Melanie - if the mortgage was with a bank/lender then they will usually apply to remove (discharge) their own legal charge from the register.
In order to remove a mortgage (sometimes also referred to as a 'charge') from the register, we will need to see evidence that the mortgage has been paid off.
Your lender, most commonly a bank or building society, but they could be a private individual, may send you this evidence or they may notify us directly. Your lender, and any evidence they send to you, will determine the action you need to take. Some common scenarios are set out below.
Your lender may send you either:
- a completed form DS1, or
- a letter stating that they have redeemed your mortgage.
I have received Land Registry form DS1/DS3 from the lender or I need to remove the mortgage
You will need to send us:
- Form DS1/DS3. This should have been completed by your lender.
If you are completing the DS1/DS3 this will need to be signed and witnessed by the person from whom you borrowed the money (or their attorney/personal representative). The signature must be on the document itself in the space provided and the words of execution must name the signatory or otherwise make clear who has signed the document. See Practice guide 8: execution of deeds for information.
- Form DS2 (sometimes form DS2 is printed on the reverse side of a DS1). When you have completed form DS2, you need to send it along with the completed form DS1 to the address shown below.
If you have only been sent form DS1 you can obtain form DS2 from GOV.UK. Alternatively, you may enclose a letter with the form DS1 asking us to update the register and give the address to which you would like us to send the updated details.
Evidence of Identity is usually required for all parties to the transaction unless they are represented by a conveyancer. See Practice guide 67: evidence of identity for more information and the options available to you.
There is no fee for this application.
Please send your application to:
HM Land Registry
Citizen Centre
PO Box 74
Gloucester
GL14 9BB
I have received a letter from my lender stating that they have redeemed, or are going to redeem, my mortgage electronically
A mortgage can be removed from the register electronically. This is done by a lender who sends a discharge of the mortgage from their computer system directly to ours. Our computer system makes a number of checks and, provided everything is in order, the mortgage and any associated register entries are cancelled automatically.If you receive a letter from your lender saying that they are redeeming the mortgage electronically, you do not have to do anything. Further information can be found in Get information about property and land.
What will I receive when the application has been completed?
If you have lodged the application you will receive up to date records of your title - this comprises an official copy of the register and a title information document. If your lender or another third party has lodged the application then you will not receive any notification or documentation from us unless they have specifically asked us to do so.
In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where the lender has sent us the discharge electronically, and
- the lender has instructed us to do so
We will send you a letter confirming that your mortgage has been paid off.
Please note that in the majority of cases lenders do not ask us to send you any notification. Therefore, if you wish to have evidence that the mortgage has been removed from our records and that your details are up-to-date, you can apply for official copies of the register.
Please see Discharges and releases of registered charges for further guidance.
Further information
Get information about property and land
What are title deeds?
Where are my deeds kept?
