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AS1 form: how to transfer probate property to a beneficiary

When someone dies leaving a property, and that property is to go to a beneficiary rather than be sold, the mechanism is an assent.

The executor signs form AS1, which formally vests the property in the beneficiary — and the beneficiary then registers the transfer at Land Registry.

This walkthrough covers when an assent is appropriate (versus a sale), what the AS1 form requires, the Land Registry fees, and the important step of settling all estate debts before the assent takes place.

✓ Official source checked 24 September 2026 · GOV.UK last revised this form 22 April 2024AS1 on GOV.UK
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United KingdomInformational, not legal or financial adviceOfficial source: GOV.UK
Official form · always current

This is the same official AS1 file HM Land Registry publishes on GOV.UK — the link below fetches the current version live from GOV.UK the moment you click it, so it can never go out of date.

Current version: April 2024 · confirmed on GOV.UK 24 September 2026

This walkthrough takes AS1 field by field, in plain English. Most of the form is straightforward; the hard part is knowing when an assent is the right instrument rather than a sale, and not signing the property over to a beneficiary until the estate's debts are settled.

Don't assent the house before the estate's debts are cleared
Assenting a property to a beneficiary before all estate debts and liabilities have been settled.

If a creditor of the estate later makes a claim after the property has been assented, the executor may have personal liability for unpaid debts.

The safe sequence is: pay all debts and liabilities first, place a notice in the London Gazette (to protect against unknown creditor claims), then assent the property.
The form, in summary

The AS1 form, in summary.

Valoren
AS14 pages24 fields guided
With Valoren20 minutes
Without Valoren45 minutes
to complete form AS1; allow 4–8 weeks for Land Registry registration
Deadline
No deadlinebut settle debts
before assenting
Who Files
Executorassents to
beneficiary
£
Fee
£45–£305Scale 2 by post,
on property value
Filed with Land Registry
Legal basisStatute

An assent is the formal act by which a personal representative (executor or administrator) transfers a property from the estate to a beneficiary.

Unlike a sale (which uses form TR1 and involves a buyer), an assent vests the property in someone who is entitled to it under the will or intestacy rules — without a sale price.

The executor holds the property as a trustee during the administration period; the assent is the act that converts this to the beneficiary's outright ownership.

The assent takes effect in equity on the executor's written agreement, but must be registered at HM Land Registry to take effect as a legal transfer.

Section by section

The form, section by section.

At a glance

AS1 — Assent a property to a beneficiary

Who files
Executor
assents to beneficiary
Filed with
Land Registry
Deadline
No deadline
but settle debts before assenting
Fee
£45–£305
Scale 2 by post, on property value
When an assent is used — and when a transfer (TR1) is used instead
  • Use AS1 when: a beneficiary inherits the property
  • Use TR1 when: the property is being sold
  • What if the beneficiary is also one of the executors?
  • Joint beneficiaries
Before the assent — settle debts and place a Gazette notice
  • Pay all known debts first
  • London Gazette notice
  • HMRC clearance
Completing form AS1
  • Panel 1 — Title number and property
  • Panel 2 — The transferor (the personal representative)
  • Panel 3 — The transferee (the beneficiary)
  • Panel 4 — Consideration
  • Panel 8 — Execution
Registering the assent at Land Registry
  • Documents to submit
  • Land Registry fee
  • After registration
Before you start, you’ll need:
  • Who Files — The executor(s) (or administrator(s) if there is no will) assent the property to the beneficiary; the beneficiary then applies to register the transfer at Land Registry
  • 4 pages · 24 fields guided
Section 1

When an assent is used — and when a transfer (TR1) is used instead

An assent and a transfer both move title — but they are used in different circumstances. Choosing the wrong form will cause Land Registry to reject the application.

Use AS1 when: a beneficiary inherits the property

If the will leaves a specific property to a named beneficiary ('I give my house at 12 Oak Street to my daughter Emma'), or if the intestacy rules entitle someone to the property, the transfer from the estate to that person is an assent (AS1).

There is no sale price — the beneficiary is entitled as a matter of law.

Use TR1 when: the property is being sold

If the estate is selling the property to a buyer (whether to pay debts, or because the residuary estate is being distributed in cash), the transfer to the buyer uses TR1.

This is a standard property sale conveyance.

Use TR1 even if the buyer is a beneficiary purchasing the property at market value from the estate.

What if the beneficiary is also one of the executors?

An executor who is also a beneficiary can assent property to themselves.

The legal formality must still be observed — they cannot simply move in and treat the property as theirs.

The AS1 must be completed and registered.

If there is only one executor/beneficiary, Land Registry will note the assent correctly.

Joint beneficiaries

If the property is to be assented to more than one beneficiary (e.g. two children in equal shares), the AS1 names all beneficiaries and specifies how the property is to be held: as joint tenants (both own the whole, right of survivorship applies) or tenants in common in specified shares.

This decision should be agreed between the beneficiaries before the AS1 is completed.

An assent and a transfer both move title — but they are used in different circumstances. Choosing the wrong form will cause Land Registry to reject the application.

HM Land Registry · AS1
Section 2

Before the assent — settle debts and place a Gazette notice

An assent should not take place until the administration of the estate is substantially complete. If you assent property before all debts are paid, the executor may be personally liable for any shortfall.

Pay all known debts first

All funeral costs, outstanding bills, tax liabilities, and other debts of the estate must be paid before assets are distributed.

If the estate has insufficient liquid assets to pay debts and the property has already been assented, the executor cannot recall the property — but may have personal liability to the creditors for the amount of the distribution.

London Gazette notice

Before assenting property (and before making any distribution from the estate), executors should consider placing a Deceased Estates Notice in the London Gazette and a local newspaper.

This is a notice to creditors to come forward with any claims.

Once the notice period has expired (usually 2 months from the date of the notice), the executor can distribute with reduced risk of personal liability to undisclosed creditors.

HMRC clearance

Although not legally required before assenting, it is prudent to obtain IHT clearance from HMRC (a 'clearance certificate' confirming they have no further claim against the estate) before the final distribution.

HMRC can raise enquiries for up to 4 years after the IHT400 was submitted.

Clearance provides the executor with protection against later claims.

An assent should not take place until the administration of the estate is substantially complete. If you assent property before all debts are paid, the executor may be personally liable for any shortfall.

HM Land Registry · AS1
Section 3

Completing form AS1

Form AS1 is available from the Land Registry website.

It must be completed by the executor(s) and signed in the presence of a witness. The beneficiary then uses the completed AS1 to apply to register the change of ownership.

Panel 1 — Title number and property

The title number of the property (from the title register — order a copy at gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry if you do not have it).

The full registered address.

If the property is leasehold, note the lease term and any superior title number.

Panel 2 — The transferor (the personal representative)

The full name(s) of the executor(s) or administrator(s) assenting the property.

Their capacity must be stated: 'Executor of the estate of [full name of deceased], deceased'.

Panel 3 — The transferee (the beneficiary)

Full name and current address of the beneficiary receiving the property.

If there are multiple beneficiaries: all names, and whether they hold as joint tenants or as tenants in common in specified shares.

Panel 4 — Consideration

An assent to a beneficiary is usually for nil consideration (no money changes hands).

Write 'The transferor assents to the vesting of the property in the transferee' or leave the monetary consideration blank.

If a beneficiary is purchasing the property from the estate at value, use TR1 instead.

Panel 8 — Execution

Each executor must sign the AS1 in the presence of a witness, who must also sign and provide their name and address.

If there are two or more executors, all must sign.

The beneficiary does not sign AS1 — they sign the AP1 application form when applying to register the transfer.

Form AS1 is available from the Land Registry website.

HM Land Registry · AS1
Section 4

Registering the assent at Land Registry

The completed AS1 must be submitted to Land Registry along with form AP1 (Application to change the register) to update the title. This is usually done by the beneficiary (or a solicitor acting for the beneficiary).

Documents to submit

AP1 (Application to change the register); the original or certified copy of AS1 signed by the executors; a certified copy of the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration (Land Registry needs proof that the executors had authority to assent); Land Registry fee payment.

If the property is leasehold, the landlord's consent to the transfer may also be required — check the lease.

Land Registry fee

Scale 2 fees, because no money changes hands (Land Registration Fee Order 2024, art 4).

The fee is banded on the property's open market value at the date you apply to register it, less any mortgage that stays on the property.

By post: up to £100,000, £45; up to £200,000, £70; up to £500,000, £100; up to £1 million, £145; over £1 million, £305. Through the Land Registry portal, which conveyancers use, the same bands cost £20 to £140.

Check the current table on GOV.UK (HM Land Registry registration services fees) before you send it.

After registration

Land Registry updates the Proprietorship Register to show the beneficiary as the new registered owner.

They issue a confirmation and, if requested, an official copy of the updated register.

The property is now legally and beneficially owned by the beneficiary — the administration of the estate is complete as regards that property.

The completed AS1 must be submitted to Land Registry along with form AP1 (Application to change the register) to update the title. This is usually done by the beneficiary (or a solicitor acting for the beneficiary).

HM Land Registry · AS1
What it costs

What an assent costs — three routes, each with its source.

HM Land Registry's Scale 2 fee is paid on every route. What changes is who prepares the assent, and who checks the debts, the mortgage and the beneficiary's identity before it is lodged.

What an assent costs — three routes, each with its source.
RouteWhat you payWhat you getSource
Do it yourselfOnly HM Land Registry's Scale 2 fee — £45–£305 by post, or £20–£140 through the portal, banded on the property's valueForm AS1 and the AP1 application prepared by you and lodged by the beneficiary. The checks — every debt settled, the mortgage position, the identity evidence HM Land Registry asks for — are yours to get right. The walkthrough above is written so that you can.GOV.UK: HM Land Registry fees, Scale 2 · read 15 September 2026
A solicitor or conveyancer, fixed fee£299 to £720 inc VAT — plus the Scale 2 fee on top, in every caseThe assent and the registration application prepared and lodged for you. From the firms' own published fixed fees: "starts from £299" (SAM Conveyancing, VAT not stated) and "£600 + VAT = £720 plus HMLR Fee (Scale 2)" (Mounteney).SAM Conveyancing · Mounteney · read 15 September 2026
Signum — assent of property to a beneficiary£295 — VAT included, in writing before anything starts. The Scale 2 fee is paid to HM Land Registry on top, as with every routeThe assent and the AP1 prepared and lodged, the beneficiary's identity route arranged with them directly, the lender's position settled before anything is lodged, and the Stamp Duty Land Tax check on any mortgage the beneficiary takes over — recorded even when the answer is none.Signum service register
Do it yourself
What you pay
Only HM Land Registry's Scale 2 fee — £45–£305 by post, or £20–£140 through the portal, banded on the property's value
What you get
Form AS1 and the AP1 application prepared by you and lodged by the beneficiary. The checks — every debt settled, the mortgage position, the identity evidence HM Land Registry asks for — are yours to get right. The walkthrough above is written so that you can.
Source
GOV.UK: HM Land Registry fees, Scale 2 · read 15 September 2026
A solicitor or conveyancer, fixed fee
What you pay
£299 to £720 inc VAT — plus the Scale 2 fee on top, in every case
What you get
The assent and the registration application prepared and lodged for you. From the firms' own published fixed fees: "starts from £299" (SAM Conveyancing, VAT not stated) and "£600 + VAT = £720 plus HMLR Fee (Scale 2)" (Mounteney).
Source
SAM Conveyancing · Mounteney · read 15 September 2026
Signum — assent of property to a beneficiary
What you pay
£295 — VAT included, in writing before anything starts. The Scale 2 fee is paid to HM Land Registry on top, as with every route
What you get
The assent and the AP1 prepared and lodged, the beneficiary's identity route arranged with them directly, the lender's position settled before anything is lodged, and the Stamp Duty Land Tax check on any mortgage the beneficiary takes over — recorded even when the answer is none.

Signum's fee sits under the established-firm figure and well above the cut-price end. Whichever route you take, HM Land Registry's Scale 2 fee is paid on top — no firm's price includes it.

If this estate needs more than a guide

Where the boundary is reached, you choose the route.

Whether this property can be assented yet — debts settled, the mortgage dealt with, the beneficiary's identity evidenced — is answerable from the sections above. Preparing and lodging the assent so the register comes back right is a separate job.

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Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners — the professional body for trust and estate work in the UK. Members hold the TEP credential after rigorous examination. Best fit when trusts, cross-border estates, or complex succession structures are involved.
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Chartered Institute of Taxation — the leading professional body for UK tax. Members hold the CTA credential after the most demanding tax qualification in the UK. Best fit when APR/BPR, business succession, lifetime gift planning, or HMRC dispute resolution are in play.
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FAQ

AS1 questions, answered.

AS1 is the HM Land Registry form a personal representative uses to assent a property from an estate to a beneficiary — that is, to transfer an inherited house to the person entitled to it under the will or the intestacy rules, with no sale price.

It is not used when a property is being sold; a sale (even to a beneficiary buying at market value) uses form TR1 instead.

The executor (or the administrator, if there is no will) completes and signs AS1, in the presence of a witness, to assent the property.

The beneficiary does not sign AS1 — they sign the AP1 application when applying to register the transfer at Land Registry.

If there are two or more executors, all of them must sign.

There is no fixed statutory deadline for an assent, but it should not happen until the administration of the estate is substantially complete — all known debts, funeral costs and tax liabilities paid, and ideally a Deceased Estates Notice placed in the London Gazette (the notice period is usually 2 months).

The estate should not be left in administration indefinitely, but settling debts before assenting comes first.

Yes. Land Registry charges a Scale 2 fee, because no money changes hands (Land Registration Fee Order 2024, art 4).

It is banded on the property's open-market value at the date you apply to register it, less any mortgage that stays on the property.

By post it runs from £45 (up to £100,000) to £305 (over £1 million). Through the Land Registry portal, which conveyancers use, the same bands cost £20 to £140.

Fee bands are revised from time to time, so check the current table on GOV.UK before you submit.

You need the property's title number (order an official copy of the title register at gov.uk if you don't have it), the grant of probate or letters of administration proving the executor's authority, the will or evidence of intestacy entitlement that identifies the beneficiary, and the death certificate.

The completed AS1, an AP1, and a certified copy of the grant are submitted to Land Registry together.

Assenting the property to a beneficiary before the estate's debts and liabilities are settled.

If a creditor later makes a valid claim, the executor cannot recall the property and may face personal liability for the shortfall.

The safe sequence is to pay all debts, place a London Gazette notice, then assent.

Where the estate is insolvent, contested, or the property is leasehold, it is worth checking the position with a solicitor or conveyancer.

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Where this fits

AS1 is one form. The file behind it is the rest.

Forms are easier when the records are ready.

For AS1, that means the property's title number, the grant of probate or letters of administration that give the executor authority to assent, the will or intestacy entitlement that names the beneficiary, and the death certificate.

When you're ready — not before — our £179 Executor's First Hour walks you through registering the death, notifying banks and pensions, and getting probate started, in the right order. The free checklist above covers the essentials; this is for when you'd rather have a hand to hold. Executor's First Hour — £179

HM Land Registry24 fieldsHM Land Registry fee on Scale 2 — an assent is a transfer not for money (Land Registration Fee Order 2024, art 4). Banded on the property's value, less any mortgage that stays on it: £45–£305 by post; £20–£140 through the Land Registry portal (conveyancers' e-services).20 minutes with Valoren
Goes in together

AS1 is the deed transferring the property to a beneficiary. AP1 is the application asking HM Land Registry to register it — the two are lodged together.

The cover application — AP1
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