Property Ownership
How UK property ownership records work, how to search them yourself, and who owns the estates, landmarks and buildings people most often ask about.
How property ownership records work
Ownership of registered land in England and Wales is a matter of public record. Anyone can buy a copy of the title register for a few pounds and read the registered proprietor’s name. Scotland and Northern Ireland keep their own registers on the same principle.
Find a property ownership guide
Our lookup guides cover searching by address, searching for land rather than buildings, and what to do when a property is not on the register at all.
Named properties and estates
Profiles here cover properties of genuine public interest — landmark buildings, historic estates, stadiums, and large corporate and institutional holdings. We do not publish ownership details of ordinary private homes, and we do not compile them on request.
HM Land Registry and other UK registers
HM Land Registry serves England and Wales. Registers of Scotland runs the Land Register and the older Sasine Register. Land & Property Services covers Northern Ireland. Coverage is not total: land that has not been sold, mortgaged or gifted since registration became compulsory may never have been registered, and its ownership is proved by deeds held privately.
Popular property ownership searches
The most-searched property profiles appear below.
Privacy and record limitations
The register shows the position as registered, which can lag a sale by weeks. It names the legal owner, who may hold on trust for someone else. Where property is held by a company, the register names the company — and where the company is an overseas entity, its beneficial owners must now be disclosed on the Register of Overseas Entities at Companies House.