Land Registry issues practice guide on contractual control rights ahead of requirements coming into force next year

Practice guide 84 explains when information about contractual control rights over registered land must be provided to the Land Registry under the Provision of Information (Contractual Control) (Registered Land) Regulations 2026, what information is required, and how and when it must be submitted.

The regulations come into force on 6 April 2027.

The Land Registry said: “From that date, information about certain agreements affecting registered land in England and Wales - including option agreements, conditional contracts and pre-emption rights - must be submitted digitally to HM Land Registry.

“The new requirements will improve transparency in the property market by making it easier to understand who has influence over how land is used and developed, even where ownership has not changed.”

The guide covers:

• the agreements and land that are in scope
• when information about a contractual control right must be provided
• how to provide contractual control information
• who must provide the required information
• the information and supporting material required.

The Land Registry said reading the guide now would help conveyancers identify affected transactions and advise clients early.

“It also highlights practical steps that could prevent delay or extra cost, such as retaining relevant contracts, collecting dates and places of birth where a grantor is an individual, and arranging suitable spatial data where a right affects only part of a registered title.”

HM Land Registry’s digital submission service will be available from 6 April 2027. Contractual control data is expected to be published publicly from April 2028.