The RX1 form is used to apply to HM Land Registry to enter a restriction against a registered title. A restriction controls how a property can be dealt with and is one of the most powerful protective tools available in English land law.
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The RX1 form is the official land registry form used to apply to enter a restriction against a registered title in England and Wales. A restriction is an entry on the register that prevents HM Land Registry from making certain registrations without a specified condition first being satisfied. In plain terms, it stops someone from selling, mortgaging or otherwise dealing with a property unless whoever placed the restriction has given the required consent or certificate.
Understanding what an RX1 form is used for starts with understanding what a restriction does. Unlike a notice, which simply records that a third-party interest exists, a restriction actively blocks transactions. It sits on the title register and acts as a gate. Anyone searching the title before buying or lending will see it immediately and know that the transaction cannot be completed without meeting whatever condition the restriction requires.
Restrictions are used in an enormous range of situations. They protect co-owners, give lenders security over future dealings, protect people who have invested money in a property, safeguard the interests of beneficiaries under a trust, and give developers control over how plots they have sold can be dealt with in future. This land registry form is the starting point for all of these applications.
Section 77 of the Land Registration Act 2002. This provision imposes a duty not to apply for the entry of a restriction without reasonable cause. Anyone who applies for a restriction without a legitimate basis may be liable to pay damages to anyone who suffers loss as a result. Do not use an RX1 form to harass a registered proprietor or as a tactical move in a dispute without proper legal basis.
There are more situations where the form RX1 land registry application is appropriate than most people realise. The most common are straightforward but the breadth of circumstances where restrictions are useful is surprisingly wide.
When two or more people own a property as tenants in common, the registrar automatically enters a Form A restriction. This ensures that capital money on any future sale is paid to at least two trustees, protecting the shares of all co-owners.
If you have paid towards a property but are not the registered owner, a restriction can protect your financial interest by requiring your consent before any future disposal can be registered.
Developers who sell plots with ongoing obligations, such as estate management charges or design approval requirements, use restrictions to ensure those obligations bind future purchasers.
Some lenders require a restriction to be entered as part of their lending conditions, ensuring that certain conditions must be met before the property can be sold or remortgaged.
Following a court order or in matrimonial proceedings, a restriction may be entered to prevent one party from disposing of property without the other’s knowledge or consent.
Property owners who do not live at their registered property, such as landlords or overseas owners, sometimes enter voluntary restrictions as a fraud prevention measure.
One of the most important things to understand before completing the RX1 form is whether you need a standard form restriction or a non-standard one. Schedule 4 to the Land Registration Rules 2003 sets out a list of standard form restrictions identified by letters. Using a standard form where one is available avoids the need to draft bespoke wording and reduces the risk of the restriction being rejected or failing to achieve its intended purpose.
The most commonly encountered standard forms are:
Tenants in Common / Trust Protection
The most common restriction in practice. Entered automatically by the registrar when co-owners hold as tenants in common. Requires that capital money on any disposition be paid to at least two trustees or a trust corporation. Protects the interests of all co-owners on a sale.
Consent Required
No disposition of the registered estate by the proprietor of the registered estate is to be registered without a written consent signed by the person entitled to apply for cancellation. Used where someone’s consent is required before a property can be dealt with.
Certificate Required
No disposition is to be registered without a certificate signed by a named person or their conveyancer confirming that a specified condition has been met. Often used in development agreements where compliance with planning or estate obligations must be certified.
Consent and Certificate
A combination of Form B and Form C. No disposition is to be registered without both a written consent and a certificate. Used where the interest holder wants both to consent and to certify compliance with conditions.
Liquidator / Administrator
Used when a company is in liquidation or administration. Requires any disposition to be signed by the liquidator, administrator or receiver, ensuring that the insolvency practitioner retains control over the company’s property.
Matrimonial Home Rights
Protects the home rights of a spouse or civil partner under the Family Law Act 1996. No disposition is registered without the consent of the person whose home rights are protected.
Using a non-standard restriction. If none of the standard forms fits your situation, you can apply for a non-standard restriction by setting out its wording in full in Panel 9 of the RX1 form. For a non-standard restriction, delete the words in square brackets from Panel 9. Non-standard restrictions require more careful drafting and professional advice is strongly recommended to ensure the wording achieves what you intend.
People who are unfamiliar with land registration sometimes confuse restrictions and notices. They are different tools that serve different purposes and choosing the wrong one means your interest will not be protected in the way you expect.
|
Feature |
Restriction (RX1) |
Notice (UN1 or agreed) |
|
What it does |
Prevents registration of certain dealings unless a condition is met |
Records that a third-party interest exists against the title |
|
Effect on sale |
Actively blocks registration until condition satisfied |
Gives notice of the interest to a buyer — does not block the transaction |
|
Best for |
Co-ownership protection, consent requirements, trust interests |
Easements, covenants, options, equitable charges |
|
Can be removed by |
RX3 application by the beneficiary or by court order |
UN4 application or by consent of the person who registered it |
|
Affects lenders |
Yes — lenders will see it and require it to be resolved |
Depends on the nature of the interest |
|
Common example |
Form A restriction on co-owned property |
Unilateral notice protecting an option to purchase |
If your goal is to prevent a property from being sold or mortgaged without your knowledge or consent, a restriction is the right tool. If your goal is simply to make sure that a buyer knows your interest exists before they complete, a notice may be more appropriate. In some situations both are needed. If you are unsure which is right for your circumstances, take legal advice before applying.
The RX1 form has thirteen panels. Several of them involve legal judgements that require careful thought before completion, particularly Panel 8 which determines your entitlement to apply. Work through each panel in order and read the guidance notes printed on the form alongside each panel.
Enter the name of the local authority for the area where the property is located. Where more than one local authority serves the area, enter the one to which council tax or business rates are normally paid. Check your council tax demand if you are unsure.
Enter the title number of the registered title against which you want the restriction entered. If you do not know the title number, you can search the HM Land Registry portal for the property using its address. The title number must be correct — an application against the wrong title will be rejected.
Enter the full address of the property including postcode, or a description if it has no address. You must also tick one of three boxes to indicate whether the restriction is to affect the whole of the registered estate, a specific part of it (with a brief description, for example “edged red on the attached plan”), or a specific registered charge. The last option is for restrictions against a charge rather than the freehold or leasehold estate itself.
This panel records the application being made and the fee paid. The application is “Entry of restriction”. The current fee for entering a restriction is £40 per title. Tick the payment method — cheque payable to “Land Registry” or direct debit if you have an account with HM Land Registry. Private individuals must pay by postal order or cheque.
List all documents being lodged with the RX1. Note that if this application is accompanied by an AP1, you only need to complete the documents panel on the AP1 rather than duplicating it here. Original documents are only required for first registration applications. For all other applications, certified copies are sufficient — originals will be destroyed once scanned.
Enter the full name of the person applying to enter the restriction. Where a conveyancer is submitting the application, this must be the client’s name, not the conveyancer’s name. This is the same rule that applies to other HM Land Registry forms — the applicant is always the person whose interest is being protected, not their solicitor.
Enter the details of the person or firm sending the application to HM Land Registry. This panel must always be completed. Include name, address or DX box number, email address, reference and phone number. Requisitions and returned documents go to this address. HM Land Registry will use the email address wherever possible. Warning of cancellation letters are only sent to conveyancers where an email address is provided.
💡 Always include an email address. Without one you have no automatic acknowledgement that your application has been received, and no warning if there is a problem requiring urgent attention.
This is the most legally significant panel in the form. You must tick one of five options — A through E — to confirm the basis on which you are entitled to apply for the restriction. Tick only one box. If you are unsure which applies, Practice Guide 19 on GOV.UK covers this in detail. The five options are set out in full below.
Panel 8 is where many applications go wrong. Choosing the wrong entitlement route can result in the application being rejected or a requisition being raised. Take time to read each option carefully and match it to your situation before ticking any box.
The applicant is the registered owner of the estate or charge referred to in Panel 3. This is the correct option when the registered proprietor is applying to have a restriction entered against their own title — for example, a property owner who wants to enter a fraud prevention restriction, or co-owners applying for a Form A restriction. No supporting evidence of entitlement is needed beyond this confirmation.
Used where the applicant has a right to be registered as proprietor but is not yet on the register — for example, a buyer who has exchanged contracts but not yet completed, or a beneficiary entitled to be registered following the death of a trustee. If no conveyancer is acting, evidence of that entitlement must accompany the application. If a conveyancer is acting, they can provide a certificate instead of producing the original evidence.
Used where the applicant is a third party who has obtained the written consent of the registered proprietor to the restriction being entered. A common example is a person who has lent money secured informally against a property and has persuaded the owner to consent to a restriction being placed. If no conveyancer is acting, the relevant consent must accompany the application. A conveyancer can certify that they hold the consent.
A combination of options B and C. The applicant has the consent of someone who is entitled to be registered as proprietor but is not yet on the register. This situation arises less frequently but covers scenarios such as where a buyer has exchanged contracts and then consents to a third party’s restriction application before their own registration completes. Again, the required consent and evidence of entitlement must be enclosed or certified by the conveyancer.
Used where none of options A to D applies. The applicant must demonstrate that they have a sufficient interest in the restriction being entered — for example, someone who has rights over the land that fall short of being entitled to be registered as proprietor. If option E is selected, Panel 12 must be completed by the applicant (or Panel 13 by a conveyancer) setting out the nature of the interest and how it arose. HM Land Registry will assess whether the claimed interest is sufficient to justify the restriction. This option requires careful thought and almost always benefits from professional input.
Continuing the panel-by-panel guide for Panels 9 to 13:
Set out the full wording of the restriction you are applying for. For a standard form restriction from Schedule 4 to the Land Registration Rules 2003, insert the reference letter (for example “Form A”) in the square brackets and include the full wording. For a non-standard restriction, delete the words in square brackets and set out your bespoke wording in full. If the restriction requires an address for service — for example where a consent or certificate must be sent to someone before registration can proceed — include that address here. Each restrictioner may give up to three addresses for service, one of which must be a postal address with postcode.
The form must be signed here. If a conveyancer is acting, the conveyancer signs — they must sign if they have given one of the certificates referred to in Panel 8. If no conveyancer is acting, the applicant signs. Where there is more than one applicant, each of them must sign separately. Add the date alongside the signature.
Only complete this panel if the registered proprietor is consenting to the restriction being entered. Each consenting proprietor must print their full name and sign. Up to four consenting proprietors can sign in the boxes provided. This panel is most commonly needed when option C or D has been selected in Panel 8, but may also be required in other circumstances depending on the nature of the restriction.
Only complete this panel if option E was selected in Panel 8. The applicant must state the nature of their interest in the restriction being entered and provide details of how that interest arose. List any supporting documents in Panel 5 or on Form AP1. The applicant signs at the bottom of this panel. If a conveyancer is lodging the application, they may either complete Panel 13 themselves and leave Panel 12 blank, or may arrange for the applicant to complete this panel directly.
Only complete this panel if option E was selected in Panel 8 and a conveyancer is lodging the application. The conveyancer certifies the nature of the applicant’s interest and how it arose. The conveyancer signs and provides their full name. This panel is an alternative to the applicant completing Panel 12 — not in addition to it. One or the other should be completed, not both.
✅ Practical tip: Download the form RX1 PDF from the button at the top of this page and type all entries before printing. For Panel 9 in particular, having the full restriction wording typed cleanly and correctly is important. If you are applying for a Form A restriction (the most common), the wording is straightforward. For anything more complex, drafting the Panel 9 wording before you open the form and then pasting it in avoids errors.
The RX1 can be submitted as a standalone application or alongside other applications on an AP1. The approach you take depends on whether the restriction is being entered as part of a wider transaction or on its own.
If you are applying to enter a restriction independently — not as part of a purchase, mortgage or transfer — the RX1 can be submitted on its own by post to HM Land Registry. Include the completed and signed RX1, the fee of £40 per title, any supporting documents listed in Panel 5 and any consent required by Panel 11. Send by tracked post and keep copies of everything.
Where the restriction is being entered as part of a wider transaction — for example, a Form A restriction being entered at the same time as a transfer to co-owners — the RX1 accompanies an AP1 application. In that case, list the RX1 in Panel 5 of the AP1 as one of the documents being lodged, and complete Panel 4 of the AP1 to include the restriction application in the priority order table.
Form A restriction on co-owned property. Where two people buy a property as tenants in common, the Form A restriction is automatically entered by the registrar as part of the registration process — you do not need to apply separately using an RX1. The RX1 is only needed where you are applying for a restriction that would not be entered automatically, or where you are applying to change or add a restriction on an existing title.
Downloading the RX1 form is free. The fee payable to HM Land Registry for entering a restriction is a flat fee based on the number of titles affected, not the value of the property.
|
Application |
Fee (postal) |
Fee (electronic) |
|
Entry of restriction — per title |
£40 |
£40 |
|
Entry of restriction against a charge — per charge |
£40 |
£40 |
The fee is the same whether the restriction is standard or non-standard. Where the application affects more than one title, the fee is payable for each title separately. Private individuals submitting by post must pay by cheque or postal order made payable to “Land Registry”.
The RX1 is the official rx1 form land registry application used to enter a restriction against a registered title in England and Wales. A restriction controls how a property can be dealt with — for example, requiring a buyer to get consent from a third party before any sale can be registered. Common uses include protecting co-owners’ interests under a trust, requiring a developer’s consent before a plot can be resold, and protecting an individual who has contributed money to a property purchase without being named as registered owner.
A Form A restriction is the most common form a restriction land registry practitioners use in practice. It prevents any future capital money arising from a sale from being paid to a sole proprietor, ensuring it goes to at least two trustees or a trust corporation. This protects the interests of all co-owners, including those whose names are not on the register. When two or more people buy a property as tenants in common, the registrar enters a Form A restriction automatically as part of the registration. You do not need an RX1 for this. The RX1 is needed where you want to add a Form A restriction to an existing title that does not already have one.
Yes, in certain circumstances. Options C, D and E in Panel 8 of the RX1 form all cover situations where the applicant is not the registered proprietor. To apply against someone else’s property you need either the registered proprietor’s consent (option C), or you need to be able to demonstrate a sufficient interest in the restriction being entered (option E). Applying for a restriction against another person’s property without a proper legal basis can expose you to liability for damages under section 77 of the Land Registration Act 2002.
A straightforward standalone restriction application typically takes between two and four months to process at current HM Land Registry turnaround times. Where the RX1 is lodged alongside an AP1 as part of a wider transaction, it will be processed as part of that application at whatever processing time applies to the transaction type. HM Land Registry publishes current processing times on GOV.UK. If the restriction is urgently needed — for example in a dispute situation — contact HM Land Registry to ask about expedited processing, though this is not available as a matter of routine.
Restrictions are removed using the RX3 form (application to cancel a restriction). The application can be made by the person entitled to apply for cancellation as specified in the restriction itself, by the registered proprietor where the restriction is no longer needed, or by court order. Where the restriction was entered with a proprietor’s consent and that proprietor now wishes it removed, the RX3 is the correct route. A restriction cannot simply be overridden — it must be formally cancelled before the registration that the restriction prevents can be made.
Yes. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to submit an RX1 form. For a straightforward application — such as a property owner applying for a fraud prevention restriction, or co-owners who need to add a Form A restriction to an existing title — most people can manage without professional help. However, for applications involving option E in Panel 8, non-standard restriction wording, or any application where the entitlement to apply is less than completely clear, professional advice is strongly recommended. A poorly worded restriction or one applied for without proper basis can cause significant practical and legal problems.
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