A leading property industry firm has urged more landlords and homeowners to sign up for HM Land Registry’s free Property Alert Service, as title fraud becomes increasingly sophisticated and widespread.

Criminals are impersonating registered owners to sell or mortgage properties without consent — sometimes for hundreds of thousands of pounds — yet only 3% of eligible property owners have signed up for alerts.

Landlords Most at Risk

Olly Thornton-Berry, co-founder and managing director of fraud prevention company Thirdfort, warned that rental properties are particularly vulnerable.  “Fraudsters can impersonate landlords using forged documents, and because the occupants are tenants rather than owners, suspicious activity is less likely to be spotted,” he said.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) added that landlords’ absence from rental properties makes it far easier for criminals to intercept post or assume false identities linked to the address.

Recent Fraud Attempts Thwarted

The Land Registry has reported several recent cases where the alert system has prevented significant losses.

In one case, criminals attempted to transfer ownership of a £360,000 bungalow for well below its market value. When the genuine owners received an alert, they visited the property and found locks changed and a “For Sale” board erected. They contacted the Land Registry immediately, which blocked the fraudulent transfer.

In another incident, a landlord was notified when fraudsters tried to register a £200,000 mortgage on his rental property — a transaction that was also successfully stopped.

£59 Million in Fraud Prevented

Since its launch in 2013, the Property Alert Service has helped prevent more than £59 million in fraudulent transactions in the 12 months to March 2025.

However, uptake remains low, with just 857,000 properties registered out of 28.6 million in England and Wales. Registrations have slowed from a 2022 peak of 178,000 to around 100,000 per year.

How the Service Works

The free online tool allows property owners and landlords to monitor up to ten properties and receive immediate email alerts whenever applications are made to change ownership details or secure a mortgage.

Landlords can sign up at: gov.uk/guidance/property-alert

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