A small fee inside a big purchase
Registering a purchase and a mortgage with HM Land Registry is a standard step in a move. This article summarises the GOV.UK page “HM Land Registry: Registration Services fees”, which states that it applies to England and Wales and was last updated on 28 April 2025. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate land registration systems, which are outside the scope of this article. The page carries a caution that land registration is complex and suggests considering legal representation, so the fee calculator and the current fee document should be checked for the exact figure. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Scale 1: buying a property (England and Wales)
The page says that transfers of registered land for monetary consideration are charged under Scale 1, based on the consideration, which is usually the purchase price. Fees under Scale 1 are assessed on the VAT-inclusive price or rent. The table shows different fees for postal applications and for applications through the portal or Business Gateway for transfers that affect the whole of a registered title:
- £0 to £80,000: £45 by post, £20 through the portal;
- £80,001 to £100,000: £95 by post, £40 through the portal;
- £100,001 to £200,000: £230 by post, £100 through the portal;
- £200,001 to £500,000: £330 by post, £150 through the portal;
- £500,001 to £1,000,000: £655 by post, £295 through the portal; and
- over £1,000,000: £1,105 by post, £500 through the portal.
The page says transfers of the whole of a registered title made through the portal or Business Gateway carry a fee reduced by 55 per cent compared with a postal application, and that transfers of part do not receive the reduction. In one of its examples a buyer purchasing for £575,000 pays under Scale 1 on the price paid, which places the fee in the £500,001 to £1,000,000 band.
Scale 2: a mortgage charge (England and Wales)
A mortgage is registered as a charge of registered land, and the page says the fee is payable under Scale 2, based on the amount of the charge. The table for charges of the whole title through the portal or Business Gateway, alongside the postal figure, shows:
- £0 to £100,000: £45 by post, £20 through the portal;
- £100,001 to £200,000: £70 by post, £30 through the portal;
- £200,001 to £500,000: £100 by post, £45 through the portal;
- £500,001 to £1,000,000: £145 by post, £65 through the portal; and
- over £1,000,000: £305 by post, £140 through the portal.
Where a charge secures a fixed amount, the fee is based on that amount. Where it secures further advances up to a maximum, the fee is based on the maximum, and where the total is unlimited, on the value of the property charged. Separate charges in separate documents attract separate Scale 2 fees, even if they secure a single debt and are submitted together. The page’s example of a mortgage securing £150,000 and any further advances assesses the fee on £150,000.
Remortgaging (England and Wales)
The page gives an example of a homeowner remortgaging to get a better rate on a £200,000 loan, with the fee assessed under Scale 2 on £200,000 as the maximum amount secured. It states that there is no fee to register the discharge of the existing loan. On the tables, £200,000 sits in the £100,001 to £200,000 band.
Transfers that are not sales (England and Wales)
Gifts, assents and similar transfers not for value are assessed under Scale 2 on the value of the property, less the amount outstanding on any charge that continues or any new charge lodged with the application. The page gives examples including a gift of a property worth £200,000 with a £100,000 mortgage remaining, which is assessed on £100,000.
Where this fits in a move budget (England and Wales)
The Land Registry fee is separate from Stamp Duty Land Tax, which is covered in this site’s article on higher SDLT rates when buying before selling, and from the removal, storage and cleaning costs described in the moving house budget guide. Buyers can ask their conveyancer which fee figure and route will be used for their transaction.
Common questions
Is the fee based on the mortgage or the price? Both apply, in different ways: Scale 1 for the transfer is based on the price, and Scale 2 for the charge is based on the amount secured.
Does VAT change the figure? The page says Scale 1 fees are assessed on the VAT-inclusive consideration.
Is there a fee to register the end of an old mortgage? The page says there is no fee to register the discharge of the existing loan in its remortgage example.
Does the page apply to Scotland? No. It states that it applies to England and Wales.
The bottom line
For a purchase in England or Wales, HM Land Registry’s Scale 1 fee follows the price and, for a transfer of a whole registered title through the portal, runs from £20 up to £500 in the figures published on GOV.UK. A new mortgage is charged separately under Scale 2 according to the amount secured, and a remortgage of £200,000 falls in the £100,001 to £200,000 band. Because the tables carry an update date of 28 April 2025, the current fee calculator confirms the exact figure.