Easements and Rights of Way on Lease Plans
Rights of way and other easements need clear coloured edging or tinting, distinct from the red demise and green communal areas, with a key that still works in black and white.
How are easements and rights of way shown on a lease plan?
Easements and rights of way on a lease plan are shown with clear coloured edging or tinting — often blue or brown — distinct from the red demised area and any green communal areas.. The colouring must be consistent and labelled so the right remains identifiable in black and white. Ambiguous hatching without a key is a common cause of Land Registry requisitions.
How rights appear on the plan
Easements and rights of way on a lease plan are shown with clear coloured edging or tinting — often blue or brown — distinct from the red demised area and any green communal areas. The colouring must be consistent and labelled so the right remains identifiable in black and white. Ambiguous hatching without a key is a common cause of Land Registry requisitions.
Demise versus rights
The red edge shows what is exclusively demised. A right of way over a path, driveway or corridor is usually not part of the red demise — it is a right over someone else’s land or over communal land. Mixing the two visually (for example edging a path in red when it is only a right) misstates the lease.
Green commonly marks shared areas. Additional colours should be reserved for specific rights described in the lease, each explained in a simple key on the drawing.
| Colour | Usually means |
|---|---|
| Red edging | Demised (exclusive) area |
| Green | Communal / shared areas |
| Blue / brown (examples) | Rights of way or other easements |
| Other tints | Specific rights — always key them |
Typical colour conventions
Labelling and black-and-white readability
Examiners may print or view plans without reliable colour. Support every tint with distinct edging, line type or labels such as “right of way hatched blue” so the meaning survives monochrome copies. Unlabelled grey hatching is a frequent rejection point.
Match the lease wording
The plan must illustrate the rights the lease actually grants — not a simplified site layout. If the lease grants a right over “the pathway coloured brown between points A and B”, those points or an equivalent clear path should appear on the plan. Where the lease is silent, do not invent rights on the drawing.
Getting colouring right first time
Share the rights schedule and any existing coloured lease plans when you instruct us. We will apply consistent colouring across the demise, communal areas and easements, and supply a PDF plus scaled prints ready for submission.
Need a lease plan?
We produce Land Registry compliant lease plans across England and Wales. Send us the property details for a fixed-price quote.