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What a land registry search actually tells you
A search at the land registry is the first thing most buyers do and the most misunderstood. It answers one narrow question: on the date of the search, what does the register say about this parcel and who is recorded against it. It does not answer whether that record is correct, complete, or the end of the story.
That distinction is where purchases go wrong. Below is what the search gives you, what it leaves open, and what to ask for before any money moves.
What the search does establish
The search result, properly obtained, tells you the registered proprietor, the nature of the title held, any registered encumbrances such as a mortgage or charge, and whether a caveat or caution has been lodged against the land. It also dates itself: the registry searches against the state of the register on the day, which is why a search has a short useful life and a stale one proves nothing.
What it does not establish
Three gaps matter in practice.
- The register may be incomplete. Not every parcel in every state has been brought onto a registered title system. A parcel under a customary or family holding may appear in no register at all, and a search returning "nothing" is not the same as a search returning "clean".
- Unregistered interests do not show up. An occupier with a long-standing tenancy, a family with an equitable claim, or a person holding an unregistered instrument of assignment may not appear anywhere on the register.
- The search does not verify identity. The name on the register matching the name on the vendor's identification is a start, not a conclusion. Companies change names, individuals share names, and an executor may be selling under a grant of probate that has since been revoked.
The documents to ask for
The search is one document in a set. Before completion, ask the vendor for the root of title and the full chain of assignments, the survey plan with its coordinates, the receipted evidence of any governor's consent for prior transfers, and the tax and rate clearances for the property. A gap in the chain is the thing a search will never show you.
A clean search on a broken chain is worse than an unclear search on a sound one — the first invites you to stop asking questions.
Why the report matters more than the search
The search result is a document. The report is the advice. A proper title report states what the search showed, what it did not show, which questions remain open, and what the buyer should do about each one before paying. That is the document worth reading carefully, and it is the one a seller will rarely volunteer.
This note is general information, not legal advice. It does not create a solicitor–client relationship and it may not reflect the law as it stands when you read it. For a matter of your own, send an enquiry.