Report on title
A report on title, sometimes called a report on contract, is the document a buyer's solicitor or conveyancer prepares near the end of the legal work, summarising the legal position of the property before exchange of contracts. It draws together the contract, the title, the search results and the replies to enquiries into a single plain-English summary, sets out any risks or obligations attached to the property, and comes with the documents the buyer needs to sign. It is the point at which the conveyancing investigation is pulled into one place so the buyer can decide whether to proceed.
What a report on title covers
The report is meant to translate weeks of legal work into something a buyer can understand. It typically confirms what is being bought and the extent of the title, summarises the results of the property searches, sets out the replies to the enquiries the solicitor raised with the seller, and flags anything that could affect the property's value or your use of it, such as restrictive covenants, rights of way, or planning issues. It also covers any conditions attached to your mortgage. The searches and identity checks behind the report are also part of what guards a purchase against property fraud, since they confirm the seller is entitled to sell. The report covers the property's legal position. Its physical condition is assessed separately in a house survey the buyer commissions.
Crucially, the report on title does not tell you whether to buy. Its job is to lay out the facts and risks so that you can make that decision, which is why it is worth reading in full rather than simply signing and returning the documents. From working with self-managing landlords across the UK, the report on title is the stage where buying a rental as an investment and the legal detail of the specific property finally meet, and it is the moment to raise any question before you are committed.
When you receive it and what happens next
A report on title arrives only once the groundwork is done: the searches are back and satisfactory, the enquiries have been answered, and your mortgage offer is in place. Alongside the report the solicitor sends the documents for signing, usually the contract, the transfer deed and the mortgage deed, and asks for the deposit, normally 10% of the price, in readiness for exchange. Once you have read the report, signed the documents and the deposit funds are with your solicitor, the transaction can move to exchange of contracts, the point at which both parties become legally committed and a completion date is fixed. Completion, when ownership transfers and you get the keys, follows after that, and once you complete you will owe stamp duty, which you can estimate with our stamp duty calculator. Landlords using August find it useful to keep the report on title and the signed documents with the property's records, since the issues it flags often resurface years later when the property is sold.
Report on title and certificate of title
The report on title is sometimes confused with the certificate of title, but they are addressed to different people. The report on title is for you, the buyer, and explains the property's legal position. The certificate of title is given by your solicitor to your mortgage lender, confirming that the property is good security for the loan and triggering the release of the mortgage funds before completion. Both are produced in the same stretch of the transaction, but one informs your decision and the other satisfies the lender. Both also reflect professional conveyancing practice rather than a single statute, as set out in the Law Society's guidance on the conveyancing process.
Frequently asked questions
What is a report on title?
It is the summary your solicitor or conveyancer prepares before exchange of contracts when buying a property, bringing together the contract, title, searches and enquiry replies and flagging any risks. It is designed to let you understand the property's legal position before you commit.
How long is it from report on title to completion?
There is no fixed period, because it depends on the transaction and any chain. After you receive the report you sign the documents and pay the deposit, then exchange of contracts takes place, and completion follows on the agreed date, which can be anything from the same day to several weeks later depending on what the parties agree.
Does a report on title mean I have to buy the property?
No. The report sets out the facts and risks but does not commit you to anything. You only become legally bound to buy at exchange of contracts, which happens after you have read the report, signed the contract and provided the deposit.
