Following our alert in May highlighting the new government guidance, the government has now published the Provision of Information (Contractual Control) (Registered Land) Regulations 2026 (Regulations).
The Regulations were made on 8 June 2026 and published on 12 June 2026.
8 June 2026 therefore marks the start of the "transitional period" under the Regulations.
From this date, those entering into agreements under which they will benefit from rights falling within the scope of the Regulations (such as options, pre-emption rights, promotion agreements and conditional contracts) will be required to register information about those agreements before 6 October 2027.
The register itself is not expected to be made live by HM Land Registry until the point the Regulations come into force on 6 April 2027. Therefore, during the transitional period (between 8 June 2026 and 6 April 2027) parties will be subject to the new regime but will not yet have access to the registration system.
This means that individuals or entities benefiting from contractual control rights will need to maintain sufficient internal records of all relevant contractual control arrangements entered into on or after 8 June 2026, in order to ensure they can comply with the registration requirements once the register opens.
What this means for you
The transitional period places an immediate administrative burden on landowners, developers and investors. Any qualifying agreements entered into from 8 June 2026 should now be clearly identified, recorded and monitored, with key information captured at the point of entry into the arrangement. Failure to do so risks incomplete or inaccurate registrations later, which could have implications for enforceability, transparency obligations and future dealings with land. Non-compliance also risks the possibility of committing an offence under section 225 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.
Preparation during this period will be critical to ensuring a smooth transition once HM Land Registry opens the register in April 2027 and avoid a backlog of registrations ahead of the October 2027 deadline.
Please get in touch with our Real Estate team if you would like to discuss this alert or require any advice on the Regulations.
