Know where you stand with your home
Plain-English guides to buying, selling, renting and owning property in England: the contracts, the paperwork and the rights behind them.
Rights every owner in England should know
Owning property comes with protections that are easy to miss until something goes wrong. These are the ones our readers ask about most.
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Your title is backed by the state
Once your ownership is registered at HM Land Registry, the register is the proof of title, and the state pays compensation if it is wrong through no fault of yours.
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You can see what you are buying
Title registers and plans are public. Before exchange you can check who owns the land, which charges are secured on it and what covenants bind it.
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Your neighbour must give notice for party wall works
Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, an adjoining owner who plans certain works to a shared wall or close to your foundations has to serve notice first.
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Leaseholders can challenge service charges
If you own a flat on a lease, you can ask for a summary of the costs behind your service charge and apply to the First-tier Tribunal if a charge is unreasonable.
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Qualifying leaseholders can extend the lease
Many owners of long leases may claim a lease extension or join neighbours to buy the freehold, subject to qualifying rules.
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A long-enjoyed right to light can be protected
Light received through a window without interruption for twenty years can become a legal right that later building work must respect.
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