Title Deeds Explained: What They Are and How to Get a Copy for £7
Last updated:
Fees verified against GOV.UK on 5 July 2026.
Quick answer
You don't usually need the old paper deeds. Because your property is registered, HM Land Registry's title register (£7) and title plan (£7) are the official record — order both on GOV.UK in about 10 minutes. Downloaded copies can't be used as proof of ownership.
Order the £7 documents on GOV.UK →What the title register contains
The title register is the heart of the “deeds”. Per GOV.UK, it usually includes:
- • The title number and a description of the property
- • Who owns it, and how much it was last sold for
- • Whether there is a mortgage on the property
- • Any ‘restrictive covenants’ (limits on how the land can be used)
- • Any ‘easements’ (rights such as a right of way)
What the title plan shows
The title plan shows the property's location and its general boundaries on an Ordnance Survey base map. It is not a precise boundary survey — the red edging shows the extent of the title, not the legal line to the centimetre, which is why boundary disputes usually need a surveyor, not just the plan.
How to get copies: GOV.UK, step by step
- 1.Go to the official service: gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry (check for ‘gov.uk’ in the address bar — only government can use it).
- 2.Search for the property by address and select it.
- 3.Buy the title register (£7) and/or the title plan (£7) as electronic downloads — or order by post for £11 per document.
- 4.Download the PDF, usually within minutes.
Old paper deeds: where they are, and when you actually need them
When a property is first registered, HM Land Registry records the key information from the old deeds and generally returns the originals (or the solicitor keeps them). For a registered property you rarely need them — the register is definitive. Where they still matter is historical detail: the wording of a covenant, an old boundary agreement, or evidence for an unregistered property, where the paper deeds are the title. If yours are lost and the property isn't registered, a conveyancer can help reconstruct title. See how to find out who owns a house for the ownership route.
Don't pay £19.95+ for a £7 document
HM Land Registry publishes its own warning about third-party sites: “Some private companies re-purpose our information and repackage it into bundles. This can sometimes lead to customers paying more for information they don't always need.” Official copies are £7 on GOV.UK. Spot the official service by the ‘gov.uk’ domain — resellers legally have to bury an ‘independent, not affiliated with HM Land Registry’ disclaimer in their footer.
Selling or remortgaging? Or buying?
Selling or remortgaging your own home? The £7 title register and plan from GOV.UK are all you need — you're done here, and you should not pay a reseller a penny more.
Buying the house? The deeds are half the picture. They tell you about ownership and covenants — nothing about the property's condition or risks. The £24.99 HouseCheckup Complete report brings together available flood, ground, crime, energy and sold-price records. Spatial checks use the postcode location; address matching and coverage vary by source. It does not include title documents or confirm ground rent or the remaining lease term.
One-off payment, no subscription. Human-checked and emailed to you. See a sample report.
Deeds cover the paperwork. They don't cover the ground it stands on.
The £24.99 Complete report adds available flood, ground, crime, energy and sale-record context to your research. Spatial results describe the postcode location unless a source supports a closer match. Use the official title and lease documents, with your conveyancer, to establish ownership, ground-rent terms and lease length.
Try or search any UK postcode
£24.99 one-off · no subscription · Human-checked and emailed to you. See a sample report · Review report options and coverage