Is it risky for my dad to show our house deed to a student housing company?

He's very concerned about doing so and I'm not entirely sure why. Is it something to be concerned about? The company asks for proof of home ownership (title deed for one), proof of address and ID.

aren't title deeds publicly available (for a fee) anyway?

Title Number : XXXXXXXX

This title is dealt with by HM Land Registry, Xxxxxxx Office.

The following extract contains information taken from the register of the above title number. A full copy of the register accompanies this document and you should read that in order to be sure that these brief details are complete.

Neither this extract nor the full copy is an 'Official Copy' of the register. An official copy of the register is admissible in evidence in a court to the same extent as the original. A person is entitled to be indemnified by the registrar if he or she suffers loss by reason of a mistake in an official copy.

This extract shows information current on 2 JUN 2020 at 08:58:18 and so does not take account of any application made after that time even if pending in HM Land Registry when this extract was issued.

REGISTER EXTRACT

Title Number : XXXXXXXX
Address of Property : XXXX XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXX, XXXXXX (XXXX XXX)
Price Stated : £xxx,000
Registered Owner(s) : XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX and XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX of XXXX XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXX, XXXXXX XXXX XXX.
Lender(s) : XXXXXXXXXXXX Bank PLC

They want proof of ownership to show that he has the right to rent the property out. This is to protect against tenants subletting a property without the landlord's permission. If there's a mortgage on the property then this will also show up; he may have to show evidence that he has the lender's permission too.


Yes, at least in England they are publicly available; assuming the property is registered with HM Land Registry anyone can download a copy of the title register for a £3.00 fee.


Where a property is registered with HM Land Registry the paper copy of the deeds are no longer relevant. It's the data held by HMLR that is authoritative. Even where paper deeds are still the "official" version, if a property has a mortgage then it's the mortgage lender who holds the deeds as security for the mortgage. (They are returned when the mortgage is paid off.)

It is bizarre that they want to see a copy rather than just downloading the information themselves.

For what it's worth, this is the (edited) first page of the register extract for my house: