Land Registry

The Land Registry

The Land Registry is based in the same office as the Deeds and Probate Registries which form part of the Registries Section of the Central Registry.

The Land Registry is situated on the first floor of the Registries Building on Deemsters Walk, just off Bucks Road, next to the Courts of Justice in Douglas.

Purpose

The Land Registry aims to create and maintain an accurate and up-to-date record of interests in land and property, including details of ownership.

The historic system of examining deeds recorded in the Deeds Registry under the Registration of Deeds Act 1961 in order to deduce the title or ownership of land is being replaced by a modern system requiring the registration of title to the land on a separate electronic title register created and maintained under the Land Registration Act 1982 (as amended) and the Land Registry Rules 2000 as amended by the Land Registry (Amendment) Rules 2002.

Land registration was phased in across the Isle of Man as successive parishes were designated as areas subject to compulsory registration:

• 1 May 2002: Andreas, Ballaugh, Bride and Jurby
• 1 May 2003: German, Lezayre, Maughold, Michael and Patrick
• 1 September 2005: The whole of the Island except for Braddan and Onchan
• 1 December 2009: Braddan and Onchan

Registration of title to a freehold or leasehold estate in land is compulsory on a conveyance on sale, the grant of a lease for more than 21 years or the assignment of a lease where there is more than 21 years left to run. Alternatively, title may be voluntarily registered at any time. All applications for first registration must include a certificate by an Advocate practising on the Island in the form included in Form 1 - Application for First Registration.

Once registered, the current details of a property will be found in the Land Registry. For records of unregistered property, please refer to the Deeds Registry.

Registration benefits

The benefits of land registration include:

• Registration of title gives finality and certainty by providing an up-to-date official record of land ownership
• Ease of accessibility to up-to-date official records of ownership and other registerable interests of land
• Proof of ownership can be readily and speedily obtained, unlike searches of unregistered land where you may need to know the name of the owner
• Registered titles are guaranteed because, subject to normal insurance principles, indemnity is paid should any person suffer loss through any error in, or omission from, the title register. No such guarantee exists for unregistered property
• Each title includes an extract from the survey map called a Filed Plan showing the extent of the land comprised in the registered title, although the boundaries are not conclusive unless a formal application has been made to do so. These plans are based on digital surveys of the Island. In unregistered conveyancing, there is no requirement for any deed to include a plan
• Dispositions of registered titles are effected by means of simple prescribed forms which are available to the public. In unregistered conveyancing, there are no prescribed forms

Online fee Calculator

Online fee calculator for Land Registration fees - from 1 September 2019