# Remortgage conveyancing: the legal work, free legal deals, Land Registry fees and delays > Moving home & conveyancing · Last updated 25 September 2026 Canonical HTML: https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/remortgage-conveyancing/ Markdown mirror: https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/remortgage-conveyancing.md ## Quick answer A remortgage to a new lender needs legal work. A conveyancer checks your title, pays off the old mortgage with the new loan and registers the new lender's charge. HM Land Registry charges a Scale 2 fee based on the new loan, for example £30 online for £200,000. There's no Stamp Duty unless ownership changes too. ## Who should skip this Skip this if you're buying a home, or you're staying with your current lender on a new deal without changing who owns the home. In that case, ask your lender whether any legal work is needed. Moving your mortgage to a new lender is far simpler than buying a home, because no one else's property or money changes hands. The new lender still needs a conveyancer to confirm its security, though. Extra work, such as adding someone to the deeds or sorting out a lease problem, can turn a routine remortgage into a longer job. ## Key facts - A remortgage to a new lender needs a conveyancer acting for that lender to check the title, repay the old loan and register the new charge - HM Land Registry registers a new mortgage on Scale 2, based on the amount borrowed: £30 online (£70 by post) for £100,001 to £200,000 - HM Land Registry charges nothing to remove your old mortgage from the register - A mortgage is an exempt interest for SDLT, LTT and LBTT, so a straightforward remortgage has no property tax - Adding or removing an owner at the same time is a transfer of equity. It has its own Land Registry fee and can trigger tax - In Scotland, Registers of Scotland charges £80 per title sheet to register a standard security, or £60 if submitted digitally ## What legal work does a remortgage need? A remortgage to a new lender needs a conveyancer to act for that lender. They check that you own the property and that nothing on the title stops the lender taking it as security. They then pay off your old mortgage with the new loan and register the new lender's charge. Because no one is buying or selling, there is no contract, no exchange and no property tax to deal with. First come identity checks under the Money Laundering Regulations, official copies of your title from HM Land Registry, any searches the lender asks for and a redemption statement from your current lender. You sign the new mortgage deed in front of a witness. Just before completion, an official search protects the new charge for a priority period of 30 working days while it is registered. On completion the new lender sends the money, your conveyancer repays the old lender, and any extra borrowing is paid to you. Remortgages are covered by the SRA Transparency Rules. Solicitors' firms must publish their prices for this work, what is and isn't included, and the key stages. ## Why do lenders offer free legal work on a remortgage? Some lenders offer remortgage deals with free legal work to attract borrowers switching from another lender. The lender instructs a conveyancing firm from its own panel and pays for the standard work, so you don't pay a legal fee on a straightforward case. Terms vary between lenders and change often, so read what your offer includes. Free legal work covers a standard remortgage only, so ask in writing what's excluded. Work beyond the standard case, such as adding or removing an owner, sorting out a lease problem or registering land for the first time, may be charged separately or need your own conveyancer. Compare the whole deal, including the rate, product fees and any cashback offered instead, rather than choosing on the legal fee alone. The lender chooses the firm, and you may deal with it mainly online. If you'd rather use your own conveyancer, check whether the lender will instruct them as well. If it won't, the lender uses its own firm and you could end up paying for two. ## When do you need your own conveyancer? You're more likely to need a conveyancer acting for you, and to pay for one, when the remortgage isn't straightforward. The most common case is changing who owns the home at the same time, such as adding a partner to the deeds or taking over from an ex-partner. That is a transfer of equity: it needs its own transfer deed and Land Registry fee, and it can create a tax bill. See [transfer of equity](/moving-home/transfer-of-equity/). Leasehold issues can also need extra work. Examples include a short lease, a lease extension going through at the same time, or questions about service charges or building safety. Your lease may require you to give the landlord notice of a new mortgage, and the lender may want information about the lease and the building. See [leasehold conveyancing](/moving-home/leasehold-conveyancing/). Shared ownership leases set out what your housing provider must approve: see [shared ownership conveyancing](/moving-home/shared-ownership-conveyancing/). Title problems add work too, such as a name that doesn't match the register, a boundary dispute, or land that has never been registered. A new mortgage of unregistered land triggers first registration at HM Land Registry. ## What does HM Land Registry charge on a remortgage? HM Land Registry charges a Scale 2 fee to register the new mortgage. It is based on the amount the mortgage secures, not the value of your home. HM Land Registry's own example is a £200,000 remortgage, assessed under Scale 2 on £200,000. Removing the old mortgage from the register is free. Worked example: you remortgage for £200,000 and your conveyancer applies through HM Land Registry's portal. Registering the new charge costs £30, and discharging your old mortgage costs nothing. Conveyancers normally also buy official copies of the register and title plan (£7 each) and an official search before completion (£7). That brings HM Land Registry's charges to about £51 in total, passed on to you as disbursements unless your deal covers them. Borrowing £250,000 instead moves you into the next band, where registering the charge costs £45 online. If an owner is added at the same time, the transfer has its own Scale 2 fee. This is worked out on the value of the share being transferred, after deducting mortgages. In HM Land Registry's example, a £200,000 home with a new £120,000 mortgage is transferred into joint names, and the fee is assessed on £40,000. In Scotland, Registers of Scotland charges £80 per title sheet to register a standard security (the Scottish term for a mortgage), or £60 if submitted digitally. *HM Land Registry fee to register a new mortgage (Scale 2), fees in force from 9 December 2024* | Amount the mortgage secures | Online (portal) | By post | | --- | --- | --- | | Up to £100,000 | £20 | £45 | | £100,001 to £200,000 | £30 | £70 | | £200,001 to £500,000 | £45 | £100 | | £500,001 to £1,000,000 | £65 | £145 | | Over £1,000,000 | £140 | £305 | ## Do you pay Stamp Duty on a remortgage? No, not on a straightforward remortgage. A mortgage is a 'security interest', which the law treats as an exempt interest. That applies for SDLT in England and Northern Ireland (Finance Act 2003, section 48), for LTT in Wales and for LBTT in Scotland. Replacing one mortgage with another, or borrowing more, doesn't create a tax charge. It's different if ownership changes. When someone takes on a share of the mortgage as part of a transfer of equity, the debt they take on counts as payment. For example, taking on half of a £600,000 mortgage is £300,000 of payment, which would mean £5,000 of SDLT at standard rates (our calculation). Transfers between spouses or civil partners under a divorce or dissolution agreement or court order are exempt. Our [transfer of equity](/moving-home/transfer-of-equity/) guide covers the rules. ## How long does a remortgage take, and what delays it? There are no official statistics on how long remortgage conveyancing takes. Under the SRA Transparency Rules, solicitors' firms must publish the key stages and likely timescales for remortgages, so ask for them in writing. Most of the time goes on the lender's checks and valuation, and on the conveyancer getting what they need from you and your current lender. Delays often come from ID or source-of-funds documents not being sent, a valuation lower than expected, or a name on the register that doesn't match your ID (after marriage, for example). A slow redemption statement, lease information that has to come from a landlord or managing agent, and a mortgage deed signed or witnessed incorrectly can also hold things up. A transfer of equity, a lease extension or a first registration adds more steps. Plan completion around your current deal. If your existing rate carries an early repayment charge, check the date the charge ends and aim to complete after it. If you complete late, you may move onto your lender's standard variable rate in the meantime. Mortgage offers have an expiry date, so check it and tell your conveyancer the completion date you're aiming for. Our [remortgage guide](/mortgages/remortgage-guide/) covers choosing the deal. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need a solicitor to remortgage? If you're moving to a new lender, yes. The lender needs a conveyancer to check your title, repay the old mortgage and register its new charge. Some lenders pay for this through a free legal package. If you're staying with your current lender on a new deal, ask your lender whether any legal work is needed. ### Is free legal work on a remortgage really free? For a standard remortgage the lender pays its panel firm's fee, but check in writing what's excluded. Extra work, such as a transfer of equity or a lease problem, may be charged. Compare the whole deal, including the rate, fees and any cashback, rather than the legal cost alone. ### Do I pay Stamp Duty when I remortgage? No. A mortgage is an exempt security interest for SDLT, LTT and LBTT, so a straightforward remortgage, including borrowing more, has no property tax. Tax can arise if ownership changes at the same time and someone takes on part of the mortgage. ### How much is the Land Registry fee for a remortgage? It's a Scale 2 fee based on the amount of the new mortgage. It costs £30 online or £70 by post for £100,001 to £200,000, and £45 online or £100 by post for £200,001 to £500,000. Removing the old mortgage from the register is free. ### Can I add my partner to the deeds when I remortgage? Yes, but that is a transfer of equity as well as a remortgage. It needs more legal work and a separate Land Registry fee. There may also be SDLT, LTT or LBTT to pay if your partner takes on part of the mortgage. It may not be covered by a free legal package. ## Primary source https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-information-services-fees, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/14/section/48, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2017/1/section/5, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2013/11/section/5, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sdlt-transferring-ownership-of-land-or-property, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2014/188/schedule/1, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/692/regulation/28, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/1417/rule/131, https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/transparency-rules/, https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/property/conveyancing-protocol ## Related - [Transfer of equity explained](https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/transfer-of-equity/) - [Remortgage guide](https://moneyguide.org.uk/mortgages/remortgage-guide/) - [Conveyancing costs explained](https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/conveyancing-costs/) - [Getting and comparing conveyancing quotes](https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/conveyancing-quotes/) - [Leasehold conveyancing](https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/leasehold-conveyancing/) - [Shared ownership conveyancing](https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/shared-ownership-conveyancing/) --- Independent UK money guidance from [Money Guide](https://moneyguide.org.uk). Information only — not regulated financial advice.