Do I need a lease plan for Land Registry?

Yes. Since October 2003, all leases granted for more than seven years — and existing leases with more than seven years left — must be registered with HM Land Registry, and the application must include a compliant lease plan. You also need one to extend a lease, vary a lease, or transfer part of a registered title. Without an accepted plan, the registration cannot proceed.

What is a lease extension plan?

A lease extension plan is a lease plan prepared for a statutory or voluntary lease extension. A new plan is often required where the original is deficient, the property has been altered, or no compliant plan exists on the title, so the extended lease can be registered with HM Land Registry without delay.

What is a lease variation plan?

A lease variation plan accompanies a deed of variation when the demised area changes — for example where a garden, loft or additional room is added to a lease. It shows the revised demise edged in red, to HM Land Registry standards, so the variation can be registered against the title.

When Is a Lease Plan Not Required?

When a new plan is often unnecessary

A new lease plan is often not required for leases granted for seven years or less, which generally fall outside compulsory registration, or where an existing compliant plan already sits on the title and the demise has not changed. Your conveyancing solicitor confirms the requirement for your transaction. When in doubt, checking early avoids last-minute delays.

The seven-year rule in practice

Since October 2003, leases granted for more than seven years — and assignments of existing leases with more than seven years left — generally require registration with a compliant plan. Shorter occupational leases may not. Always take solicitor advice for your facts; edge cases exist around options, renewals and successive short terms.

Existing plans that still work

If the registered lease already has a plan that meets current standards and the physical demise is unchanged, you may not need a fresh drawing for a routine assignment. Problems arise when the old plan is “for identification only”, unscaled, missing a north point, or no longer matches the building after alterations.

Situation	New plan usually?
New lease > 7 years	Yes
Lease ≤ 7 years (typical)	Often no
Assignment; good plan on title; demise unchanged	Often no
Lease extension; old plan deficient	Yes
Deed of variation changing demise	Yes
Property altered since original plan	Yes

New plan likely needed?

When you should still instruct one

Instruct a plan when registering a new long lease, extending or varying a lease with a changed or unclear demise, transferring part of a title, or curing a Land Registry requisition. The cost of a compliant plan is small compared with a delayed completion.

Ask early

If you are unsure, send the title number and lease extract to your solicitor — and to us if you want a view on whether an existing drawing is salvageable. We would rather tell you that no new plan is needed than produce an unnecessary one.

When Is a Lease Plan Not Required?