Transfer of equity: what it costs to add or remove a name on a home

What is a transfer of equity?

A transfer of equity changes who owns a property. It might add a new owner, or remove one who is leaving the title. The change is registered with HM Land Registry (fees on GOV.UK).

The cost has three main parts: the Land Registry fee, stamp duty if the incoming owner takes on part of the mortgage, and legal fees (set by the firm; see the published fees below).

What does HM Land Registry charge?

HM Land Registry charges on one of two scales, set out on GOV.UK and in effect since 9 December 2024. Scale 1 applies to a transfer for money, and the fee is based on the price. A transfer of equity where the person taking the share pays money for it is therefore charged under Scale 1. Scale 2 applies to a transfer not for monetary consideration, such as a gift, and the fee is based on the value of the property (or of the share, where only a share is transferred) less any charge that stays in place. GOV.UK’s fee page does not say how taking on a share of a mortgage is treated, so ask the solicitor which scale will apply to your transfer.

A transfer of equity that changes the owners of a whole registered title is a whole-title application, so the lower portal or Business Gateway fee applies. The lower fee does not apply to part-title transfers, where only part of the land is transferred.

Scale 1 (transfer for money, fee based on the price)

Scale 2 (transfer not for money, such as a gift, fee based on value)

Will I pay stamp duty on the mortgage share?

It can apply. GOV.UK says the chargeable consideration includes any cash paid for the share and the proportion of the outstanding mortgage that belongs to the share being transferred. Stamp duty applies to that total above the nil-rate band, at the rates for each band.

Worked example (GOV.UK’s figures, recalculated at current rates). A home is worth £550,000, with £350,000 equity and a £200,000 mortgage. One owner pays £175,000 in cash for half the equity and takes on half of the mortgage, £100,000. The chargeable consideration is £275,000. On the bands above, the stamp duty is 0% on the first £125,000, 2% on the next £125,000 (£2,500), and 5% on the last £25,000 (£1,250), a total of £3,750. (GOV.UK’s own example is worked on 2022 rates and gives £1,250, so do not compare the two.)

Higher rates. If the person taking the share will own another residential property worth £40,000 or more after the transfer, the higher rates can apply. They are 5 percentage points more in each band: 5%, 7%, 10%, 15% and 17% instead of 0%, 2%, 5%, 10% and 12%. On the same £275,000, that is £6,250 on the first £125,000, £8,750 on the next £125,000 and £2,500 on the last £25,000, a total of £17,500. GOV.UK sets out when the higher rates applyand the exceptions, so check it or ask a solicitor before relying on a figure.

Divorce, separation or dissolution. GOV.UK says no stamp duty is payable on a transfer to a partner under an agreement or court order connected with divorce, dissolving a civil partnership, annulment or legal separation. For marriages, the exemption is in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to the Finance Act 2003.

Return. GOV.UK says you must tell HMRC by filing a stamp duty return where you take a bigger share of jointly owned property for cash or other consideration, or take over a mortgage in the transfer. If a return is needed, GOV.UK gives the deadline as within 14 days of completion.

What do firms charge for a transfer of equity?

The fees below are as shown on each firm’s own website on 2 November 2026. SAM Conveyancing’s transfer of equity cost page says it was last updated on 18/09/2024, and its joint-to-single page says 06/08/2026. Britton and Time’s fee pagegives no date, and nor do the Jonathan Lea Network and Lewis Nedas Law pages. Prices change, so check the firm’s current quote. Several other firms advertise fixed fees without showing a figure, so they are not listed.

What else is charged on top?

Depending on the case, these costs can sit on top of the legal fee:

• the HM Land Registry fee, from the tables above;
• stamp duty, if the mortgage share takes the total above the nil-rate band (GOV.UK);
• the lender’s solicitor, if the lender requires its own. Jonathan Lea Network lists this from £300 plus VAT;
• online ID checks, which SAM Conveyancing lists at £15 per client;
• for leasehold property, payments to the freeholder such as notice fees. SAM Conveyancing says these are not negotiable.

Do you need your lender’s consent?

If there is a mortgage, you will need the lender’s agreement to add or remove a name, or a new mortgage in the remaining owner’s name. SAM Conveyancing says consent is needed in either case and can take around 10 working days. Ask the lender what it requires before you instruct anyone, and tell your solicitor which lender it is, as lenders choose which solicitors they work with.

How do you compare transfer of equity quotes?

Check each quote for:

• whether the price includes VAT, or VAT is added on top;
• whether the Land Registry fee, ID checks and any lender work are included;
• whether freehold or leasehold, and with or without a mortgage, are priced separately.