Enhanced Insights for Conveyancers
HM Land Registry has unveiled its third dataset focused on avoidable requisitions, designed to furnish conveyancers and legal firms with crucial insights aimed at enhancing application quality and minimising preventable delays in registration. This latest report, covering the period from 1 April to 30 September 2026, is a strategic tool for firms to scrutinise their application processes, enabling them to identify areas for improvement in checks, training, and quality assurance.
The data release coincides with a broader analysis from HM Land Registry, which indicates a significant decline in avoidable requisition points since 2022. This reduction is a testament to the ongoing collaboration between conveyancers, post-completion teams, industry bodies, and HM Land Registry itself.
Understanding Requisitions and Their Impact
A requisition serves as a formal request for additional information or action before an application can be fully processed. Avoidable requisition points arise from errors or omissions that are typically preventable prior to submission. Common issues include missing identity evidence, discrepancies in names, unclear plans, or the absence of necessary supporting documents. Notably, a single requisition may encompass multiple points of concern.
Over the past few years, the total number of avoidable requisition points has decreased significantly, dropping from approximately 839,000 in 2022 to around 439,000 in 2025, marking a substantial reduction of 47.7%. When adjusted for application volumes, the rate of avoidable requisitions fell by 39.1%, illustrating that this positive trend is not solely attributable to a decrease in application numbers.
Positive Trends and Ongoing Challenges
The favourable trajectory continued into early 2026, with an average of 94 avoidable points identified for every 1,000 applications, reflecting an 11% decrease compared to the previous year. This improvement underscores the collective efforts of all stakeholders involved in the application process.
Andrew Robertson, Head of Customer Policy at HM Land Registry, emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts in achieving these results. He encouraged firms to leverage the available data to pinpoint recurring issues and enhance their pre-submission checks and training initiatives. “Our third dataset provides an opportunity to build on that progress,” he stated, reiterating the commitment to improving guidance and the consistency of requisitions raised.
Addressing Common Issues and Resources Available
Despite the notable advancements, preventable issues remain a source of unnecessary workload. Currently, the most prevalent category of avoidable requisitions stems from missing or unclear information, while the most frequently noted individual issue is the failure to provide identity evidence.
HM Land Registry is urging firms to thoroughly investigate the specific reasons behind their requisitions, using this information to fortify their pre-submission processes. A wealth of free guidance, workshops, and training resources are readily available to support firms in this endeavour. Concurrently, HM Land Registry is committed to enhancing the accuracy and consistency of the requisitions it generates.
For further details, firms can access the third avoidable requisitions dataset and the accompanying resources designed to tackle this ongoing challenge effectively.