,000	£655
£1,000,001 and over	£1,105

 

Application Fee by Business Gateway or Portal

Registration, Transfers, or Surrenders that Affect All the Registered Title

 

Value	New Fee
£0 to £80,000	£20
£80,001 to £100,000	£40
£100,001 to £200,000	£100
£200,001 to £500,000	£150
£500,001 to £1,000,000	£295
£1,000,001 and over	£500

 

Application Fee by Business Gateway or Portal

Voluntary First Registration

Value	New Fee
£0 to £80,000	£30
£80,001 to £100,000	£70
£100,001 to £200,000	£170
£200,001 to £500,000	£250
£500,001 to £1,000,000	£495
£1,000,001 and over	£830

Scale 2 Fees: Apply by Post

Value	New Fee
£0 to £80,000	£45
£100,001 to £200,000	£70
£200,001 to £500,000	£100
£500,001 to £1,000,000	£145
£1,000,001 and over	£305

Scale 2: Application Fee by Business Gateway or Portal

Registration, Transfers, or Surrenders that Affect the Registered Title

Value	New Fee
£0 to £80,000	£20
£100,001 to £200,000	£30
£200,001 to £500,000	£45
£500,001 to £1,000,000	£65
£1,000,001 and over	£140

Scale 2: Application Fee by Business Gateway or Portal

Registration, Transfers, or Surrenders that Do Not Affect the Registered Title

Value	New Fee
£0 to £80,000	£45
£100,001 to £200,000	£70
£200,001 to £500,000	£100
£500,001 to £1,000,000	£145
£1,000,001 and over	£305

In that regard, you’d notice that electronically submitted application fees will see a rise in price by 11 per cent, while those submitted through the post will have a 21 per cent increase. Other changes and exemptions to consider include the following:

• When applying entries associated with the Right to Manage Companies, applicants must attach a specific reference to the fee to clarify the details. This is to clear any confusion since this specific application doesn’t have any changes to its fee.

• When it comes to getting copies of your register’s history, there will also be an increase in its fees, so it will match the costs charged for official copies of the register.

• People can now request disclaimers of properties made by liquidators, trustees in bankruptcy, and the treasury solicitor.

• Out of all the fee changes made in the UK’s land registry, registering a notice of lease does not request any additional fees.

Digitising Land Registration in the UK

Switching to digital platforms and utilising transformative technologies push the UK's economy to greater heights as it promises fewer errors and faster processing times. With these changes, you can expect the price increases to be worth every penny. It gives customers like you the chance to make easier applications as HMLR registration platforms continue to advance and make agile adjustments to match the economy’s needs.

The Bottom Line: Keeping Up with HMLR’s Price Changes for Land Registry in 2022

The new year is fast approaching, so it’s important to update your knowledge and prepare for all the changes made to land registry fees in the UK. Thanks to the rise of digital channels, it’s not surprising to see more people using the Digital Registration Service on the HM Land Registry portal to submit digital AP1 applications starting 2022 and beyond.

The changes enable the HMLR to improve the conveyancing process for all parties involved—from you to the professionals guiding you through the property buying process. The advent of online registration also improves the application experience as users will find it more efficient, convenient, and easier to use, allowing digital AP1 applications to help the HMLR establish a better processing option for everyone.

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