AS1 Form Land Registry — How to Transfer Inherited Property

After probate is granted, transferring a deceased person's property to a beneficiary requires two HM Land Registry forms: the AS1 (assent of whole of registered title) and the AP1 (application to change the register). These forms move the legal ownership from the deceased's name into the beneficiary's name. Getting them wrong means rejection, re-submission, and weeks of additional delay at a point when most families are already exhausted by the probate process.

What the AS1 Form Does

The AS1 is the assent form. It records that the executor (the person named in the Grant of Probate) is transferring — or "assenting" — the entire registered property title to the beneficiary named in the will.

This is not a sale. No money changes hands. The executor is simply confirming that the property passes to the person the deceased intended to receive it.

You use the AS1 when:

• The deceased owned the entire property in their sole name (or as tenant in common)
• You have obtained the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration
• The property is being transferred to a beneficiary, not sold to a third party

If you are selling the property instead, you use Form TR1 (transfer of registered title) rather than AS1.

What the AP1 Form Does

The AP1 is the cover form. It tells HM Land Registry to update its records based on the AS1 you are submitting. Think of it as the administrative wrapper: the AP1 identifies the property by its title number, lists the documents you are lodging, and confirms the fee.

You cannot submit an AS1 without an AP1. They always go together.

The Application Pack

A complete Land Registry application for an inherited property includes:

1. Form AP1 — completed with the property's title number, the type of application (assent), and the documents being lodged
2. Form AS1 — signed by the executor, identifying the beneficiary who will become the new registered owner
3. Form ID1 — identity verification for both the executor and the beneficiary (required unless a conveyancer certifies identity)
4. An office copy of the Grant of Probate — a sealed copy issued by HMCTS, not a photocopy
5. The Land Registry fee — based on Scale 2 (no monetary consideration) since this is not a sale

Scale 2 Fees

Because an assent transfers property without payment, it falls under Scale 2 of the Land Registry fee schedule. The fee depends on the property's value:

These are significantly lower than Scale 1 fees (which apply to sales). The value used is the property's market value at the date of the assent, not the purchase price the deceased originally paid.

Common Mistakes

Using TR1 instead of AS1. The TR1 is for transfers involving monetary consideration — sales, not inheritances. Submitting a TR1 for an assent will be rejected or will trigger unnecessary Land Transaction Tax queries.

Forgetting the ID1. Both the executor and the beneficiary must verify their identity. If a solicitor or licensed conveyancer is handling the application, they can certify identity instead. But if you are doing this yourself, each person needs a completed ID1 form with identity documents.

Not specifying the correct fee scale. The AP1 asks which fee scale applies. For an assent to a beneficiary, the answer is always Scale 2. Selecting Scale 1 will result in an overpayment or a requisition from the Land Registry asking you to clarify.

Submitting a photocopy of the grant. The Land Registry requires an official sealed copy (sometimes called an "office copy") of the Grant of Probate. Order extra sealed copies when you apply for probate — they currently cost £1.50 each when ordered alongside the application.

Wales-Specific Considerations

Property in Wales is subject to Land Transaction Tax (LTT), administered by the Welsh Revenue Authority, rather than the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) that applies in England. This distinction matters if you are selling the property. However, for a straightforward assent — transferring property to a beneficiary named in the will without monetary consideration — no LTT return is required. The transfer is entirely exempt.

The AS1 and AP1 forms are available in bilingual (Welsh and English) versions. Applications for Welsh properties go through HM Land Registry in the normal way — there is no separate Welsh registry for land (unlike probate, where bilingual applications go to the Cardiff Probate Registry of Wales).

How Long It Takes

Standard Land Registry applications currently take 4–6 weeks for straightforward assents, though complex cases or requisitions can extend this. You can check processing times on the Land Registry's online portal using the property's title number.

Fitting This Into the Bigger Picture

The property transfer is one of the final steps in estate administration. Before you reach this point, you will have registered the death, valued the estate, obtained the Grant of Probate, settled debts, and notified government agencies through the Tell Us Once service.

The Wales Probate Process Guide covers the complete sequence from death registration through property transfer and final distribution, including every form, fee, and deadline specific to Welsh estates.

See more Wales guides →