HM Land Registry has confirmed it completed 1,823,949 applications to change or query the Land Register across England and Wales during August 2026.
The latest official data shows the South East, which includes West Sussex, remains the most active region for property-related administrative tasks. The region processed 414,202 applications, more than any other region during the same period.
While the August total marks a decrease from the 2,134,898 applications processed in July 2026, it represents a year-on-year increase from August 2025, when 1,748,118 applications were completed. HM Land Registry noted that these volumes reflect their internal workflow and processing capacity rather than providing a direct real-time reflection of current housing market activity.
Breakdown of property activity
The applications handled in August cover a wide range of administrative actions, from the sale of homes to requests for official documentation. Of the 1.8 million total cases, 98,471 were for “transactions for value,” which include property purchases.
A further 348,570 applications were made for register updates, while nearly one million requests (989,677) were for official copies of a register. At a local authority level, Birmingham saw the highest volume of activity, with 28,024 applications processed.
The regional figures for August 2026 show the South East maintaining its position as the busiest hub for Land Registry work:
- South East: 414,202 applications
New data identifiers introduced
August also marked a technical shift in how property data is recorded. From 28 August 2026, HM Land Registry began including Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) and INSPIRE IDs within its Price Paid Data lookup tables.
These identifiers are designed to improve data accuracy for buyers, estate agents, and researchers by providing a persistent and unique reference for every individual property address in the country. This move is part of a wider effort to modernise land registration and make property information more accessible and transparent.
The next set of transaction data, covering activity for September 2026, is scheduled for release on 21 October 2026.
