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It does not have to be challenging to determine who owns a residence in the United Kingdom. In reality, most of the time, this information can obtain from the comfort of your own home. It’s not challenging to locate the property owner; you need to know where to look. To help you get the answers you need, our team of property specialists has compiled some information to send you the right way. The HM Land Registry is the best place to start when searching for the property owner. These searches may usually be done for free or very cheaply online. Let’s look how to find out who lives at an address UK.
Why Would You Want to Know Who Owns a House?
If you’re looking to buy a home, past ownership information may influence your choice to make an offer or how much you’re prepared to spend. For example, if a property has changed ownership many times in a short period, it may raise red flags: “Why are individuals moving in and out so quickly?” “Is the asking price reasonable?” Historical selling prices might help a person or developer determine how much they are willing to pay for a property.
You should also do this study to see if any development projects in the neighbourhood can impact your choice to purchase. Of course, you may be interested in who previously resided in a home you now own or intend to purchase. While you’re looking for a new house, it’s good to find out how much your current one is worth.
How Do I Determine Who Owns a Property?
Go to GOV.UK website and search for title deeds. Since 1993, HM Land Registry has kept data on most property and land sold in England and Wales. These documents include the title registry, plan, summary, and flood risk indicator information. You may do a land registry search, download the papers, and examine them online, providing you access to certain information that can assist you in locating the property owner.
The title register is a digital document that includes information about the property or land. The title number, who owns the property, how much they paid for it, what rights of way they have, and whether or not they’ve paid off their mortgage are some things.
The title summary comprises the title number, who owns it, how much they paid, and whether the property is freehold or leasehold. The lender’s name and address — providing the property have a mortgage.
The title plan is a map that shows the location of the property as well as its approximate limits — there is generally no record of precise borders.
If you need one, you may also get a flood risk indicator. It combines the Environment Agency and HM Land Registry data to determine how likely the land or property is to flood.
You must first establish an account with a valid email address and payment method. Depending on the information you want, there may be some modest expenses to pay. The cost of a title summary ranges from £3 to £10.80 for a flood risk indicator. Once you’ve created an account, you may search for a home by house number, name, or postcode. If the property is in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you’ll need to check various records.
GOV. The UK has just implemented a new basic search service that enables customers to input a postcode and receive the following information for a cost of £3:
- Who is the property’s owner?
- How much they spend on it
- If it has a mortgage on it.
You may search by street address if you don’t know the postcode. You’ll still need to set up an account and pay with a debit or credit card.
Land register searches may be done online, making them completely secure and by government requirements for preventing COVID-19 transfer.
Troubleshooting Potential Issues
If you cannot get information regarding the property owner in issue, you have numerous choices.
Contact Tracing Agents
You might hire a tracing agency to look for the information for you. These expert investigators will access specific data on web platforms that the general public does not, enabling them to obtain information on the property owner. Hiring a tracing agent usually costs roughly £35 per hour.
Inquire around and look outside the Land Registry
Unregistered land or property is one of the most prevalent issues individuals face while tracking ownership. Although around 85 per cent of land and property in England and Wales is registered, if you happen to be unfortunate and the property you’re interested in is unregistered, all is not lost.
Your initial point of contact should be to inquire about the neighbourhood. It’s incredible how much property information can glean from conversing with folks who have lived in the neighbourhood for a long time.
If you’re looking for unregistered land, it’s worth investigating adjacent registered properties to see if they have any information on the owner. Applicants must sign either a Certificate A stating that they are the owner or a Certificate B stating that they have served notice on the owner. The electoral registry may provide further information about prior proprietors.
Obtain Local Records
Whether the locals cannot assist, contact the County Record Offices to verify local authority records and see if any planning applications have been filled. These local sources of information may have further information on the unregistered property.
Conclusion
So, is it feasible to find out who resides at a specific address in the United Kingdom?
Yes, if they have registered to vote. Examine the local voter registration list. It is available at your local library or for a price online. It is the only way to determine whether that individual has registered to vote at that address and links to it. Use BT Phonebook in the United Kingdom. You may be able to find someone by using their last name and the city in which they reside in “thephonebook.”
