Quick answer
To add someone to the ownership of your home, take someone off, or change who owns what share, you need a transfer of equity. We check the title, get your lender's consent, prepare the deed, file any Stamp Duty return and register the change at HM Land Registry. You get a written quote before work starts.
Our instant quote does not cover transfers of equity yet, so call either office for yours.
Remortgaging as well?
Our instant quote covers the remortgage. For the transfer of equity itself, call us.
Get a remortgage quoteOn this page
What we do for you
- Read the title register to confirm the current owners, the mortgage and anything that limits a transfer
- Ask your lender to agree to the change, where there is a mortgage
- Verify everyone's identity and, if one owner is paying the other, the source of that money
- Draft the transfer deed (usually HM Land Registry form TR1) and explain your choices for owning the home together
- Work out any Stamp Duty, then file the return and pay the tax from funds you give us
- Send the transfer to HM Land Registry so the register shows the new owners
When you need a transfer of equity
- Adding a spouse or partner. You own the home and want them on the title with you.
- Coming off the deeds after a separation. One of you keeps the home, and the other is paid out or simply steps away.
- Buying out a co-owner. You pay a joint owner for their share and become the sole owner.
- Giving a share to family. For example, a parent putting a son or daughter on the title.
The tax position differs for each, so we check it before you sign.
What it costs
| Our legal fee | You get a written quote before work starts. Call us, or ask us to call you back. |
|---|---|
| VAT | 20% on our fee, shown in your quote |
| Third-party costs (disbursements) | Listed separately in your quote |
| Lender costs, if you remortgage | Set by your lender, for example an arrangement or valuation fee |
How our charges work, including our hourly rates, is set out on our fees page.
Set by the government, shown separately: the HM Land Registry fee and any Stamp Duty Land Tax are not part of our fee.
Stamp Duty may be due if the person joining takes on part of the mortgage, even with no cash paid. We check this for you.
HMRC has a Stamp Duty calculator. In Wales, Land Transaction Tax applies instead, paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority (LTT calculator).
How it works, and how long it takes
Timing depends mostly on your lender, so we give you an estimate at the start and tell you if anything changes it.
- Getting startedQuote and ID
You accept the quote and each owner sends us ID. We read the title and confirm the shares and any payment you have agreed.
- Lender agrees
Where there is a mortgage, your lender approves the change. Sometimes that means a remortgage in the new names.
- Deed signed and witnessed
Each person signing the transfer deed does so with a witness physically present. The witness cannot be one of the people on the deed.
- Completion
Any payment between you is made and any new mortgage starts. Where tax is due, we file the return within 14 days (30 days for Land Transaction Tax in Wales).
- Registered
We apply to HM Land Registry to update the register. The change is protected from the date the application arrives, even though updating the register can take longer.
Who you will work with
Najiya Karim
Partner — Conveyancing & Family
Najiya wrote our step-by-step guide to transfer of equity.
What clients say
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4.6 from 249 reviews London office, 6 October 2026
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Regulated by the SRA SRA No. 605949, view our record
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CQS accredited Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme
Where we act
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Leicester office 3rd Floor, St George's House, 6 St George's Way, Leicester LE1 1QZ 0116 393 0334
Conveyancing in Leicester
Questions people ask
What is a transfer of equity?
It is the legal process for changing the owners of a property, or their shares, when nobody is selling it. Usually at least one of the current owners stays on the title.
Do I need my lender’s agreement?
Yes, if there is a mortgage. The lender will usually want to know that whoever stays on the mortgage can afford it, which often means a remortgage in the new names. Coming off the deeds does not, on its own, take you off the mortgage: only the lender can release you from the debt.
Is Stamp Duty payable on a transfer of equity?
It can be, even when no money changes hands. Stamp Duty Land Tax is worked out on any cash paid for the share plus the share of the mortgage the new owner takes on. A transfer between spouses or civil partners because they are divorcing, dissolving a civil partnership or legally separating, under a court order or agreement, is exempt. A gift with no mortgage attracts no Stamp Duty. We work out the position for you before you sign.
Who has to sign the transfer?
Every current owner who is giving up a share must sign the transfer deed. Each person signs in front of a witness, who must be physically present (a video call does not count) and cannot be a party to the deed.
Joint tenants or tenants in common: which should we choose?
Joint tenants own the whole property equally, and if one dies it passes automatically to the others. Tenants in common can own different shares, such as 70/30, and can leave their share in a will. The choice matters most when you have put in different amounts or have children from earlier relationships. We explain both before the deed is signed.
Can I put my home, or a share of it, in my children’s names?
You can, but a gift to anyone other than a spouse or civil partner can have capital gains tax and inheritance tax results, even though you receive nothing. If you give your home away and keep living in it, the gift can still count as part of your estate. Take advice before you sign anything.
Can I do a transfer of equity without a solicitor?
You can apply to HM Land Registry yourself. If there is a mortgage, though, the lender will usually need a conveyancer to act for it. Even without one, a solicitor makes sure the deed, the shares and the Stamp Duty position say what you mean.
How many people can be on the title deeds?
No more than four people can be on the legal title. If more own the property, the first four named hold it for everyone.
Helpful guides
Call either office for a written quote for your transfer of equity.