Understanding Lease Plans
A Lease Plan is a drawing which details the part of a property included in a lease. It shows which parts of a property are included in a lease, as well as any rights of way or common areas.
The law states that new leases, seven years or longer in term, must be registered with the Land Registry, and typically require a Lease Plan as part of this process. Shorter leases may also be voluntarily registered. Strict guidelines ensure that such plans are compliant, and meet a detailed set of requirements. These include, but are not limited to:
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Drawn to scale
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Shows roads, junctions and landmarks
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Includes the whole property: including bin stores, gardens, parking, rights of way and shared or common areas.
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Shows the extent at each floor level
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Details access and pathways
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Details all colours and markings referred to in the deed
Having a Land Registry Compliant Plan for your property will play a crucial part in any Land Registry application. Good quality plans will not only provide a buyer or tenant with a clear understanding of their purchase or demised property, but also ensure the submission process is efficient and effective.
Your questions, answered
You must register all land or property with HM Land Registry if you have bought, inherited, mortgaged or received it by other means (such as an exchange). As part of this registration, a good quality plan will be required so that HM Land Registry have a clear understanding of the extent of the land and easements you are dealing with.
Law dictates that any new lease lasting for more than seven years must be registered; this not only provides proof of ownership, but helps to protect you from fraud, and makes sales in the future easier, too. Importantly, these plans must meet the Land Registry guidelines, more on this below.
Not only do good quality plans assist in the timely processing of your dealings with HM Land Registry, but they offer the buyer or tenant a clear understanding of the extent of the property. By ensuring your plans meet the outlined guidelines, Land Registry Compliant Plans provide a solid basis from which to handle any future problems, and reduce your likelihood of having an application rejected.
We ensure the property is clearly defined on the plan, use good references (such as colouring, edging, hatching) and will highlight any areas which may need to be resolved.
A Land Registry Compliant plan should:
Be drawn accurately to a stated scale
Shows its orientation
Shows sufficient detail to be identified on the Ordnance Survey map
Clarifies its general location by showing roads, junctions or landmarks
Include a bar scale
Shows the whole of the property including any garage, parking space, bin store or garden ground.
Include access drives or pathways if they form part of property boundaries.
Uses all colours referred to in the deed, with their extents clearly defined.
In the case of levels, flats, maisonettes and small areas of land, the plan:
Shows where the property falls in relation to the external footprint of the building and/or in relation to surrounding detail on the Ordnance Survey map.
Shows the extent at each floor level.
Shows intricate boundaries such as the internal divisions in a building.
Unfortunately the quality of many existing plans means they do not meet guidelines and with such variation in their preparation, it is difficult to capture every reason a plan may not be compliant. Below are some typical examples of plans that are not suitable for registration, and may lead to rejection:
Hand drawn sketches.
Plans that have not been signed by the seller/landlord.
Plans marked as “for identification only” or similar.
Plans where a colouring or mark which is referred to has been omitted.
Plans where the extent of any easements is unclear.
Plans that cannot be orientated to align with the Ordnance Survey Map.
Plans where the extent is undefined or is unclear.
If you are unsure if an existing plan is compliant then we will provide a free initial assessment. It may be that you will need a new plan prepared, although in some cases existing plans can be adapted and brought up to the required standard.
Given the above advice, and warnings against those plans which may be rejected, we suggest that you ensure your application is supported and smooth running by commissioning a good quality plan. We have much experience in producing high quality drawings that meet the HM Land Registry guidelines. Use our contact page to get in touch. We can review any existing plans and provide advice and fee quotations accordingly.