I’m Mina, the Product Owner for our Find property information service. You may have read about it in John Abbott’s recent blog about our digital services. Here I’ll update you on the exciting new updates to this service.
What is the service?
The Find property information (FPI) service allows citizens to download a summary of information about a property including the address, title number, current owner’s name and address, what they paid for the property, whether it is freehold or leasehold, if there is a mortgage on the property and the lender’s contact details.
Before FPI citizens downloaded the information and had to interpret it themselves. Now, the information is available in a simple, accessible summary that is easier to understand.
With earlier versions of FPI, we thought we’d got it right. Following continued user research we updated the service further by adding new features. I was delighted and extremely proud when the new version of this service passed its Government Digital Service (GDS) beta assessment in December 2017, meaning that the team’s hard work to ensure the service met GDS standards was well worth it.
What new features have we added?
We asked our customers what they wanted to see from the service and fed that directly back into the development stream. Following feedback we added the following features.
Electronic copies
One of the top priorities for our customers was the ability to keep an electronic copy of the title summary product, as they could only view and print the product. We added a simple download feature and monitored feedback to learn if this met customer needs.
Preview search results without signing in
Originally, the service asked customers to create an account and sign into the service before they could use it. Some customers were not happy going through this process only to find the service gave no information on the property they were interested in. We responded to this feedback by changing the service flow. Now you can do a property search and decide if the product meets your needs before signing in to purchase the information.
Enhanced address searching
We have enhanced our address searching feature, which was developed over a year ago. We knew then there were limitations to this feature and over time customer feedback told us that more and more customers had trouble finding the property they were interested in.
We also learnt that when customers come to the service they think in terms of addresses, but our address search results displayed land titles, which made search results confusing. They were also not always displayed in a logical order and the service limited search results to a maximum of 50, which didn’t provide the best user experience. We responded by displaying address results, including updated Ordnance Survey information, not titles, in a logical order and increasing results from 50 to 100.
Since we’ve implemented these changes, we have noticed a significant improvement in positive customer feedback.
So what’s next for Find property information?
Following on from the success of passing the GDS beta assessment, we’re working on the recommendations we received from GDS, which include working across government to improve the quality of our service. We will continue with product research and soon we’ll be launching a simple survey to understand better how our customers use the information we provide and how we can help further. We’ll continue to review customer feedback and evaluate existing features, making changes to the service that offer most value to our customers.
46 comments
Comment by Andrew Prismall posted on
Will this trigger an alert to an owner or their solcicitor who has registered for the HMLR “property alert” service. If they haven’t, will the owner be aware anyway that people are searching on their property?
Andrew Prismall
Chairman, IPSA
Comment by AdamH posted on
Andrew - a search online using either the Find Property or indeed the Find a Property service does not trigger a notification via the Property Alert service and nor is the owner notified of the search.
The Property Alert service will issue a notificaiton only in certain circumstances where there is significant activity such as a priority Official Search (OS1/OS2 and not a search in the context of this article) or an actual application to change the register https://www.gov.uk/guidance/property-alert
Comment by Steve Butler posted on
Do you keep records of the names and contact details of people who make these searches to assist in providing evidence of fraud if it occurs?
Comment by ianflowers posted on
Yes and where details are held by the third party that processes payment these details can be requested by law enforcement agencies from the payment provider.
Comment by Andrew Prismall posted on
Thank you Adam. Is there a GDPR consideration?
Comment by ianflowers posted on
Andrew - I'm replying as Adam is currently unavailable. We don't anticipate so, but we will give information and clarification on the impact of GDPR in due course.
Comment by DebC posted on
What is the difference between this new service and the existing "Enquiry by Property Description - title view" from which you can find leasehold and freehold title numbers? You still have to pay to see the title so it seems to be no different to obtaining office copy entries.
Comment by AdamH posted on
DebC - there is no real difference but the Find Property Information service is available to all. The 'Enquiry by property description' you refer to is part of our wider range of online business e-services which are not available to all
Comment by John Harvey posted on
Good news . I was fearing that non-business users were being left behind.
It is very important that owners can find information before the lack of this creates a difficult situation. When working in local government I was frequently asked to search ownership of a property leaking water into another. The ability to use the service to help with such matters should be publicised.
Comment by Clive Smith posted on
I’m concerned that making this easier will lead to more incidents of property fraud! I appreciate the reasons for transparency but there is a risk involved. The earlier comment about your being notified if someone is searching your title should be built in to the service.
Comment by ianflowers posted on
As you have mentioned, increased transparency has benefits and can act as a safeguard against fraud, for example, to making easy to check someone's claim to ownership.
We will consider the suggestions made regarding notification as part of the development process. For our part, we do have rigourous policies in place to combat registration fraud, of which property alert is just one element. We keep these polices under continual review. This is in addition to the checks that legal professionals make when acting in property transactions.
Comment by Jane Smith posted on
I htink the balance is just right. I search titles regularly and I would regard it a breach of privacy rights for everyone to know who was searching (and I am certainly not involved in any frauds).
The fact it seems a record is kept of the search is good enough.
It is a big issue on line - are you shown who has clicked on your on line profile on linked in or facebook etc or is that private and when. It is certainly not something to change quickly.
Comment by Allyson Talbot posted on
I completely agree with previous comments about the importance of being notified if someone is looking at the title to your property.
There may be a completely innocent reason for the search - but forewarned is forearmed.
I do hope that the Land Registry will enhance its Property Alert service to cater for this.
Comment by ianflowers posted on
Thank you for your feedback. We have no plans to do this at the current time and the currently alerts are triggered by those applications which indicate or represent a change to the register. But we do keep our counter fraud policies under continual review and will consider the comments made about notification as part of this and also as part of the development process for this service.
Comment by Audrey Blackwell posted on
I Too am most anxious that someone can look at my property without my knowing as i only registered with the Land Register in the first place so that my property would be private and not for sale so i do not want anyone looking at my property at all.
Comment by ianflowers posted on
I understand your concerns, but the open register is the norm in most countries in Europe and indeed the world. An open register supports transparency which can itself be a safeguard against fraud. Please see our information on the steps owners can take to help safeguard against fraud - https://www.gov.uk/protect-land-property-from-fraud .
Comment by Jane Smith posted on
The register was made open including prices paid from about 1995. Not all of us think that was right or wise but that decision was taken. Now that it is open I think it would breach more privacy rights to tell people who has searched than to keep that private just as someone can drive down your street and see who comes and goes within the law.
Comment by Roger West posted on
As well as obtaining a copy of the Title Register it would be so useful if I could also download a copy of the lease at the same time. I am a financial adviser and this would help me to improve the quality of advice and information I supply to my clients, most of whom don't understand leases.
Comment by ianflowers posted on
Roger - Currently our public service only offers register and title plans online. You may be interested in signing up to our business e-services
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-hm-land-registry-business-e-services which would give access to scanned leases and documents referred to in the register as filed.
Comment by Michael Murphy posted on
I have asked for a house I am purchasing to be monitored, will this give me an alert when my solicitor raises a search?
Comment by AdamH posted on
Michael - yes if it is an official search in form OS1/IS2 for example which is made through ourselves. There are other 'searches' as well such as local authority ones
Comment by Laleh posted on
hi do I protect my name and my property to be showed on the land registry searches?
Comment by AdamH posted on
Laleh - can you explain what you mean in more detail please?
Comment by Laleh posted on
hi, i mean how can i stop people searching land registry in order to find out if a property is in my name or not?
thank you
Comment by AdamH posted on
Laleh - I am afraid you cannot as the register is an open one and as such anyone can view the current details
Comment by Steve Walker posted on
I just want to know the title number of my property. Surely I do not have to pay for that??
Comment by AdamH posted on
Steve - it's important with anything to do with a title number/registered title to check and confirm what is actually registered and the title number forms part of that confirmation. If you don;t want to pay then look back in your own records from when you bought for example or when it was first registered. But even if you find it I'd still recommend checking the actual register before using it or doing anything to update it.
Comment by Steve Walker posted on
I did not buy it. It was a gift from my parents, they bought it in 1966.
The address exists in the records, but that is all "for free".
Surely I can get a title number?
This process is ridiculously complex it seems.
Comment by AdamH posted on
Steve - you can get the title number by checking the register or title plan. If it is registered then you simply select the information you want and register your details to pay and receive the download. May I ask why you want the title number?
Comment by Steve Walker posted on
I can see the correct address on the website, but no title number. My solicitor has asked for it. Surely I do not have to pay to get a number?
Comment by AdamH posted on
Steve - I suspect it's not registered then. If they bought it back in the early 60s or before and then gave it to you in 1966 then I suspect it has never been registered. Your solicitor is presumably checking to confirm whether it is or not.
Comment by Steve Walker posted on
But when I enter the address, Tynyllan, SY210NT, the details are shown on the screen, without a title number.
This seems very hard work just to get simple information that I thought would be in the public domain?
How do I find out if it has been registered?
Comment by AdamH posted on
Steve - when you search online you are provided with a result that enables you to select either the register or title plan or both. The information is in the public domain but the actual register/title plan is only available via a statutory service. As a result you have to pay for the service that supplies it and the information itself.
As the result confirms that information is available to you then you know it is registered. The register will then confirm your ownership and the title number for you.
May I ask why you just want the title number? I may then be able to explain why you need 'more'
Comment by Steve Walker posted on
Just responding to my solicitor who said that if he obtained the information, it would cost me. He just wanted the address and title number. I am trying to reduce his costs to the minimum, my getting information that he would charge for.
Its strange when I organised the gifting of this house to me and my brother, I did all the work, very straight forward, and free!
It seems to be far more complex now and I have to pay for simple information. It makes no sense.
Comment by AdamH posted on
Steve - if he uses our online services then he could check and confirm the title number online. But he would still have to get a copy, as you do, to then confirm what is actually registered under that title number.
When the property was transferred it would not have been free to register and to obtain a copy of a title has reduced over the years to the £3 or £7 now charged.
Comment by Steve Walker posted on
So, the answer to my question is that I have to pay to get a title number!
Please convey my disgust with that situation. This is information that is in the public domain, in fact it concerns a property that I own, so in a very real sense the information is mine. To charge for this is simply profiteering.
Is there a complaints department so that I can take this matter further?
Comment by AdamH posted on
Steve - whilst I appreciate your frustration the fee is for the service as well as the information. Your solicitor would also obtain a copy of the register for the same fee and he could do that, as you can also, using just the property address. The register is in the public domain but as part of a statutory service so a fee is payable. The title number is our reference attached to the land register for a particular parcel of land or property. It is not owned by the owner of that land/property for example.
Our complaints procedure is explained here https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry/about/complaints-procedure
Comment by Marcus posted on
I don't mind paying for information but I want to search that information before I buy it. So as far as the postcode search goes it is very good but does not show plots of land that do not have an address. Also, I would like to be able to put in a title number and see all of the documents associated with that number, for example all of the plots sold on a development under that number together with the Common Land. Then I could select which documents I wanted and pay for them.
Comment by AdamH posted on
Marcus - for land you would use the Map Enquiry option and the map of England and Wales. If you know a nearby address then that can centre the map for you but if you use the map then it's a few clicks to find the area and zoom in on the land.
If you have a title number you can use Detailed Enquiry to search using that. Not every register refers to 'filed' documents but your wider comments are noted
Comment by Marcus posted on
Thank you AdamH
Comment by Mike posted on
Does it alert the owner if you do a land registry search on their property?
Comment by AdamH posted on
Mike - if you mean a search to view/download the register then No
Comment by Frances Watson posted on
I own a flat in a building of 8 flats, all owners holding an 8th share of the freehold, are the freehold details held at the Land Registry and if so can I obtain a copy?
Comment by AdamH posted on
Frances - if the freehold is registered then you can check/confirm the details online for £3. Please do read the full guidance and view the example register before searching/buying
https://eservices.landregistry.gov.uk/eservices/FindAProperty/view/QuickEnquiryInit.do
Comment by Christopher Laird posted on
I paid for and downloaded 2 title deeds on the Land Registry recently as I wish to see the current status of a parcel of land. While comprehensive, there are no diagrams/maps with the documentation to visually see what area(s) the deeds are referring to. Can I get this information to see what the title deeds are describing?
Comment by AdamH posted on
Christopher - if the title plans weren’t available online (file size too big) then you’d need to apply for copies by post. See ‘Buy copies of the information’
https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-property-and-land/search-the-register