Fraud is proving to be a problem in the UK. Back in 2014, the Land Registry launched a scheme for an alert service to help property owners against fraudsters acquiring ownership of properties using forged documents to impersonate registered owners. Empty properties, tenanted properties and those without a mortgage are particularly at risk. The Land Registry’s Property Alert Service offers homeowners access to a simple and highly effective method of reducing the risk of title fraud. Increasing numbers of homeowners have signed up to a free Land Registry alert scheme for protection. Figures obtained through a freedom of information request by agency-backed risk management platform Thirdfort have revealed a 300% increase in the number of homeowners registering for the Land Registry Property Alert Service.
Some 135,624 property owners registered for the tool in 2021 compared with 46,043 in 2020, according to the research.
More than 110,000 have already signed up so far this year.
According to the data, 515,709 property owners in total have now signed up for the free service but with approximately 28m homes in the UK, Olly Thornton-Berry, managing director of Thirdfort, warns this represents between just 2% and 4% of property owners despite significant risks of title fraud.
Why you should sign up to Property Alert
So, let’s look at how the free service can help protect you and your home.
You can put an obstacle in a potential fraudster’s way by signing up to the award – winning protection scheme. It doesn’t cost anything and it’s quick and easy to sign up: you’ll have peace of mind in the time it takes to make a cup of tea.
Once you’ve joined, The Land Registry will send you email alerts about certain activities involving the property, such as an application to change the register, so you can take swift action if necessary. They will also send you emails every six months just to confirm whether any applications have been made in that period.
You don’t have to own the property in question to set up an account, and unless you’re the registered proprietor you won’t be able to do anything other than monitor it. This allows you to keep an eye on your family or friends’ homes for them - and you can monitor up to 10 properties.
Top tips when setting up your Property Alert account
- check your spam. When you create your account, you’ll receive an HM Land Registry email to enable you to verify your details. Please check your inbox or spam/junk folder for this activation email and click on the link. You’ll need to do this before you can access the account again
- head home to sign in. When you activate your account via the email, go back to the HM Land Registry home page to sign in. Don’t worry if you’re redirected to the sign-in page and you get a message telling you the email address is already in use. If you use the link on the home page – select ‘Already registered’ from the list, then ‘Sign into your account’ – you will be able to sign in
- find your address quickly. Find your property using the address search facility. Simply enter the house number and postcode to bring up the property details. Don’t worry about adding all your address details, we’ll find your property with just the postcode and house number
- make sure you’re registered. If your property is unregistered, you won’t be able to use the service. It’s worth noting that unregistered properties are at greater risk of fraud, so we would recommend you lodge a first registration application to have it registered.
Signing up to Property Alert won’t automatically stop fraud from happening, and not all alert emails will mean fraudulent activity is taking place, but it does provide an early warning system and, if you’re worried or something doesn’t seem right, the alert email will tell you who to contact.
If you would like to sign up to the free scheme, please follow the below link.
https://propertyalert.landregistry.gov.uk/
