13th July 2026 ❘ Legal News and Commentary
New HM Land Registry Reporting Requirements for Developers and Landowners
By Ben Crystal, Senior Associate Solicitor in our Commercial Property team
The Government has introduced new regulations that will require information relating to certain contractual agreements to be disclosed to HM Land Registry. The changes form part of a wider drive to improve transparency within the land market and are expected to have significant implications for developers, promoters and landowners entering into development-related arrangements. Whether these changes have any impact on you or your business should be carefully considered.
What are the new HM Land Registry contractual control regulations?
The Provision of Information (Contractual Control) (Registered Land) Regulations 2026 introduce a requirement for information about certain agreements affecting registered land in England and Wales to be submitted to HM Land Registry. This information will then form part of the public record.
The legislation applies to arrangements that give a party the ability to influence or control the future use or development of land, even where legal ownership does not change.
The new regime comes into force on 6 April 2027, although transitional provisions apply to certain agreements entered into from 8 June 2026 onwards.
Which agreements are affected?
The disclosure requirements are expected to capture a range of commonly used development agreements, including:
- Option agreements
- Conditional contracts
- Rights of pre-emption
- Certain rights contained within promotion agreements
The Regulations are aimed at arrangements that provide a party with a degree of control over the future development or disposal of land, rather than ordinary property transactions.
What information must be provided?
Whilst the detail will be dealt with through HM Land Registry’s new digital platform, the intention is that information regarding the nature of the contractual right, the parties involved, the land affected and the duration of the arrangement will be recorded and ultimately made publicly available.
The obligation to provide information generally falls on the beneficiary of the contractual control right, and submissions must be made through a regulated conveyancer.
Key reporting deadlines
We should be particularly conscious of the following:
- Contractual control rights granted between 8 June 2026 and 5 April 2027 must be reported by 6 October 2027.
- New rights granted on or after 6 April 2027 must generally be reported within 60 days.
- Variations, assignments and certain terminations may also trigger reporting obligations.
Why do these changes matter?
Previously, many development arrangements have remained largely private, with limited publicly available information regarding who has secured development rights over land.
The Government’s stated aim is to increase transparency, assist local authorities and communities in understanding land control arrangements, and improve the operation of the land market.
For developers and landowners, the changes are likely to introduce additional administrative requirements and due diligence considerations when negotiating and documenting development agreements. Existing systems for recording and monitoring contractual rights may need to be reviewed to ensure future compliance.
What should developers and landowners do now?
These changes introduce new obligations for those affected.
Landowners, developers and promoters should begin identifying any agreements that may fall within the new requirements and ensure that appropriate processes are in place ahead of the implementation date.
Early advice can help parties understand whether their arrangements are caught by the Regulations and ensure compliance with the forthcoming reporting obligations.
If you would like to discuss how the new HM Land Registry contractual control regulations could affect your business or your development arrangements, please do get in touch with us – our Commercial Property team will be happy to help you.