Land Registry Rejected My Lease Plan — What Happens Next?

Why has my lease plan been rejected?

HM Land Registry has strict requirements for lease plans. If your plan does not meet these standards, the caseworker will issue what is known as a requisition — a request for additional information or amendments before the application can proceed.

Most lease plan rejections are straightforward to resolve once the issue has been identified. Receiving a requisition can be frustrating when you are eager to complete a property transaction, but it is rarely the end of the road.

The plan is not drawn to scale

One of the most common reasons for rejection is that the plan cannot be accurately scaled. HM Land Registry requires lease plans to be drawn to a recognised metric scale such as 1:100, 1:200 or 1:500. Simply stating measurements on a sketch is not enough.

Missing north point

External plans must normally include a north point. Without it, Land Registry may be unable to orientate the property correctly against Ordnance Survey mapping.

Poor quality or low resolution

Plans that have been photographed on a phone, scanned poorly or compressed into low-quality PDFs can become unreadable. Fine detail such as boundary lines, dimensions and labels must remain clear when printed.

Unclear boundaries

The extent of the property must be obvious. Common issues include missing coloured edging, inconsistent boundary lines, shared areas not identified, and rights of way not shown clearly. If the examiner cannot determine exactly what is included within the lease, they will usually raise a requisition.

The lease does not match the plan

The written lease and the drawing must describe the same property. If the lease refers to a "First Floor Flat" but the plan includes part of the loft or garden that is not mentioned in the lease, clarification may be required before the application can proceed.

Missing dimensions

Where boundaries are not obvious from the building layout, dimensions may be needed to define the property accurately. This is particularly common with parking spaces, roof terraces, gardens, commercial units and storage areas.

Incorrect labelling

Every area should be clearly identified — for example Flat 2, Bin Store, Cycle Store, Parking Space 7 or Communal Hallway. Unlabelled areas often create confusion during examination and can trigger a requisition.

What happens after a rejection?

Receiving a requisition is not the end of your application. Typically, HM Land Registry issues a requisition explaining the problem, your solicitor contacts the lease plan provider, the required amendments are made, and the updated lease plan is returned. Your solicitor then submits the corrected version and the application continues.

Provided the amendments are supplied within the required timescale, your application can usually proceed without needing to start again.

Will my property transaction be delayed?

Potentially, yes. Every additional requisition increases the time it takes for Land Registry to complete the application. While some corrections can be made within 24 hours, others may require a further site survey if the original information was not sufficient.

Getting the lease plan right first time is almost always quicker and less expensive.

Can I correct the plan myself?

In most cases, no. Editing PDFs or adding coloured lines yourself rarely satisfies HM Land Registry requirements. Professional lease plan providers use CAD software and understand the technical requirements set out in HM Land Registry Practice Guide 40. Attempting to amend the drawing yourself can often create additional problems.

How we help resolve rejected lease plans

We regularly assist solicitors, landlords and property owners whose lease plans have been rejected. Whether another provider prepared the original plan or you have attempted to produce one yourself, we can usually identify the issue quickly and prepare a compliant replacement.

Our plans are produced using accurate measurements and are designed specifically to meet HM Land Registry requirements. If necessary, we can also carry out a site survey to ensure every detail is captured correctly.

How to avoid a rejection

The easiest way to avoid delays is to use an experienced lease plan provider from the outset. Before submitting your application, ensure your plan is drawn to a recognised metric scale, includes a north point where required, clearly identifies the property boundaries, matches the lease wording, shows all relevant dimensions, clearly labels parking spaces, gardens and communal areas, and is supplied as a clear, high-resolution drawing.

If your lease plan has been rejected, we can help — whether you need amendments to an existing drawing or a completely new survey. We produce HM Land Registry compliant lease plans with fast turnaround times across England and Wales.