Land registry - official copy - does the age matter?

Hi folks,

Quick question: I have a copy of the land registry document for our home, and it looks something like this one:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cs5ZWFjWYAAJrfu.jpg

Does it matter about the date of the copy on there? In this example it says September 2016. On mine, it's dated back in 2015. Is this one alright to submit as evidence, or should I order a "fresh copy" and include that instead?

Thanks!

The age doesn't matter.

It shouldn't matter, I don't think, because you might be submitting the original one that was sent when the house was purchased, rather than downloading a more recent copy of it.

Brilliant, thanks very much larrabee and ksand24 - I just saw that it was dated and that of course sets off the "within 28 days" alarm in my head!

I'll go ahead and submit my 2015 one. Have a lovely evening!

I'd be interested to see how this turns out as I would have thought you would need a more recent copy of the register.

The official copy of the register is just a snap shot of what the register says at the date the copy was ordered for the relevant title number (each property has a unique title number). The register carries a state guarantee that the title is as stated on the register. but obviously only as at the date of the relevant copy entry.

The copy you get when you buy a property is just to show you that the purchase has been registered - its not ongoing proof of ownership in the same way an original deed is (original deeds are still used for unregistered land but they have no standing in terms of ownership for registered land).

So, if you send an old office copy entry; there's nothing to show that is the current situation - it could have changed and the register could have been updated subsequently.

Therefore, I would have thought that sending a fresh copy of the register have been the way to go. Plus, for property in England and Wales its only £3 and is easily downloadable (I think its similar in Scotland and NI, but not sure).

However, I am not in anyway as experienced as the other forum members who have replied in terms of visa applications so am happy to be corrected on this.

I'd be interested to see how this turns out as I would have thought you would need a more recent copy of the register.

The official copy of the register is just a snap shot of what the register says at the date the copy was ordered for the relevant title number (each property has a unique title number). The register carries a state guarantee that the title is as stated on the register. but obviously only as at the date of the relevant copy entry.

The copy you get when you buy a property is just to show you that the purchase has been registered - its not ongoing proof of ownership in the same way an original deed is (original deeds are still used for unregistered land but they have no standing in terms of ownership for registered land).

So, if you send an old office copy entry; there's nothing to show that is the current situation - it could have changed and the register could have been updated subsequently.

Therefore, I would have thought that sending a fresh copy of the register have been the way to go. Plus, for property in England and Wales its only £3 and is easily downloadable (I think its similar in Scotland and NI, but not sure).

However, I am not in anyway as experienced as the other forum members who have replied in terms of visa applications so am happy to be corrected on this.

I'll be honest, in the almost 11 years I've been on the forum, I haven't seen this question come up before... at least not until the last few weeks (when it has been asked 2 or 3 times).

As far as I am aware, no one has ever had any issues with their Land Registry document, regardless of whether it was a recent copy from the website or an older copy.

Looking at the official guidance for the accommodation, there is no specific mention of deeds or Land Registry documents, it just says:

The ECO should consider the basis of the availability and security of tenure of the accommodation. Factors to be taken into account will include:
- the ownership of the property and/or the duration of a lease
- whether any lease enables the tenant to sublet to the couple or take them in as lodgers

And I also can't find any mention of the required format or date of the accommodation documents. The supporting documents guidance just says:

Details of the accommodation that you and your sponsor intend to live in and permission for you to stay there along with evidence of any other occupants
This could include:
- Land Registry documents
- mortgage statements
- rent book or tenancy agreement
- council tax statements
- property inspection report
- utilities bills
- accommodation details with a supporting letter from the occupant/ landlord confirming that you are able to stay there

While there's nothing to stop you paying for an updated document if you would feel more comfortable doing so, I really don't think it's necessary.

It's reasonable to assume that if you no longer owned the property that you would no longer be living there. As part of the FLR application, you also have to provide mail in both your names proving that you do still live there.