Who owns a property? What you can and cannot find out

A Doorstep Report does not name the owner of a property. Where the data is available, it shows tenure indicators and company or overseas ownership indicators for homes in England and Wales. For the owner's name, you need the title register from HM Land Registry, which costs £7 online.

What a report shows

Recorded tenure (freehold or leasehold), lease term, lease dates and approximate years remaining, where available. Some values may be predicted, and the report marks these.
The tenure recorded with past sales in HM Land Registry's price data, from 1995.
Company interest and overseas interest indicators, where available. For flats, a flag may concern the building's freehold or another title interest.
A social housing indicator, where available.
Restrictive covenant and public right of way indicators, where available, as prompts to check the title documents.

What it does not show

It does not name owners, past or present. The owner's name is on the title register, which costs £7 online.
It is not a title check or a legal search. Your conveyancer checks title, tenure and rights.
An indicator does not verify who holds the title, and no flag does not show that a property is privately owned. Missing records are not evidence of anything.
It does not show mortgages or the full terms of a lease. Ask for the title register and a copy of the lease.
Scotland and Northern Ireland are not covered, as they have separate registers.

How to get the owner's name

The official source is HM Land Registry. Search for property information on GOV.UK, check the free summary, then pay £7 to download the title register. The free summary shows the tenure type but no name. The register usually shows the owner, the last price and whether there is a mortgage.

Our guide to finding a property's owner covers what to do if the property is unregistered or the owner is a company.

What the indicators are for

Tenure and ownership indicators help you decide what to ask next. If a home you are buying shows as leasehold, you will want the lease length, ground rent and service charges. If a house is flagged with a company interest, you can ask the agent who the seller is and check the title register before you spend money on surveys and searches.

They are prompts, not findings. A company flag on a flat may relate to the freehold of the building, not the flat, and an individual title interest has not been verified. This guide explains how to confirm tenure.

Past owners and privacy

Older editions of the register and deeds can show who owned a property before, for a fee. Finding previous owners explains the forms and costs. We keep to public-record routes and do not help trace individuals. The people on these records have a right to privacy, so use what you find for the property question you began with.

Questions, answered

Does a Doorstep Report tell me who owns a property?

No. It shows tenure and company or overseas ownership indicators where available. For the owner's name, buy the title register from HM Land Registry for £7.

What does a company interest indicator mean?

It means related property records have been flagged. It may concern the freehold or another title interest. It does not verify who owns the home, so check the title register.

Is the property summary from HM Land Registry free?

Yes. It shows the address, description and tenure type, and whether there are covenants or easements. It does not show the owner's name.

Is this a substitute for my conveyancer's checks?

No. A report is research, and it can help you decide what to ask. Your conveyancer's checks of title and legal searches are a separate job.

Sources

Last checked 4 November 2026. General guidance for England and Wales, not legal, financial or survey advice.