Housing minister urges Land Registry to improve transparency and support leasehold reform
The UK housing minister has urged HM Land Registry (HMLR) to improve transparency of landownership and support leasehold reforms.
Matthew Pennycook wrote to HMLR on 4 February outlining his expectations for the government department, which records the ownership of land and property in England and Wales.
In a letter to Neil Sachdev, chair of HMLR, Mr Pennycook said the department should improve its systems to support the government’s target of 1.5 million new homes.
He added that HMLR’s transition to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)’s “family of arm’s-length bodies” offered the potential for closer alignment in policy priorities and delivery of government services.
The minister said: “I expect HMLR to continue to work though plans to digitalise and modernise its systems and services, including the longer-term commitment to create a geospatial, fully digital and interoperable land register, as well as the ongoing local land charges programme.”
READ MORE
Mr Pennycook said the department should help to build momentum towards digitising the homebuying and selling process by partnering with the government through the digital property market steering group.
He continued: “I would like HMLR to work hard on opening up existing data and information on land, improving its accessibility and lowering the barriers to access, including tackling the cost of obtaining data.”
He said this is essential for creating a more competitive housebuilding market, more effective policy design, developing spatial planning and promoting innovation in the sector.
Alongside opening up existing data, Mr Pennycook said he wanted HMLR to work with officials on reforms to “widen and deepen” transparency of landownership and control.
“In the coming months, I look forward to seeing rapid design and delivery of the digital systems required to collect and publish details of contractual control arrangements, ahead of the planned full public launch of the data collection system in 2026,” he said.
HMLR is responsible for registering the ownership of land, but around 11% of land in England and Wales remains unregistered. “I would like HMLR to work with my officials to develop policy options for accelerating progress towards complete registration,” the minister said.
Mr Pennycook also said he expected HMLR to work on plans to restructure its charging model. He said: “I would like to see it support our objectives for investing in the accessibility and value of data, increasing the ease of doing business in the property market and providing a simple and efficient customer experience.”
“I would like plans to be developed which prioritise free access to data, in particular minimising the cost of information services wherever possible,” he added.
Finally, the minister said HMLR should support MHCLG in the delivery of leasehold and commonhold reforms through the implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
He said: “HMLR has a role in government operationalising the ban on new leasehold houses, and updating guidance for your staff and professionals.”
Mr Pennycook added: “I am particularly interested in how we can use existing HMLR data on leasehold properties to understand the impact of current reforms, build a clear and robust evidence base for future reforms, and to review property registration processes as we move towards commonhold as the default tenure.”
Responding to Mr Pennycook’s letter on 3 March, Mr Sachdev said HMLR would provide quarterly updates on its progress, starting at the end of this financial year.
He said HMLR can help identify land that has been acquired but remains undeveloped for extended periods. “This is a significant opportunity to reinforce accountability and ensure land is being used effectively to meet housing demand,” he said.
“We are particularly keen to apply our expertise to the broader property data landscape, including through the newly announced MHCLG pilot on local authority property data. These pilots are a vital opportunity to demonstrate how digitisation can streamline the entire homebuying process,” he added.
Mr Sachdev said that next year HMLR expects to digitise 36 local authorities’ local land charges data, start and complete MHCLG local authority property data pilots, and enhance public access to property data.
He said HMLR is committed to simplifying and modernising its pricing structure to make it fairer, more transparent, and more aligned with customers’ needs.
Mr Sachdev added: “We continue to work closely with your department on leasehold reform and will apply the same collaborative approach to commonhold, ensuring it is digital by design from the outset.”
