In mid-September, we are changing the way we describe easements in title registers.
What is changing?
From 15 September 2025, HM Land Registry is improving the description of easements in title registers to ensure greater consistency, clarity and accuracy for all users.
Key points
- New standardised language for easement entries starts 15 September 2025
- No changes to application processes or evidence requirements
- Existing easement entries remain unchanged and legally valid
- Improved accessibility and understanding for all register users
Why are we making this change?
Land registration language can sometimes appear inconsistent, with different wording describing the same legal concepts. For easement entries, some registers currently state "the land has the benefit of any legal easements" while others read "the title includes any legal easements".
This variation can create confusion for legal professionals and members of the public who rely on registers for clear, accurate information about property rights.
What exactly is changing?
New terminology from 15 September 2025
Before: "The land has the benefit of any legal easements..."
After: "The title includes any legal easements..."
Example: easement entries before and after 15 September 2025
Before
The land has the benefit of any legal easements granted by the Transfer dated 5 September 2025 referred to in the Charges Register but is subject to any rights that are reserved by the said deed and affect the registered land.
After
The title includes any legal easements granted by the Transfer dated 15 September 2025 referred to in the Charges Register but is subject to any rights that are reserved by the said deed and affect the registered land.
This change provides a clearer reflection of how easements affect specific titles and prevents potential misinterpretation.
Enhanced qualification notes
We are also standardising how we qualify easement entries with explanatory notes, making both the structure and reasoning more transparent. For example:
Previous note: "The rights granted by clause 4.2 of the Transfer are included in the registration only so far as they are granted over title number NE1862."
New note: "The legal easements granted by clause 4.2 of the Transfer are included in the title only so far as they are granted over title number NE1862."
Example: notes to easement entries before and after 15 September 2025
Before
NOTE: The rights granted by clause 4.2 of the Transfer are included in the registration only so far as they are granted over title number NE1862.
After
NOTE: The legal easements granted by clause 4.2 of the Transfer are included in the title only so far as they are granted over title number NE1862.
Since the original publication of this blog on 27 August, and following subsequent customer feedback, we have removed the wording 'and are capable of subsisting at law at the date of this grant' from the note. Instead, the note now refers to 'the legal easements', providing further clarity and streamlining the entry. We are also postponing the introduction of this change from 8 to 15 September.
What is not changing
- Application procedures: How you apply to register easements remains the same
- Evidence requirements: What documentation you need to provide remains unchanged
- Existing entries: Easement entries made before 15 September 2025 will not be updated (they remain legally correct)
- External guidance: Our published guidance documents continue to apply and will not change
Benefits for register users
This standardisation ensures our title registers remain:
- fit for purpose for modern property transactions
- easy to understand for legal experts and general users alike
- reliable and accurate as official records of property rights
- consistent across all registered titles
Supporting guidance and training
We're publishing new internal guidance for HM Land Registry caseworkers to ensure consistent application of these standards, maintaining the reliability and accuracy of the register.
What happens next
This update follows our previous successful change to language around personal covenants (detailed in our blog post: We are simplifying the registration of personal covenants). That change was widely welcomed by customers as a significant improvement to title register consistency.
We will continue identifying opportunities to enhance how we record and describe entries on title registers.
More information about easements
For comprehensive information and guidance, visit:
- Practice guide 62: easements
- Explaining easements – making the correct applications
- How caseworkers investigate easements
We welcome your feedback on this change and other improvements to title register clarity. Contact us at customercommunicationsteam@landregistry.gov.uk to share your thoughts.
We welcome your comments about this blog in the comments below. Please note that we are unable to discuss individual cases through the comments section and would request that all such queries be directed to our Contact Us web form where you will receive a response as soon as possible.
2 comments
Comment by Roy Perrott posted on
Please would you explain why the Land Registry feels that amending the entry from "the land has the benefit of" an easement to "the title includes" the easement makes it easier to understand? I think that it actually makes it harder to understand.
The nature of an easement is that it benefits the land (i.e. the dominant tenement). To say that the title "includes" the easement is ambiguous and therefore less clear. Because adverse entries are also referred to on the title, the title could also be said to "include" those.
Roy Perrott
Knowledge Lawyer
Fladgate LLP
Comment by Gavin Curry posted on
Hello Roy
Thank you for your comment.
Our registers of title are inspected by a wide array of customers for several different purposes.
We feel that reference to ‘the title including any easements granted/reserved by…’ makes it very clear to understand that that entry refers solely to the title they are inspecting. We felt reference to the land carried more vagueness and greater opportunity for misinterpretation throughout our entire customer profile.
I would also note that some existing entries we make are already framed in such a way and this change brings those other entries in line with this.