Compulsory registration - leases granted on or after 13 October 2003

In this chapter, 'discontinuous lease' means a lease where the tenant's right to possession of the demised land is not continuous, such as a time share holiday flat used two specific weeks every year. A 'reversionary lease' means a lease that gives the tenant a right of possession in the future, as opposed to immediately.

The following leases granted out of unregistered land must be registered:

• new leases granted for a term of more than seven years for either valuable consideration, by way of gift, or pursuant to a court order
• discontinuous leases where the total letting period exceeds seven years
• reversionary leases taking effect more than three months from the date of the grant, granted
  • out of any unregistered freehold estate, or
  • out of any unregistered leasehold estate whose term has more than seven years to run
• leases granted under the provisions of the Housing Act 1985

The following leases granted out of registered land must be registered:

• new leases granted for a term of more than seven years
• reversionary leases taking effect more than three months from the date of the grant
• discontinuous leases regardless of the length of the term
• leases granted under the provisions of the Housing Act 1985.

The next page looks at the position where the landlord's title is subject to compulsory registration.