Transferring Property After Death in England — DJP, AS1, AP1, and TR1 Forms Explained

Property is where most executors encounter the steepest learning curve. The forms required depend on how the deceased owned the property — and getting the wrong form, or using the correct form incorrectly, triggers a Land Registry "requisition" that must be answered within 15 working days or the entire application is cancelled and must be restarted.

The first step is understanding the ownership structure. Everything else follows from that.

Joint Tenants vs Tenants in Common — the Critical Distinction

When two or more people own a property together in England, they hold it in one of two legal structures:

Joint Tenancy: Both owners hold the entire property together, without distinct shares. When one owner dies, their interest passes automatically to the surviving owner(s) through the right of survivorship — regardless of what the Will says. The deceased's interest does not form part of the probate estate.

Tenancy in Common: Each owner holds a defined percentage share (not necessarily equal). When one owner dies, their share forms part of their estate and passes according to the Will (or intestacy rules). Probate is required before the deceased's share can be transferred.

How to find out which applies: Search HM Land Registry using the title number or address for a few pounds via the Land Registry portal. The title register will specify whether the owners are joint tenants or tenants in common.

This distinction matters enormously for estate planning and for care-home fee protection. Couples who converted from joint tenancy to tenancy in common specifically to protect their home from care-home assessment may have done so years before the death without the surviving spouse realising.

Form DJP — Deceased Joint Proprietor

When to use: When the deceased co-owned a property as a joint tenant and the surviving owner wants to update the title to reflect the death.

Process: The surviving owner submits Form DJP to HM Land Registry alongside an official copy of the death certificate. No Grant of Probate is required because joint tenancy property passes outside the estate through survivorship.

Cost: Free (no Land Registry fee for DJP applications).

Processing time: Typically two to four weeks.

What it achieves: Removes the deceased's name from the title register. The surviving owner(s) become the registered sole or joint proprietors.

This is the simplest property matter in estate administration. If the deceased owned all their property as joint tenants with a surviving spouse, property may be the easiest part of the entire estate to resolve.

Form AP1 + Form AS1 — Transferring Sole Property to a Beneficiary

When to use: When the deceased was the sole owner, or a tenant in common, and the executor wants to transfer (assent) the property to a named beneficiary under the Will (for example, transferring the house to an adult child as directed).

The two-form process:

• AP1 (Application to Change the Register): The master application form for any change to a Land Registry title. Always required.
• AS1 (Assent): A formal assent document executed by the executor, transferring the property from the estate to the named beneficiary. This is a legal document that must be signed by all acting executors.

What you need:

• Official copy of the Grant of Probate
• Completed AP1
• Completed AS1 executed by the executor(s)
• Form ID1 — identity verification for the executor and transferee (to prevent property fraud)
• Land Registry scale fee based on the property's probate value

Land Registry fees (approximate, 2026):

• Properties under £100,000: £40–£100
• £100,000–£200,000: £100–£150
• £200,000–£500,000: £150–£295
• £500,000–£1,000,000: £295–£540
• Over £1,000,000: £540–£910 (upper bands vary)

Check the current HM Land Registry fee calculator for exact amounts.

If anything in the AP1 or AS1 is incorrect, Land Registry will issue a requisition giving 15 working days to correct and resubmit. Failure to respond cancels the application entirely.

Form TR1 — Selling to a Third Party

When to use: When the executor is selling the deceased's property to an outside buyer (not assenting to a beneficiary).

TR1 (Registered Transfer of Whole) is the standard conveyancing form used to transfer a registered property from seller to buyer. In a probate sale, the seller is the executor acting on behalf of the estate.

For property sales, most executors do use a conveyancer (solicitor or licensed conveyancer) — the interaction with buyer's solicitors, mortgage redemption, completion accounts, and Land Registry registration is sufficiently complex that professional assistance pays for itself. However, understanding the form and process means you can review and instruct a conveyancer effectively rather than simply handing everything over.

Identity requirements: HM Land Registry requires identity verification under Form ID1 to prevent property fraud. All parties to the transaction must complete ID1.

Land Registry Applications Require the Original Grant

Land Registry will not process property transfer applications without seeing the original Grant of Probate (or an official office copy obtained from HMCTS). Keep the original safely and request multiple official copies at the probate application stage — they cost £2 each after 13 July 2026 (currently £16 each).

Unregistered Property

A small proportion of property in England is still unregistered (where title has never been registered with the Land Registry). For unregistered property, the process involves searching and updating the title deeds rather than amending a Land Registry register entry. First registration is triggered when the property is next sold or transferred; the process is handled with the Land Registry's first registration team and is more complex than dealing with registered title.

The England Estate Settlement Guide includes a property ownership decision tree (joint tenants vs tenants in common), annotated DJP and AP1/AS1 form walkthroughs, Land Registry fee calculator guidance, and a checklist to avoid requisitions. Get the guide

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