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16 January 2026 / Phil Murrin
Issue: 8145 / Categories: Features , Profession , Risk management , Property , Landlord&tenant
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Mind the (registration) gap!

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The land registration gap leads to delays & claims, writes Phil Murrin. How can practitioners minimise the risks?
  • The Land Registry’s latest strategy paper recognises that processes are slow and complex, but there is no quick cure.
  • Against this background, practitioners are seeing claims involving registration gap problems.
  • This article advises how firms can understand the extent of their registration gap profile, and address that potential exposure accordingly.

On 5 November 2025, HM Land Registry issued its Strategy 2025+ report, setting out its vision for the next 10 years. This was issued in the context of the troubling expansion we have seen in recent years in relation to the registration gap—the time between the application to register and the registration itself. With reports (including a Homemove study in March 2025) indicating that in complex cases, parties are seeing a delay of up to two years, the release of the report is timely.

However, the report recognises that for many, processes are ‘slow and unnecessarily complex’. It also

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Ward Hadaway—19 promotions

Ward Hadaway—19 promotions

19 promotions across national offices, including two new partners

Brabners—Ruth Hargreaves

Brabners—Ruth Hargreaves

Partner promoted to head of corporate team

Slater Heelis—Liam Hall, Jordan Bear & Joe Madigan

Slater Heelis—Liam Hall, Jordan Bear & Joe Madigan

Chester office expansion accelerates with triple appointment

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The High Court has upheld the Metropolitan Police’s live facial recognition policy, rejecting claims that its deployment unlawfully interferes with privacy and protest rights
As AI chatbots increasingly provide legal and commercial advice, English law is beginning to confront who should bear responsibility when automated systems get things wrong
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