What does form CH1 ask for, panel by panel?
Form CH1 is short, ten panels, but two of them do most of the work. Panel 7 is the operative one: it carries the charging words and the title guarantee, and it charges the property as security for the sums detailed in panel 9. Panel 9 is headed additional provisions and is where those sums, and the dates for paying them, are set out, so a CH1 with panel 9 left thin is a charge with no terms. Panel 8 holds two separate things, not one: a statement that the lender is obliged to make further advances, which is the priority point, and an application to enter a standard form of restriction, which has nothing to do with priority. If the further advances box is used, the lender or its conveyancer has to sign the form, not the borrower alone. Panel numbering below follows the 08/23 edition, the one HM Land Registry publishes as at 19 September 2026; take the form from the registry's own page on the day you lodge and read the date code in its footer rather than the date on the publication page.
Rule 103 of the Land Registration Rules 2003 says a legal charge of a registered estate may be made in Form CH1. It is permissive, not compulsory, which is why most institutional lending is not on a CH1 at all but on the lender's own form of charge. The registration of charges, their priority and the noting of further-advance obligations are covered in HM Land Registry Practice Guide 29.
| Panel | What it asks for | Common mistakes |
|---|---|---|
| 1, Title number(s) | The registered title number of the property charged | Blank; wrong title for a leasehold |
| 2, Property | Full address with postcode, or a description | Does not match the register |
| 3, Date | The date the charge is completed | Dated before it is signed |
| 4, Borrower | Full name of every registered proprietor, with company number or overseas entity ID where relevant | One joint owner missing; a company number omitted |
| 5, Lender for entry in the register | Full name of the lender, with company details where relevant | A trading name rather than the legal name; a lender who is not a legal person |
| 6, Lender's address for service | Up to three addresses, one postal | Left blank, so the lender never receives notice of later applications |
| 7, Charge and title guarantee | The borrower charges the property by way of legal mortgage as security for the sums in panel 9, with full or limited title guarantee | Neither guarantee box ticked |
| 8, Further advances | Tick if the lender is obliged to make further advances and wants that obligation noted, so later advances keep priority | Ticked where there is no obligation; not ticked for a facility that is drawn in stages |
| 9, Additional provisions | The sums secured, when they are payable, interest, and any other terms or restriction applied for | Terms that contradict the loan agreement; no repayment date; a restriction wanted but not applied for |
| 10, Execution | Every borrower signs as a deed with a witness who adds name and address; the lender signs where panel 8 is ticked | Witness is the lender or a relative of a party; no witness address; lender unsigned when required |
Can I complete form CH1 myself?
You can. The form costs nothing to download and HM Land Registry accepts charges lodged by private individuals, with identity evidence for both borrower and lender where neither is represented. That means form ID1 for an individual, or ID2 where the borrower or lender is a company, with a conveyancer completing section B in person or section C after a digital check. Form ID5 is not a substitute for either: where the conveyancer verifies over a video call, the ID5 takes the place of section B or C and is lodged with the ID1 or ID2 and a colour copy of the screenshot (Practice Guide 67, updated 1 September 2026, checked 19 September 2026). On an unmortgaged property, with a straightforward loan between people who understand it, that is a realistic option.
Where it stops being realistic is the first lender's consent, the wording of panel 9, and the borrower's advice. A charge that secures the wrong sum, ranks behind an obligation you did not know about, or is later set aside because a family member signed without understanding it, is worse than no charge at all. Those are the points a licensed conveyancer is instructed for.
| Doing it yourself | With Property Law Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Loan terms | Your own agreement, or none | Short loan agreement drafted to match the deed |
| Register check for restrictions and existing charges | You obtain and read the official copies | Obtained and read on day one, with priority explained |
| First lender consent | You approach the lender; many will only deal with a conveyancer | Applied for and chased; deed of priority where required |
| Panel 9 wording | Yours | Drafted so the charge secures what was intended |
| Independent advice for a connected borrower | Often overlooked | Arranged, with a certificate on file |
| Identity evidence | Form ID1 for borrower and lender | Covered by our verification and certificate |
| Lodging and requisitions | Paper AP1 by post; you answer any query in time | Lodged electronically; requisitions answered by us |
| Cost | HM Land Registry fee at the paper rate; your time | One fixed fee in writing, plus the HM Land Registry fee |
Charge or restriction: which protects a lender?
A legal charge secures money. It gives the lender a right to be repaid out of the sale proceeds ahead of the owner and anyone ranking behind, a right to enforce, including by possession and sale, and a place in the order of priority, which under section 48 of the Land Registration Act 2002 runs by the order in which charges are entered on the register. A restriction on form RX1 does none of that. It controls what can be registered without a consent or certificate, so it tells you a sale is happening and can stop it being registered until you are dealt with, but it secures nothing and gives no priority against a lender.
For a loan, a charge is the right instrument. A restriction is the fallback where a charge is not available, where the first lender will not consent, for example, or where the interest being protected is not a debt at all, such as a beneficiary's share under a deed of trust. Where a lender wants both, the CH1 can apply for a standard form restriction against further charges in panel 8, the same panel that carries the further advances obligation, and no separate fee is payable for it when it is lodged with the charge. Practice Guide 29 section 5, updated 10 August 2026, and the proviso in Schedule 3 Part 1 paragraph 1 of the Land Registration Fee Order 2024, SI 2024/931, in force 9 December 2024, checked 20 September 2026. Panel 9 is Additional provisions and is not where the application goes.