How to remove a name from a title deed

Whether it’s due to death, divorce or a change in personal circumstances, it may become necessary for a name to be removed from a property deed. This is usually achieved by the property owners, including the person whose name is being removed, completing a transfer deed.

Although you can generally complete the process yourself, you might want to get legal help and have a lawyer review the paperwork for you.

How can I remove a name from the title deed?

The basic process involves filling in a series of forms and sending them to HM Land Registry. The exact procedure you’ll need to follow depends on a few things, such as whether or not there is a mortgage on the property.

Steps to remove a name from a property deed

1. Fill in the application to change the register.

You’ll need to fill in the application to change the register, known as form AP1.

You can obtain a copy of the official title register for £3 from the Land Registry website.

2. Sign the transfer deed.

The transfer deed, often referred to as TR1, must be signed by the property owners, including the one who is being removed.

3. Take form ID1 to a solicitors’ firm.

Form ID1 is the certificate of identity for a private individual. This form needs to be completed by a solicitor. You must also take with you a valid form of identification, which must be one of either:

A valid passport
A current photocard driving licence from either the EU, UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands. A provisional licence wouldn’t be enough
A UK Biometric Residence Permit

You will also need to provide two of the following:

A mortgage statement, sent by post, for the most recent finished accounting year
A UK-issued credit card, supported by a recent account statement, under three months old
A council rent book for the last three months
A council tax bill for the current year
A utility bill sent by post under three months ago
A current firearm or shotgun certificate

4. Send the completed forms to HM Land Registry.

The forms should be sent to this address:

HM Land Registry
Citizen Centre
PO Box 74
Gloucester
GL14 9BB

Don’t want to deal with all the trouble of handling your deed? You can consult with a lawyer who will complete the process for you.

What if there is a mortgage on the property?

If you need to remove a name from a title deed for a property with a mortgage on it, you will need written consent to do so from the lender. Generally, it is easier to obtain this if the person(s) left on the title deed is (are) sufficiently financially secure.

How can I remove a name from the title deed when a property owner dies?

In this case, you should fill in the deceased joint proprietor (DJP) form.

This form should then be sent to the HM Land Registry Citizen Centre, at this address:

HM Land Registry
Citizen Centre
PO Box 74
Gloucester
GL14 9BB

Frequently asked questions

If you buy a property with someone, whether it’s your partner or a friend, and contribute exactly the same amount towards the deposit, buying costs, mortgage and ongoing expenses you’ll probably want the proceeds to be split between you equally if you sell it.
But if you put in different amounts – for example, one of you pays more of the deposit than the other, or one of you will be paying more of the mortgage, you may want this to be reflected in how the proceeds are divided. And if a third party, such as a parent, has contributed money to help with the purchase they may want to be sure of getting their money back when the property is sold.
This is where a deed of trust – also known as a declaration of trust – comes in. It’s a legally binding document you draw up when you buy the property to record how much each party has paid and set out who will get what if the property is sold or what will happen if one person wants to buy the other out. This helps to avoid disagreements later.

Who is most likely to be researching removing someone's name from a title deed?

Finder data suggests that men aged 25-34 are most likely to be researching this topic.

Response	Male (%)	Female (%)
65+	6.03%	6.09%
55-64	6.85%	7.38%
45-54	9.28%	9.46%
35-44	10.84%	10.24%
25-34	10.98%	10.06%
18-24	6.80%	5.99%

Source: Finder sample of 6,630 visitors using demographics data from Google Analytics

We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

Thank you for your feedback!

Written by

Matthew Boyle

Publisher

Matthew Boyle is a banking and mortgages publisher at Finder. He has a 7-year history of publishing helpful guides to assist consumers in making better decisions. In his spare time, you will find him walking in the Norfolk countryside admiring the local wildlife. See full bio

Matthew's expertise

Matthew has written 285 Finder guides across topics including:

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60 Responses

TinaApril 12, 2018

I purchased a house with friend and we took out joint mortgage, a few years ago I decided to opt out and I was removed from the mortgage and paid off by my friend but I still appear to remain on the tittle deed even now and I am looking to purchase a property?
How can I remove myself from the deed title, my ex- friend has ignored and declined to sign the AP1 form even though it is in their interest to do so ?

Finder

JoshuaApril 23, 2018Finder

Hi Tina,

Thanks for getting in touch with finder.

If you wish to know how to remove a name from the title deed, you may want to review our page. If your friend doesn’t wish to cooperate, you may want to go through partition actions.

It is best to seek legal advice to get a more personalised action plan to solve your issue.

I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.

Have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Joshua

BellaApril 12, 2018

My husband would like his name taken off the deeds. Is it correct I just need to fill out both an AP1 & TR1 form and take them to a solicitor with ID for verification. Then send both forms off to the land registry with a small fee.
I do not want to pay a solicitor for something I could potentially do myself, I accept it will take me longer to do it this way but I am in no rush.

Finder

JeniApril 13, 2018Finder

Hi Bella,

Thank you for getting in touch with finder.

You’re right, just fill up AP1 first then TR1 form.

In this link, you would be able to watch a video too regarding your enquiry of taking off your husband’s name in the deeds.

I hope this helps.

Have a great day!

Cheers,
Jeni

AnisaApril 11, 2018

Hi,
My brother-in-law and uncle own the house we are living in. There is a mortgage that my husband pays every month even the mortgage is under my brother-in-law’s name. In future if anything happens to my husband, where do I stand and my children because on the land register form my husbands name isn’t on it and neither on the mortgage?

Finder

JoshuaApril 12, 2018Finder

Hi Anisa,

Thanks for getting in touch with finder.

The people whose names are written on the property deed technically own the house. As long as your husband isn’t on the property deed, even if he pays the monthly mortgage, he won’t have any right to the property. The same can be said for you and your children.

With this in mind, since your husband is making the payment, you might want to discuss with your brother-in-law and uncle the possibility of adding your husband’s name on the deed.

I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.

Have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Joshua

garyApril 9, 2018

hi i have been living in the same house since my divorce 6 yrs ago am wanting my x partner taken off the deeds of the property has she is now buying a house in spain with her partner how do i go about this ..my ex doesnt want anything to do with the property hasnt paid a penny towards this there is no equity in the property has i still owe 60000 on the morgage which will come to a end in 15 yrs time is there any forms a need to do this so its just my name on morgage and deeds thxs

Finder

JoshuaApril 10, 2018Finder

Hi Gary,

Thanks for getting in touch with finder.

I understand that you want to remove your ex-wife’s name off the deed of your property. First off, if the property is still under mortgage, you need to discuss this with your lender. You will need written consent to do so from the lender. Generally, it is easier to obtain this if you, as the person left on the title deed, are sufficiently financially secure.

However, if your ex-wife isn’t cooperative, your case can easily get complicated. If necessary, you may need to go through partition actions which are lawsuits that force co-owners to give up their ownership interests. However, this can be costly and time-intensive so it’s best to avoid this where possible.

I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.

Have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Gary

NicolaApril 8, 2018

Hi!

I own a property with my mother on paper/loan agreement – The purpose for this mortgage was to insure the loan. I don’t make any contributions and wish to get my name removed, however our lender can’t overturn the loan in her name solely due to age/financial matters (although she can afford the mortgage each month)

Is there a way I can get my name removed, as I wish to purchase a property of my own.

Finder

JoshuaApril 9, 2018Finder

Hi Nicola,

Thanks for getting in touch with finder.

Yes, it is possible for you to get your name removed. Since the property is still under mortgage, you need to discuss this with your lender. Generally, it is easier to remove your name if your mother, who will be left on the title deed, is sufficiently financially secure.

You may also want to talk with a specialist broker company to learn more about your options.

I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.

Have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Joshua

How to remove someone’s name from a title deed

A change in personal circumstances may make it necessary to remove a name from a property deed.