What is a Form LL Restriction?

A Form LL restriction is an entry on your property title register at HM Land Registry in England and Wales. It prevents any sale, remortgage or transfer from being registered unless a Certificate of Compliance is included with the Land Registry application. That certificate must be signed by an independent, SRA-regulated solicitor — one who is not acting on your transaction.

What Does the Restriction Actually Say?

In plain English: you cannot sell or remortgage without an independent solicitor confirming in writing that the people signing are the actual registered owners of the property.

Why Do I Have a Form LL Restriction?

The Form LL restriction is an anti-fraud measure. Property title fraud — where a fraudster attempts to sell or remortgage a property without the genuine owner's knowledge — is a real and growing problem in England and Wales, particularly affecting:

• Buy to let landlords whose tenants occupy the property
• Property owners living abroad
• Owners of vacant properties
• Inherited properties not yet occupied by the new owner

Most people had the Form LL restriction registered when they bought the property — either by requesting it themselves or because their solicitor added it automatically as fraud protection. HM Land Registry itself recommends this restriction for any property where the registered owner does not live at the address.

What Do I Need to Do?

If your sale or remortgage has been flagged because of a Form LL restriction, you need a Certificate of Compliance from an independent, SRA-regulated solicitor before the transaction can be registered at Land Registry. The process is straightforward:

Frequently Asked Questions