His Majesty’s Land Registry (HMLR) has issued new guidance on the expedite service, in recognition of the significant delays caused. According to HMLR the cause is the huge increase in applications as a result of the property boom which hit the market during and after the Covid pandemic.
The Land Registry’s processing times figures for October 2022 have been issued on their website. Applications to update the register (for example if you apply to transfer a property title) can take anything from 3 weeks to 5 months. More complex applications (such as the transfer of part of a property or the registration of a new lease) can take an astonishing 14 months plus and recently and informally – HMLR indicated first registrations may take up to 3 years! HMLR have issued their assurances that these delays should not adversely affect applicants, but such substantial delays certainly do nothing to relieve an already stressful situation.
The expedite service has been put in place for circumstances in which a delay would jeopardise a transaction, or if there would be other significant negative impacts. Say, for example, if the application is in relation to divorce proceedings or if there is a risk that a sale of a property will fall through. Evidence which could be used in support of an application includes such documents as a memorandum of sale, a copy of the purchase contract or a letter containing a mortgage offer with the offer’s expiry date.
The service is free and if you have asked your solicitor to make the application on your behalf, they will be able to apply for the extra service for you. 95% of successful applications will be complete within 10 days, providing reassurance to many.
The expedite process is part of HMLR’s plan to improve their overall service. Over the next few years, their Strategy & Business plan will see simpler applications become automated, allowing their more experienced staff to concentrate on complex applications and speed up the process. We will keep tabs on this, but in the meantime if you think you could benefit from us applying to fast track your matter then please do get in touch by calling our property department on 0114 272 9721.