This form is used by personal representatives to pass ownership of a deceased person's registered property to the person or people entitled to inherit it. It is the deed that formally transfers property out of a deceased estate and into the hands of the beneficiary.
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The AS1 is the official land registry form AS1 used when the personal representative of a deceased person passes registered property to a beneficiary. Its full name is “Assent of Whole of Registered Title(s) by Personal Representative(s)” and it represents one of the most important steps in administering a deceased estate that includes registered land.
When a property owner dies, legal ownership of their registered property does not automatically transfer to whoever inherits it. The deceased’s estate must be administered first. The personal representative — either an executor named in the will or an administrator appointed by the court — takes control of the estate, pays any debts and liabilities, and then distributes what remains to the beneficiaries. This land registry form AS1 application is the document that formally records that distribution happening, at least as far as HM Land Registry is concerned.
Until the assent is executed and registered, the deceased person technically remains on the title register as the legal owner. From a practical standpoint this means the property cannot be sold or mortgaged without first completing the assent process. Many families discover this only when they try to sell a property that has been inherited, and the title still shows a person who died years earlier. Executing and registering the assent is what fixes that.
AS1 or AS3? This form covers the assent of a whole registered title. If only part of a registered title is being assented — for example, a portion of land within a larger title — the correct form is AS3 (Assent of Part of Registered Title). Using the wrong form will result in a requisition from HM Land Registry.
An assent is a legal act by which a personal representative confirms that a specific asset from the estate — in this case registered land — is to pass to a particular beneficiary. It is the mechanism by which ownership moves from the deceased’s estate to the person who inherits.
The word assent means that the personal representative is agreeing, to the beneficiary’s entitlement. In practice the AS1 form both records and gives effect to that agreement. Once executed as a deed and registered at HM Land Registry, the beneficiary becomes the new registered proprietor.
It is worth understanding that an assent is not the same as a sale. No purchase price is involved in a straightforward assent — the property passes by inheritance, not commercial transaction. This matters for several reasons, most importantly Stamp Duty Land Tax. In most cases an assent is exempt from SDLT because no consideration is being paid, though there are exceptions where the beneficiary is taking on a mortgage or paying something for the property.
✅ SDLT on assents. Most assents are exempt from Stamp Duty Land Tax because no money changes hands. The beneficiary should still complete an SDLT return and self-certify the exemption before HM Land Registry will register the assent. Where a beneficiary assumes an existing mortgage or pays anything for the property, SDLT may be chargeable on that amount. Always verify the SDLT position before submitting the application.
The AS1 and the TR1 form both transfer ownership of a whole registered title, but they serve entirely different purposes and are used in entirely different circumstances. Understanding the distinction matters because using the wrong form will result in rejection of the application.
In practice, some estate transactions do use a TR1 rather than an AS1. Where the personal representative is selling the property to a third-party buyer rather than assenting it to a beneficiary, the sale is treated as a normal property transaction and uses a TR1. The AS1 is specifically for passing property to a beneficiary who is inheriting it, not selling it.
Only the personal representative of the deceased proprietor can execute this form. Understanding who qualifies as a personal representative is essential before completing the form.
If the deceased left a valid will, the people named as executors in that will are the personal representatives. They derive their authority from the will itself, though a grant of probate from the Probate Registry confirms and evidences that authority. An executor must obtain probate before the application can be submitted to HM Land Registry.
If the deceased died without a valid will (intestate), there is no executor. The next of kin or another interested person applies to the Probate Registry for letters of administration. The person appointed is called an administrator and has the same powers as an executor. Letters of administration must accompany the AS1 application.
A trust corporation or professional firm can act as personal representative. Where the personal representative is a UK company or LLP, Panel 5 requires the registered number. For overseas entities, the overseas entity ID issued by Companies House is required under the Economic Crime Act 2022.
Where there is more than one personal representative, all of them must be named in Panel 5 and all must execute the form at Panel 12. A single executor or administrator can act alone, but where there are multiple personal representatives they should generally all join in unless they have expressly renounced their role.
This is where assent land registry applications most commonly run into problems. HM Land Registry requires evidence that the personal representative has the authority to deal with the deceased’s estate before it will register an AS1. That evidence takes one of two forms depending on whether the deceased left a will.
One of the most common reasons people use the AP1 form without a solicitor is to update their name on the property register after getting married, entering a civil partnership, divorcing or changing their name by deed poll. The process is straightforward but a few things need to be right.
Grant of probate — required where the deceased left a valid will and executors have been appointed. A grant of probate is issued by the Probate Registry after the will has been proved and confirmed as valid. It names the executors and confirms their authority to administer the estate. The original grant or a certified copy must accompany the AS1 application, or the conveyancer’s certificate in Panel 11 can be used as an alternative.
Letters of administration — required where there is no valid will, or where there is a will but no executor is able or willing to act. Letters of administration are issued by the Probate Registry and appoint the administrator. They have the same evidential function as a grant of probate. Again, the original or a certified copy must be lodged, or the conveyancer’s certificate in Panel 11 used.
Court order — in some cases a court order may vest property in a personal representative or direct that an assent be made. Where a court order is the basis of the personal representative’s authority, a copy of that order must accompany the application.
Conveyancer’s certificate in Panel 11 (alternative) — if a conveyancer is acting, they can avoid lodging the original probate or letters of administration by including a certificate in Panel 11 of the form. The standard wording is: “I am the applicant’s conveyancer and certify that I am holding the original or a certified or office copy of the grant of probate, letters of administration or court order. I confirm that the grant of probate, letters of administration or court order was granted in the United Kingdom.” This certificate can only be given if the grant was issued in the UK.
⚠️No probate, no registration. HM Land Registry will not register an assent without evidence of the personal representative’s authority. If probate has not yet been obtained and the estate is ready to be distributed, the probate application must be made first. Applying for probate through the Probate Registry before submitting the AS1 form is the correct sequence.
This form has twelve panels. The following guidance takes you through each one. Several panels have specific requirements that differ from other HM Land Registry forms because this form deals with a deceased estate rather than a living transaction. Take care with Panels 4 and 5 in particular, as these are unique to the AS1.
Enter the title number of the registered property being assented. If the property has not yet been registered — for example, it was never registered during the deceased’s lifetime — leave this panel blank. First registration of unregistered land inherited from a deceased person uses a different process involving the FR1 form. Most inherited properties in England and Wales will already be registered, but check by searching the HM Land Registry portal if you are unsure.
💡 If the title is registered, the title number will appear on any official copy of the register, on correspondence from solicitors who have previously dealt with the property, or on the title information document issued when the deceased first bought it.
Enter the full address of the property including postcode, or a description if it has no postal address. Use the address as it appears on the register, not simply the postal address if the two differ. For properties without a street address such as agricultural land or fields, use a description such as “land known as [name], [location]”.
Leave this blank until the day the assent is executed. Fill in the actual date on which the form is signed and witnessed. Never fill in a date in advance. The form guidance specifically states to date the assent with the day of completion but not before it has been signed and witnessed.
⚠️ Pre-dating a deed is a serious mistake that can have legal consequences. The date in Panel 3 must reflect the actual day on which the personal representative signed the form in the presence of a witness.
Enter the full name of the person who has died and whose name currently appears on the title register. This must match exactly the name on the register. If the name on the register differs from the name on the grant of probate, for example because the deceased used a shortened name in earlier transactions, this discrepancy should be addressed in Panel 11 or separately before submission.
Enter the full name or names of all personal representatives who are assenting the property. These are the executors named in the grant of probate or the administrators named in the letters of administration. All personal representatives who have taken out the grant must be named here. For UK companies acting as personal representative, include the registered number. For overseas entities, the overseas entity ID issued by Companies House under the Economic Crime Act 2022 is required.
Enter the full legal name of the beneficiary or beneficiaries who will be registered as the new owner after the assent. For individual beneficiaries, use full forenames and surname. For companies, include the registered number. For overseas entities, the overseas entity ID is required. What is entered here will appear on the title register as the new registered proprietor.
Enter up to three addresses where HM Land Registry can serve notices on the new registered proprietor. At least one must be a postal address including postcode. The others can be a UK DX box number or an email address. This panel is mandatory and HM Land Registry will raise a requisition if it is left blank. After registration, all official notices affecting the title will be sent to the address entered here.
This panel contains the fixed operative statement: “The personal representative transfers the property to the transferee.” It is a set declaration and does not need to be amended in a standard assent. No further wording is needed here — the legal effect of the assent is contained in this statement combined with the execution at Panel 12.
Tick the appropriate box. In most estate assents, limited title guarantee is used rather than full title guarantee. This is because the personal representative typically has limited personal knowledge of the title and its history — they are administering the estate of someone who has died, not dealing with their own property. Full title guarantee implies personal knowledge that the personal representative cannot honestly give in most cases. Some solicitors use limited title guarantee as a matter of course for all AS1 assents.
Only complete this panel if there are two or more beneficiaries receiving the property. Tick whether they hold as joint tenants (equal shares with automatic inheritance on death) or tenants in common in equal shares, or set out the specific terms of the trust. If Panel 10 is completed, each beneficiary must also execute the form at Panel 12 to comply with section 53(1)(b) of the Law of Property Act 1925. The registrar will enter a Form A restriction unless joint tenancy is clearly indicated.
Use this panel for any required statements, certificates, covenants or declarations. Most importantly, if a conveyancer is handling the application, they may include the grant of probate certificate here instead of lodging the original probate with the application. The standard wording is: “I am the applicant’s conveyancer and certify that I am holding the original or a certified or office copy of the grant of probate, letters of administration or court order. I confirm that the grant of probate, letters of administration or court order was granted in the United Kingdom.” This saves the original probate document from being destroyed after scanning by HM Land Registry.
The personal representative must execute the AS1 form as a deed. For individuals this means signing in the presence of an independent witness who also signs, prints their full name and provides their address. The witness cannot be the beneficiary, a spouse, civil partner or anyone living with the personal representative. All personal representatives named in Panel 5 must execute the form. If Panel 10 was completed (two or more beneficiaries), each beneficiary must also sign here. For company personal representatives, execute under the Companies Act 2006.
✅ Practical tip: Use the AS1 form template from the download button above and type all entries before printing for execution. Having the form typed clearly reduces the chance of requisitions caused by illegible entries. Prepare Panel 11 carefully — this is where many AS1 applications are strengthened or weakened depending on whether the probate certificate is included.
A question that comes up regularly is where to send this form. The answer to where to send the AS1 form land registry submission depends on whether you are a conveyancer or a private individual, and whether you are submitting electronically or by post.
Registered conveyancers with a HM Land Registry Business e-services portal account can submit AS1 applications electronically. This is faster, attracts slightly lower fees on value-based applications, and means documents are processed more quickly. The portal is only available to registered professional customers — private individuals cannot submit electronically.
Private individuals and anyone without a portal account must submit by post. Send the complete bundle to the appropriate HM Land Registry office. Use recorded or tracked post and keep certified copies of every document before posting. The appropriate office address is listed on the GOV.UK website based on the location of the property.
Knowing where to send the AS1 form is only part of the picture. The complete bundle should include:
Downloading the form is free. The registration fee paid to HM Land Registry on an assent application is calculated differently depending on whether the property is being transferred for value or not.
|
Application |
Fee basis |
Example (postal) |
|
Assent — no monetary consideration |
Based on market value using Scale 1 |
£150 for property worth £200,001 to £500,000 |
|
Assent — beneficiary assuming mortgage |
Scale 1 on the amount assumed |
Based on outstanding mortgage value |
|
Assent where first registration also needed |
Voluntary registration fee (25% discount) |
Varies by value |
Unlike a purchase, no purchase price is paid in a typical assent. However, the registration fee is still calculated on the current market value of the property rather than zero. Many people are surprised by this. Where to send the AS1 form is one question — the correct fee is another. The absence of a sale price does not mean the registration fee is nil. Use the HM Land Registry fee calculator on GOV.UK with the current market value to determine the correct fee before submitting.
Current processing times for assent applications at HM Land Registry range from approximately 3 to 6 months for straightforward cases. Applications involving unusual title histories, missing documents or complex family arrangements may take considerably longer. Check the current processing times on GOV.UK as these change regularly.
The AS1 form is used when property is being passed by a personal representative to a beneficiary as part of administering a deceased estate. No purchase price is involved and the transaction arises from death rather than a commercial deal. The TR1 is used when the personal representative is selling the property to a third-party buyer, which is a normal commercial sale transaction. In a probate context: inheritance to a beneficiary uses AS1, sale to a buyer on the open market uses TR1.
Yes. An executor who is also a beneficiary under the will can validly assent the property to themselves. Known as an assent to self, this means the same person appears in both Panel 5 (personal representative) and Panel 6 (transferee). The form is executed in the usual way at Panel 12. This is a common situation where a sole beneficiary is also the executor, or where one of several beneficiaries is also an executor and is inheriting a specific property.
Yes. You must obtain either a grant of probate (if there is a will) or letters of administration (if there is no will) before the AS1 form can be submitted to HM Land Registry. The probate or letters of administration must accompany the application — either the original or a certified copy, unless a conveyancer provides the Panel 11 certificate. HM Land Registry will not register the assent without evidence of the personal representative’s authority and there is no way to bypass this requirement.
Most assents are exempt from SDLT because no consideration is being paid. The beneficiary is receiving the property as an inheritance rather than buying it. However, an SDLT return must still be submitted to HMRC even where the transaction is exempt, and the resulting certificate must accompany the application. Where the beneficiary is taking over an outstanding mortgage or paying anything towards the property, SDLT may be chargeable on that amount. Always confirm the SDLT position with a solicitor or tax adviser before submitting.
Where the deceased died without a valid will (intestate), there is no executor and no grant of probate. Instead, an interested party — usually the closest next of kin — applies to the Probate Registry for letters of administration. The person appointed is called an administrator and has the same powers as an executor. Letters of administration take the place of the grant of probate in the AS1 application. The intestacy rules determine who inherits in this situation, which may or may not match what the deceased would have wanted.
Technically yes, but assenting inherited property is one of the more complex HM Land Registry transactions to handle without professional help. You need to obtain probate or letters of administration first, which itself involves a separate application. The Panel 11 certificate option for the probate evidence is only available to conveyancers, so unrepresented applicants must lodge the original or certified copy probate. Understanding title guarantees, co-ownership options and execution requirements all involve legal knowledge. For a property of any significant value, professional guidance is strongly recommended.
Assent applications are processed by HM Land Registry in the order they are received. Current processing times for straightforward assents are approximately 3 to 6 months from receipt of the application. Applications involving unusual title issues, missing documents or complex co-ownership arrangements may take longer. Unlike some property transactions, there is no priority search period to expire in a typical assent, so while the delay is inconvenient it does not usually create the same urgency as a purchase or remortgage application.
This is not uncommon — people sometimes bought property using a shortened or informal version of their name that differs from the full legal name on their death certificate and probate. Where there is a discrepancy between the name in Panel 4 of the AS1 and the name on the grant of probate, additional evidence linking the two should be included with the application. A statutory declaration or statement of truth explaining the discrepancy is usually sufficient. HM Land Registry may raise a requisition if the discrepancy is not addressed and the connection between the registered owner and the deceased is not clearly established.
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