Imagine discovering that someone has taken out a mortgage on your home, or even sold it, without your knowledge. Property fraud is rare but financially devastating. Criminals target properties that are unmortgaged, rented out, or standing empty, especially when the owner lives elsewhere. The UK Land Registry property alert service offers a simple early-warning to identify potential problems. It can’t stop fraud by itself, but it gives you the crucial time to act before a transaction is completed.
How the alert system works
When you sign up for Property Alerts, the Land Registry emails you whenever it records activity on a monitored title deed, such as a change of ownership, a new mortgage, or a change to the registered owner’s details.
You can monitor up to ten properties per account, even if you don’t live at them. The service is free, quick to set up, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Alerts don’t block applications. They simply let you know that something has been submitted, prompting you to check whether it’s legitimate. If you weren’t expecting any activity, you can intervene before money or ownership changes hands.
Who should register
Almost everyone can benefit, but it’s particularly valuable for:
- Mortgage-free properties that criminals could attempt to mortgage or sell.
- Rental or vacant properties where post might go unnoticed.
- Elderly or vulnerable owners who may not spot irregularities quickly.
- Second homes or overseas owners who spend long periods away.
If you fall into any of these categories, registering for alerts is one of the easiest and most effective precautions you can take. When a property is mortgaged, the lender’s financial interest provides a layer of protection. The mortgage company, as the primary creditor, won’t permit changes to ownership or certain new charges, such as additional loans, without their consent while the mortgage is still outstanding. However, secondary charges, like secured loans, can still be placed on the property, even if the mortgage is still in place. Once the mortgage is fully repaid, the primary creditor’s protections no longer apply, and the property is free from these restrictions.
How to strengthen your defences
Property alerts are only one layer of protection. Here are some additional options:
- Consider monitoring properties belonging to family and friends, and have them monitor your property.
- Ask a solicitor or conveyancer to add an anti-fraud restriction requiring identity certification before any sale or mortgage.
- Stay alert to emails from the HM Land Registry Property Alert service and use inbox rules to flag them if your incoming email volume is exceptionally high. If an unexpected alert arrives, contact HM Land Registry straight away using the official number on their website
- If identity theft is suspected, call your bank, report to Action Fraud, and consider a Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) protective registration.
Once a fraudulent action is registered, unravelling it can be lengthy and costly, though not impossible. Although HM Land Registry indemnifies victims if they lose property through no fault of their own, the process of proving your claim and restoring the title deed can be long and distressing. Prevention remains far easier than correction. Identifying problems and responding quickly is vital, and doesn’t require complex tools or expensive subscriptions.
You can register for free at https://propertyalert.landregistry.gov.uk/
Information security, risk management, internal audit, and governance professional with over 25 years of post-graduate experience gained across a diverse range of private and public sector projects in banking, insurance, telecommunications, health services, charities and more, both in the UK and internationally – MORE