Calum Allmond is head of architectural and power providers at DM Corridor Chartered Surveyors
The readability and concision of the map-based registration system might convey advantages to house and land house owners.
Since passage of the Land Registration (Scotland) Act in 1979 the Land Register of Scotland has been steadily changing the previous Basic Register of Sasines which, having been established in 1617 – the 12 months James, VI and I, made his first go to since turning into King of England – is the oldest public register of property pursuits on the planet.
The brand new Register strikes property titles from the upkeep and inspection of dusty deeds to a brand new, map-based system which plots the extent of every title on a digital map primarily based on probably the most up-to-date Ordnance Survey plans.
Whereas most titles which transfer to the brand new Register accomplish that on the sale of the underlying property, Registers of Scotland (RoS) additionally provides voluntary Registration as a way to expedite the completion of the Register, which stays far behind its authentic goal date of final 12 months.
With modifications to the Registers’ Plans Reviews service which got here into pressure final month (August 2025), now might be a prudent time for owners, landowners and housing inventory portfolio house owners to think about whether or not Voluntary Registration could possibly be of their longer-term pursuits.
Plans Reviews establish points previous to registration and assist to scale back the probability of utility rejection. They supply sellers, lenders and purchasers extra assurance concerning property transactions.
The modifications impose a brand new charge construction which can imply a rise in Degree 1 and Degree 3 Plans Reviews expenses and the removing of Degree 2 Plans Reviews. The essential stage charge will rise from £65 to £110 plus VAT, and the usual stage from £95 to £160 plus VAT. Customary processing occasions will change to inside three working days.
The Registers have been working on the identical time in direction of the introduction of a identical day fast-track service for purchasers who want their report urgently, however this has been pushed again till later within the 12 months.
Other than expenses, what are the possible advantages of Voluntary Registration? The primary and most blatant is readability and certainty. It makes it simpler to establish the boundaries of a property and doubtlessly settle any disputes with neighbouring proprietors.
Registration additionally protects a property proprietor’s rights, in that when an utility has been accepted, it offers an assurance that the title to which it applies is an correct illustration of their rights and possession.
Of explicit significance is property which is leased since a tenant could also be underneath a misapprehension as to the extent of the property in the event that they register the property earlier than the precise landowner.
This places title holders in a really safe place and offers a component of safety from challenges from third events because the evidential bar to problem a registered title is taken into account very excessive.
The method actually simplifies future transactions, since all of the related details about a property is all grouped in a single simply accessible place. Older deeds have been typically imprecise and bounds might not have been precisely outlined.
Though the Land Register stays removed from accomplished, it’s filling up quick and the work concerned in titles is turning into extra weighted in direction of correction of registered titles, as an illustration, when an proprietor discovers that another person has already registered a part of their backyard.
For holders of portfolios of properties, Voluntary Registration generally is a useful addition to the vary of instruments wanted to handle inventory and may spotlight potential future points. Property planning additionally advantages from the readability that registration offers.
And on giant areas of land, equivalent to nation estates or bigger farms, it could possibly be very useful to have all the required info at your fingertips if a developer reveals an curiosity in buying a part of your holdings.
Registration in such circumstances can even pin down rights pertaining to adjoining properties, equivalent to entry, water provide and utility supply, a few of which could be acquired by their uninterrupted and undisputed use over an prolonged time frame.
As with all such advanced issues, the primary and most vital step is to hunt professional recommendation and steerage, and DM Corridor’s specialist departments and property professionals stand prepared to assist.
