What’s it all about
When you buy a house, your solicitor, estate agent or home information pack provider will make a search of the Council’s records to ensure there are no hidden surprises, such as motorways at the bottom of your garden or outstanding notices requiring you to take action to remedy outstanding problems.

What is a standard Search
This is a full comprehensive search of the Council’s property records. The Local Land Charges Section carries out all official local authority searches. The search is in two parts. Each part is a stand alone product that can be requested separately.

LLC1 - this first part, the Official Certificate of Search Form, reveals entries contained in the Local Land Charges Register that effect the property such as tree preservation orders, conditional planning consents, conservation areas, listed buildings, notices.

CON 29 (R) “Required” – enquiries 1-3 deal with inquiries relating to planning, highways, environmental health, housing and building control which may affect your property.

CON 29 (O) “Optional” – enquiries 4-22 deals with specific information that may be required such as public footpaths.

Please note that searches must include the following when submitted to be accepted for processing:-

The correct address quoted together with an up to date scale plan in duplicate showing the extent and location of the land to be searched, clearly edged in red.

Water Searches

Drainage enquiries should be directed to Geodesys (Anglian Water Region) on
01480 323 889 or Severn Trent on 0115 962 7269. Advice can be given as to which water authority area applies.

You can also view advice on drainage and land drainage on the council website.

How to request a search

There are full instructions on the local land charges search forms. Your solicitor or home information pack provider will have these forms or you can buy them from law stationers.

Rutland County Council is at Level 2 of the National Land Information Service (NLIS) which means that we are able to receive electronic search requests for the LLC1 and CON 29 and additional questions through the National Land Information Service (NLIS) hub. From 1st January 2010 we are now able to return searches electronically.

Our commitment to you

We aim to return 90% of official searches within 3 days and 100% within 5 working days.