Following their draft publication on 9 March, The Provision of Information (Contractual Control) (Registered Land) Regulations 2026 (the Regulations) have now been made. Whilst the Regulations will not come into force until 6 April 2027, there is a “retrospective” element involved whereby any new contractual control rights granted on or after 8 June (when the Regulations were made) must be noted and subsequently registered by 6 October 2027.

What is the current position?

There have been no changes made to the Regulations since they were published in draft on 9 March, and our previous article: The Contractual Control Register: What real estate lawyers need to know covers the key concepts and requirements involved.  In its press release, the government confirmed HMLR’s digital platforms for the submission and management of this information are currently being developed, with HMLR working closely with customers and stakeholders to ensure these are easy to access and use. Users are encouraged to get involved in testing prototypes and share feedback. 

What happens next?

The government will be publishing a Practice Guide over the coming months on how to submit the required information. Until then, real estate lawyers and their clients will need to familiarise themselves with the regulations and record all the necessary information relating to contractual control agreements entered into from 8 June. With some uncertainty and analysis involved in determining (in some instances) whether or not an agreement falls within the definition of a contractual control right for the purposes of the Regulations, this will not necessarily be as easy as it sounds, and we await in anticipation the government’s Practice Guide, along with more details of the systems and process involved.”