Obtain an official local authority search that offers the highest level of property search protection, in just 3 days.
About local land charges
Local land charges can restrict the way you use land and property. Examples include:
- Conditions imposed in a planning permission and enforcement notices
- Listed buildings and conservation areas
- Tree preservation orders
- Smoke control orders and light obstruction notices
These charges can affect your property purchase and must be checked during conveyancing.
Searching the local land charges register
If you are buying a property, there are two options available to find details of entries on the local land charges register:
- Request an official search by submitting form LLC1. Usually, a conveyancer will carry this out on your behalf
- Carry out a personal search. You can do this yourself or you can use a personal search company. To guarantee accuracy, the Local Land Charges Institute always recommends you use an official local authority search
Before you start, find your local council to check that your search area belongs to us. You can also take a look at an independent guide to property searches for useful guidance.
How to order an official search
You can apply for an official search using the electronic land and property searches portals National Land Information Services (NLIS), TM Group, or InfoTrack. Most solicitors use this option—it’s fast, complete, and easy.
Alternatively, you can use our online application form.
You will need to pay a fee for an official search. Contact your search provider for further information.
Carrying out a personal search
To search the local land charges register, please use our local land charges personal search self-service portal.
You can see where the general boundaries of a property are and its local land charges, but you will not have access to additional features of the official search.
If you are doing the personal search yourself, you should be prepared and competent to carry out a search and inspection of local authority records, without assistance from our staff. We can give you access to the records, but it is the responsibility of the person carrying out the search to identify and record the relevant information.
The difference between official and personal searches
For an official search (£48) or a personal search (free), you get:
- The description of the local land charge
- The registration date
- Details of the authority that can answer questions about the local land charge
For an official search (£48), you also get:
- An official search certificate, which is tamper-proof, digitally signed, and guaranteed by Rushmoor Borough Council, ensuring its authenticity
- A PDF sent by email
- The search area on a map
- Refined data
- Assistance from our staff
- Turnaround time in about 3 days
Things to consider
- Personal searches may be cheaper, but they can take longer - up to 20 working days
- They offer less protection than an official search
- Some lenders do not accept personal searches
- Personal searches come with ‘no search indemnity insurance’ that contains significant conditions and exclusions. Always make sure that your conveyancer has checked it’s suitable
Information under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 give you the right to access environmental information held by the council.
You can access all the environmental information needed to compile a property search by:
- Carrying out a personal search of the local land charges register (see above)
- Contacting the relevant departments that hold all other data - please see our who holds data under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 page
The regulations allow up to 20 working days for a response.
Fees and turnaround time
Most searches are returned in just over 3 working days. Need it faster? Contact us, to see how we can help.
| Service | Form | Net | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land charges search | LLC1 | £48 | x | £48 |
| Local enquiries search | CON29 | £140 | £28 | £168 |
| LLC1 extra parcel | £8 | x | £8 | |
| CON29 extra parcel | £15 | £3 | £18 | |
| Optional enquiry 4, 21, and 22 cluster | CON29O | £60 | £12 | £72 |
| Optional enquiry 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 | CON29O | £15 | £3 | £18 |
| Supplementary enquiry | £20 | £4 | £24 |
- Fees are non-refundable, as work starts immediately on receipt
- VAT receipts are issued with your search results
- For a copy of a document that is very old, there is a £25 collation fee. This covers the staff time taken to retrieve the documentation and send it out to you
Further information
If you have a question about local land charges, please contact us using the contact details below.
If you have an enquiry about highways, contact Hampshire County Council's land charges team:
Email: land.charges@hants.gov.uk
Phone: 01962 832199
Contact us