Easement
A right enjoyed by one landowner (the dominant tenement) over the land of another (the servient tenement), such as a right of way or right of light. Must accommodate the dominant tenement and be capable of forming the subject matter of a grant.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
HM Land Registry's own practice guidance confirms that a formally granted easement is not just a private arrangement between neighbours — the express grant of an easement over registered land is a registrable disposition, and because of that, the grant or reservation will not operate at law until the registration requirements have been met.
The mechanics work by reference to the dominant and servient land: a notice must be entered in the register for the servient land, and if the dominant land is also registered, the benefit must be entered in the register for the dominant land too. Where both the benefiting (dominant) and servient land are registered, an application to register the easement is required.
Related terms
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.