Most people only discover what paperwork they needed when something goes wrong: a buyer’s solicitor asks for a FENSA certificate you have never seen, an insurer wants proof of a rewire, or a remortgage stalls over a missing planning consent. This guide lists the homeowner documents in the UK worth keeping, why each one matters and how long to hold on to it.
Keep the documents that prove what your home is, what work has been done to it, and that the work was legal and safe, for as long as you own the property, and in practice for a good while after you sell. Most of them are free to store digitally, and replacing them later costs time and sometimes money.
How to think about home paperwork
It helps to split documents into four groups, because each is needed at a different moment.
Ownership and legal documents. These prove you own the home and what rights come with it.
Compliance and safety certificates. These prove work was done by competent people to current standards.
Money and insurance records. These cover the mortgage, insurance, bills and anything that could affect tax.
Guarantees, manuals and receipts. These let you claim when something fails and show what you paid.
Only the first group is irreplaceable. The rest can usually be reissued, but not always quickly, and not always by the person who first did the work. A tradesperson who has retired or a company that has dissolved cannot reissue a certificate.
Ownership and legal documents
Title register and title plan
The title register is the official record of who owns the property, the tenure (freehold or leasehold) and any charges or restrictions registered against it. The title plan shows the boundaries, though the red line is general rather than exact. You can get an up-to-date copy from HM Land Registry for a small fee rather than relying on an old paper copy.
Keep: for as long as you own the home. Download a fresh copy before a sale or remortgage, so it matches what the buyer will see.
Title deeds and the completion statement
If your property is registered, the register is the legal record, but older paper deeds, transfers and the completion statement from your purchase can still hold useful detail, such as covenants, rights of way and what you actually paid.
Keep: for as long as you own the home, and for several years after sale.
Mortgage documents
Your mortgage offer, the deed, any later product-switch letters and, once it is paid off, the confirmation that the charge has been removed. The last one matters more than people realise, because a lender’s charge can remain on the register if nobody tidies it up.
Keep: the whole mortgage until paid off, and the redemption confirmation indefinitely.
Leasehold paperwork, if it applies
For a leasehold home, keep the lease, the Deed of Variation if it has been extended, ground rent receipts, service charge demands and any notices from the freeholder or managing agent. Buyers’ solicitors ask for these early.
Keep: for the whole of your ownership.
Compliance and safety certificates
Gas safety record
If you rent the property out, a landlord’s gas safety record is a legal requirement and has to be renewed each year. If you live in the home yourself, a gas safety check is not a legal duty, but it is strongly advisable, and keeping the certificate shows the boiler has been looked after. The Gas Safe Register explains what a safe installation record should show.
Keep: the latest record at minimum, and the installation commissioning paperwork for the life of the appliance.
Boiler commissioning and service history
A boiler’s manufacturer guarantee often depends on a documented service history. The commissioning certificate (the Benchmark checklist, where applicable) and annual service records can be the difference between a covered repair and a refused claim.
Keep: for the life of the boiler, and pass it to the next owner.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) and electrical certificates
An EICR is a periodic inspection of the fixed wiring. Landlords need one at set intervals. Homeowners are not legally required to have one, but buyers and surveyors often ask for it, and a satisfactory report is useful evidence. Any notifiable electrical work should also come with an electrical installation certificate or minor works certificate.
Keep: the latest EICR and every installation certificate for as long as you own the home.
Building Regulations completion certificate
When you convert a loft, build an extension, remove a load-bearing wall or install certain systems, the local authority or an approved inspector issues a completion certificate once the work is signed off. If it was never issued, you may be able to apply for a regularisation certificate.
Keep: forever. Of everything on this list, this is the document most likely to hold up a sale if it is missing.
FENSA, CERTASS or other competent-person certificates
Replacement windows and doors should come with a certificate from FENSA, CERTASS or the installer’s own competent-person scheme, as should some heating and electrical work. These show the work met Building Regulations without needing separate local authority approval.
Keep: for as long as you own the home.
Planning permission and lawful development certificates
Keep the decision notice, the approved plans and any conditions, plus the lawful development certificate if you checked something fell under permitted development. Buyers’ solicitors will ask whether extensions were properly consented.
Keep: for as long as you own the home.
Party wall notices and awards
If your work or a neighbour’s work triggered the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, keep the notices, the award and the condition photographs.
Keep: for as long as you own the home, and for several years after.
Energy and property information
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
An EPC rates a home from A to G and is required when you sell or let. You can search for your current certificate on gov.uk. You do not need to keep paper copies, because the register holds them, but saving a copy shows the rating you had on a given date.
Keep: the latest certificate, plus any recommendation report you intend to act on.
Solar, heat pump and insulation records
If you have solar panels, a heat pump or major insulation work, keep the installation certificate, the MCS certificate where relevant, the commissioning data, the warranty and any export-payment paperwork. A buyer will want these, and some incentives depend on them.
Keep: for the life of the system and its guarantee.
Insurance, money and tax
Buildings and contents insurance
Keep the current policy schedule, the policy wording and any claim correspondence. If you have made a claim in the past, keep the settlement paperwork as well.
Keep: the current policy while it runs, and claim records for several years.
Council tax and utility bills
Recent bills prove your address and let you query overcharges. Council tax band information is useful if you ever challenge your band.
Keep: the current year plus the previous year, unless you are in a dispute.
Home improvement receipts and capital gains tax
Your main home is normally exempt from capital gains tax through private residence relief, but not always, for example if you have let part of it, used part of it for business, or owned a second property. Receipts for improvements, such as an extension, a new kitchen or a conservatory, can reduce a taxable gain.
Keep: receipts for improvements for as long as you own the property, plus the period HMRC requires after you sell.
Guarantees, manuals and receipts
Workmanship guarantees and insurance-backed warranties
A roof, damp-proof course, windows or an extension can come with a guarantee that lasts years. Often it only works if you can show the original invoice and the guarantee document. Insurance-backed guarantees matter if the company stops trading.
Keep: until the guarantee expires, and ideally a little beyond.
Appliance manuals and receipts
Receipts for larger appliances, serial numbers and registration confirmations help with warranty claims and the Consumer Rights Act.
Keep: until the guarantee ends.
Quotes, invoices and job records
For each trades job, keep the quote, the final invoice and any variations, plus the contact details of the tradesperson. If a defect appears later, that paper trail is how you show what was agreed.
Keep: at least six years for larger jobs.
A bold view: stop keeping paper, start keeping proof
Most people do not have a paperwork problem. They have a finding problem. The certificates are usually somewhere, in a drawer, a solicitor’s file or an old email. The real cost shows up when a sale has a deadline and a buyer’s solicitor waits days while you hunt. A single, organised, digital record is worth more than the cleverest filing system. Scan everything, name it sensibly, and keep one copy somewhere safe.
A sensible filing structure
A simple structure works well and takes less than an hour to set up.
One folder per property. If you own more than one, keep them separate.
Five subfolders. Ownership, Certificates, Insurance and Money, Guarantees, Jobs.
Consistent names. Date first, then what it is: “Gas safety certificate - June.pdf”.
A short index. A one-page list of what you hold and when each item expires or needs renewing.
A second copy. Cloud storage or an external drive, so a flood or a fire does not take the lot.
When each document gets used
Knowing when a document is needed helps you decide how much effort to spend on it.
Selling: title information, completion certificates, FENSA certificates, EPC, guarantees, leasehold paperwork and a list of what stays.
Remortgaging: proof of ID and address, any consents for recent work and the buildings insurance schedule.
Making a claim: policy wording, proof of ownership, photos and receipts for the items concerned.
Starting work: previous consents, party wall paperwork and the original structural details if you have them.
Dealing with a dispute: the quote, the invoice, every message and the guarantee.
What to do in the next 30 minutes
Download your title register and plan from HM Land Registry and save it.
Search for your EPC on gov.uk and save the PDF.
Find your latest gas safety, boiler service and electrical certificates, and photograph any paper ones.
Check whether any building work in the last 15 years should have a completion certificate, and make a note of the ones you cannot find.
Set up one folder with the five subfolders above.
If you would like the folders set up for you, open your free Home+ document vault and keep each of these in one place, with reminders for anything that expires.
Open your free Home+ document vault, so your paperwork is already organised the day a buyer’s solicitor asks.
For official guidance, see HM Land Registry on gov.uk and the Gas Safe Register.
FAQ
What documents do I need when I sell my house? Usually the title information, an EPC, completion certificates for building work, competent-person certificates such as FENSA, guarantees, and any leasehold paperwork. Your solicitor will confirm exactly what your sale needs.
How long should I keep house documents in the UK? Ownership and compliance documents should be kept for as long as you own the home. Money records follow tax and limitation-period rules, which vary.
What if I have lost a building regulations certificate? Contact your local authority building control team and ask whether a copy exists. If the work was never signed off, a regularisation application or indemnity insurance may be options your solicitor can advise on.
Do I need to keep an EPC if I am not selling? Not on paper, since you can find it on the government register. Saving a copy is still useful for comparison after improvements.
Can I just keep everything digitally? For most documents, yes, a clear scan or PDF is fine for your own records. Keep any original deeds or legal documents that your solicitor holds or advises you to keep.
Which document causes the most delays at sale? Missing Building Regulations sign-off and missing competent-person certificates are among the most common, because they can take weeks to resolve once a buyer’s solicitor has raised them.
