When you buy a house, your solicitor 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 an earlier wrong doing.
Official local land charge searches
- Find out more about our official local authority searches
- Our fees and charges
- Guidance on how to buy a home
- Guidance on how to sell a home
Water searches
Water searches, including sewers and drainage, are conducted by Severn Trent Water Ltd. Please note - the water company will levy a separate charge for this service.
Private search companies
Customer Notice
From 19 October 2023 we will no longer provide a local land charges register service. You will no longer book an appointment with the team.
After this date, our local land charges register will have migrated to HM Land Registry's National Register and they will provide search results of local land charges searches in the Sandwell area. You will be able to access a new digital service through Portal, Business Gateway or through HM Land Registry's GOV.UK page.
For more inforamtion visit GOV.UK
Private search companies can book appointments to inspect the land charges register for up to four properties in Sandwell per day.
If you require the local authority to provide a response on your behalf on a property, please deposit a request for a LLC1 and pay the appropriate fee.
Please email angela_price@sandwell.gov.uk to arrange your appointment or to submit an LLC1 request.
On arrival at the council house you will be required to provide proof of your booking to the security guard or One Stop Shop staff member at the main entrance who will then allow you access to the terminal. If you have any issues with the terminal please speak to a member of the One Stop Shop staff.
The council are only allowing a limited number of people within the One Stop Shop but your notification will allow you access to the building for the length of your appointment time. Please abide by the COVID guidance and signage when you are within the building. There are several hand sanitizer stations available in the area along with disposable wipes at the terminal.
All relevant documentation is available at Oldbury council house in relation to your personal search except for public rights of way and for this information please email Transport_Planning@sandwell.gov.uk. The following contact details are for queries only on the information provided within the One Stop Shop:-
angela_price@sandwell.gov.uk - Land Charges register
anita_crees@sandwell.gov.uk - Highway adoption
wayne_moore@sandwell.gov.uk - Highway schemes (Due to staff shortages and workload, there may be a longer response time than usual)