Protect your land and property from fraud

There has been a lot in the news lately about property being stolen and sold on without the owner knowing about it. Don't be a victim of this fraud. There are a number of steps you can take to protect your property from being fraudulently sold or mortgaged.

Cases like the one mentioned above are not rare. It is terrifying just how easily this can happen to any one of us. Make sure it doesn't happen to you by reducing the risks. 

There are a number of reasons why you might be more at risk of this kind of fraud:

• if your identity's been stolen
• if you rent out your property
• if you live overseas
• if the property's empty
• if the property is not mortgaged and you own it outright
• if the property is not registered with HM Land Registry

As a guide, your property should be registered if you bought it or mortgaged from 1998 onwards - if you are unsure, you can check the land registry register here.

If you spot any incorrect information, you must notify HM Land Registry immediately to protect yourself. You must also notify them for example if you have changed your contact address. You will be able to track changes to the register or put a restriction on your title if you think you're at risk.

You can sign up to get property alerts. So, if someone applies to change the register of your property without your consent, or tries to use your property for a mortgage you will hear about it. The alert system will will not automatically block any changes to the register but will alert you when something changes so that you can take action. You can get alerts for up to 10 properties - there's no fee.

You can stop HM Land Registry registering a sale or mortgage on your property unless a conveyancer or solicitor certifies the application was made by you.

Your conveyancer or solicitor may charge you for providing a certificate if one is required by a restriction on your property.

Fill in a request for a restriction if you're a company owning property. Send your application to the address on the form - there's no fee.

Fill in a request for a restriction for owners not living at the property if you own the property privately - there's no fee.

Fill in an application for a restriction. It costs £40.

Send completed forms to the HM Land Registry Citizen Centre:

HM Land Registry
Citizen Centre
PO Box 74
Gloucester
GL14 9BB

HM Land Registry will tell you when they add the restriction.

HM Land Registry property fraud team
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: 0300 006 7030

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to midday and 1:30pm to 3:30pm