If you own your home freehold, you own the house and the land it is built on, typically extending to a reasonable depth for500ft to 1000ft, though you generally do not own the mineral, oil, or coal rights beneath it. If your home is leasehold, you own the property for a set term, but not the land.
The best way to find out who owns a specific piece of land is to do a search on the Land Registry website. You can use their map search to pinpoint the land you are interested in and download plans and title deeds for a small fee.
The owner of a freehold property has the right to “reasonably enjoy” everything from the centre of the earth up to, but not including, the “upper stratum” which is not well defined but starts somewhere between 500ft (150 metres) to 1,000ft (300 metres) above the roof of the building.
Land ownership in England and Wales is based on historical feudal principles. The Crown owns all land in England and Wales; people own estates in land either directly or indirectly from the Crown (for example, a freehold estate or a leasehold estate).
With a freehold, you own the property and the land it is built on. With a leasehold you own the property for a set term, but not the land, which is owned by a freeholder. Most houses are freehold and nearly all flats are leasehold, but there are exceptions.
What Can You Build WITHOUT Planning Permission? (UK)
What is the 7 year boundary rule in the UK?
The "7 year boundary rule" implies that a person who does not legally own a piece of land can become the legal owner if they have openly used it without challenge by the owner for 7 years. But this isn't strictly true. The law on adverse possession is much more complex than that.
To make a claim you will need to follow a very specific legal process: You must provide evidence you have been in possession of the land without the owner's permission for 10-12 years depending on whether the land is registered or unregistered. You must be able to show your possession was continuous.
The title register is a crucial document maintained by the Land Registry. It contains details about: The owner of the property or land: This includes the legal title holder's name and any restrictions on ownership such as restrictive covenants.
There are no strictly defined allowances - you have to seek planning permission. Air rights apply to up to 500 feet, but how high you can actually build will depend on your local authority's planning considerations.
Whether you're digging an underground living space under your existing home or have one planned in your new property design, building a basement is usually legal. In most cases, you will have to get planning permission from your local authority.
In real estate, air rights are the property interest in the "space" above the Earth's surface. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building includes the right to use and build in the space above the land without interference by others.
Do you own the pavement outside your house in the UK?
Understanding the legal implications, property laws, and public rights surrounding this issue is crucial for homeowners in the United Kingdom. In the UK, public access to roadways and pathways is a long-standing tradition that grants members of the public the right to use the pavements outside private houses.
There is a latin phrase "cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos" (whoever owns the soil owns it all the way to heaven and all the way to hell) which describes the basic legal position - you own all the land all the way to the centre of the earth and the airspace all the way to space.
Unclaimed land in the UK refers mostly to unregistered land, often held by families, the Church, or the Crown for generations, not truly ownerless, but without Land Registry details. You can potentially claim it through adverse possession, by occupying it exclusively (e.g., fencing it off) without permission for 10-12 years (registered/unregistered land) and applying to the Land Registry, proving your long-term, open possession. While there's no simple map, online resources map unregistered areas, and you'll need diligent investigation, documentation (photos, receipts), and potentially legal help to prove your claim.
Thus, the certificate of title becomes the best proof of ownership of a parcel of land. As registered owners of the lots in question, the respondents have a right to eject any person illegally occupying their property. This right is imprescriptible.
A quick and simple check of the register will be able to confirm either way. If the property or land is registered, the electronic registry will contain all the details of ownership that would have previously been written in the title deeds, so it is not necessary to have the physical deeds in your possession.
If you die within 7 years of giving away all or part of your property, your home will be treated as a gift and the 7 year rule applies. The 7 year rule does not apply to gifts with reservation.
In order to claim Adverse Possession you must show that: You have actual physical possession of the land (Fencing off the land is strong evidence of physical possession) You have the intention to possess the land (Using the land as if it is your own to the exclusion of others)
In the terms of land in agriculture, the dimensions diverge slightly, defining an acre as roughly 660 feet in length and 66 feet in width. To put this into perspective, a building developer will be able to efficiently fit a minimum of 18 houses within the confines of a single acre of land.
Planning permission for land can indeed add value to a property. A piece of land with this permission ensures a future property will have a higher price than its market worth, which is why numerous landowners obtain it before selling. It's an excellent step to take to add value to your land without breaking the bank.
