Property ownership
We need to know who owns UK land so we can tackle financial crime, collect business rates, and build houses, among many other important things.
What’s the problem?
Although England and Wales have had a public register of who owns land since 1990, there are still a few vital bits of data missing. Without these, communities, policymakers and law enforcement do not have a clear picture of who really owns land in the UK. And this stops us from having a smoothly-functioning, crime-free housing market.
The opportunity
It is pretty clear where the gaps are, and what must be done to fill them. So we’re pushing for the Government to make these changes - if you want to support our work on this campaign, please get in touch at contact@centreforpublicdata.org.
Publications
Written evidence: Contractual controls on land
April 2024
We responded to the Department for Levelling Up’s consultation into contractual controls on land.
We recommend two minor tweaks to their proposed dataset: it must cover unregistered land, otherwise the Government will be blind to 12% of land in England and Wales; and it must include geospatial data to help the Government achieve its policy goals.
Report: Gaps in the Register of Overseas Entities
September 2023
Co-written with LSE and the University of Warwick, this report assesses whether new data reforms have been effective in improving the transparency of property ownership.
We identify several major gaps in the data published by Companies House and HM Land Registry, which mean that over 70% of properties in England and Wales held via overseas companies still do not publish information about who really owns them.
Report: New data on properties owned by overseas individuals
November 2021
The report uses previously unpublished data from HM Land Registry on property titles in England & Wales owned by overseas individuals - finding that the number had doubled since 2010.
This report provides a detailed analysis of HMLR data, highlights the failures of recent transparency commitments, and recommends measures the Government should take to address the lack of official data on UK property.