Land Registry Delays 2023 - February Strikes

Buying a house can be a timely process, Rightmove found in 2022 the average sale took 150 days to reach completion, but how long will it be before the Land Registry officially complete your registration?

As a result of the pandemic, combined with a significant increase in work caused by the Stamp Duty Land Tax “holidays” of 2021, the Land Registry now has an increasing backlog and we have been told that processing times are currently as follows:

• For simple updates to the register (most electronic applications)  – between one and five months.

• Complex changes (first registrations/transfers of part/new leases) – between 12 and 18 months.

However, this timescale can be increased if Land Registry need to raise any questions, known as “requisitions” on the application lodged. Requisitions can be anything from inconsistencies in names referred to in the title deeds to checking boundaries of property plans for first registrations to name a few.

Clients are often shocked at the length of time registration is taking. While this delay is frustrating Land Registry assure the public that:  

“Legal ownership rights are secured from the moment the application is received, not at the point at which it is processed and completed. Every application we receive protects the transaction it is registering from the day we receive it. So, if there is no urgency, please wait for us to contact you.”

 This means your registration is protected and while we wait for Land Registry to reflect your ownership on the official deeds, you are the legal owner.

Legal Aid Agency & Land Registry to strike

To further increase the Land Registry backlog, we can add the impact of industrial action that took place on 1st February.

On the 11th January 2023, the Public and Commercial Services Union said that there would be a strike on 1st February affecting Land Registry. This is, in common with other public sector workers, due to pay, pension and job security frustrations.

This industrial action is projected to be the largest civil service strike in years, with 100,000 members estimated to go on the picket line. Industrial action of this magnitude is bound to have an impact on Land registry processing times. While this is just a one-day strike, it is inevitable there will be more if their requests for better pay etc. are not met.

What if I need my ownership registered at Land Registry right now?

It is possible to speed this process up, but this can only be requested where the delay is  “impacting another application” or “causing hardship from it not being registered”.

In most cases, this is only where the property is being sold or re-mortgaged.  In all instances, we need to submit evidence of this to the Land Registry. This is so that it can make a decision as to whether or not the reason is valid e.g. sales memorandum from an estate agent to prove the property is being sold. Land Registry aim to process the vast majority of expedited applications within 10 working days

Please do note that we regularly check all our Land Registry applications and as soon as your registration is delivered to us, we will forward it to you.

See my previous blog from December: Stamp duty land tax changes 2022

If you would like to discuss our range of legal services such as buying and selling your residential properties, stamp duty, the conveyancing process or other areas of property law please get in touch on 01206 217328 or email me directly at sarah.murphy@birkettlong.co.uk.

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