How landlords can monitor a property title for fraud with Property Alert

Landlords · Originally published 20/07/2026 · Updated 09/11/2026 · 2 min read

HM Land Registry’s free service can flag activity on registered properties in England and Wales. Here’s what an alert can tell you and how to respond.

If you let out a home or leave one empty, you may rarely have a reason to look at its title register. HM Land Registry identifies both situations as factors that can increase the risk of property fraud. Its free Property Alert service lets you monitor up to ten registered properties in England and Wales.

What an alert means

The service emails you about certain activity affecting a monitored title. That could include an application connected with a mortgage. Some activity is entirely expected, especially if you are already selling or refinancing. If the details are unfamiliar, check them promptly. An alert gives you an opportunity to respond. Applications can still proceed while a title is being monitored.

To get started, open the service from GOV.UK, verify your email address and add the properties using their addresses or title numbers. You can also monitor a relative’s registered property. If you manage several flats at one address, check the title number against the property you intend to monitor. Review your contact details on the register too, particularly after moving.

What to do about unexpected activity

Compare the details in the alert with any work your solicitor or conveyancer is handling. If you are unsure whether the message itself is genuine, reach HM Land Registry through the contact details published on GOV.UK. Its property fraud team handles reports of suspected fraud. Keep the alert and a note of the people you have contacted so that you can explain what happened and when.

Owners who think their title is particularly vulnerable can also consider a restriction. HM Land Registry explains that a restriction can require a solicitor or conveyancer to certify that a sale or mortgage application was made by the owner before it can be registered. The correct application depends on how the property is owned and whether the owner lives there. Ask your conveyancer what a restriction would mean for a future sale or remortgage.

Sources

[HM Land Registry’s Property Alert guidance](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/property-alert)
[GOV.UK guide to protecting property from fraud](https://www.gov.uk/protect-land-property-from-fraud)

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