Keeping track of land this is mortgaged, bought or sold in England and Wales is the job of Land Registry, a UK Government agency. By extension, Land Registry also tracks the sale and ownership of property, because anyone who owns a building (is the 'freeholder', to use the legal term) also owns the land that building is standing on. Land Registry does not keep records of tenants ('leaseholders').

Land Registry holds information on about two thirds of land in England and Wales, making it a great resource for individuals who wish to find out about property and property ownership. If you are looking for this type of information, the relevant Land Registry information you need to consult can be found in title registers.

When land is registered with Land Registry, a 'title register' is created with a unique number that makes it easy to identify. It is then further divided into three parts: a charges register that gives details of mortgages or other financial or legal rights attached to the land; a property register that describes any property built on the land; and a proprietorship register giving details of who owns the land - owners may be private individuals, businesses or organisations. In addition, you can consult a property's title plan for an overview of its physical layout.

A Land Registry search can be useful if you are thinking of buying or renting a property, you wish to find out a possible location of an individual, you're trying to learn more about an individual's or business's property holdings or mortgage status (although exact mortgage amounts are not usually available) or you want to find out about any restrictions (excluding planning permission) on the use of a property.