Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to introduce penalties for failure to register land holdings with HM Land Registry; and if she will make a statement.

HM Land Registry does not hold enforcement powers to impose penalties for failing to register land holdings and this department has no plans to introduce such penalties. However, there are consequences for failing to register land which can impact the landowner’s ability to deal with the land.

For unregistered land, transactions such as transfers, leases or mortgages trigger compulsory first registration. Failure to apply for first registration within two months means that the transaction does not take effect at law.

For registered land, the transactions referred to above do not take effect at law until they are completed by registration.