Chancel Repair Liability - A Change For The Better

Chancel repair liability - what is it?

Chancel repair liability is a rare financial liability on the owners of some land or property in England and Wales under which they may be required to pay for repairs to the chancel of their parish church.

The historic liability originally affected land owned by rectors and passed to laymen when land was sold following the dissolution of the monasteries.

How can I tell if my property is liable?

With great difficulty! The liability may not have been recorded; no diocese will have a complete register of parishes where rectors were responsible for chancel repairs and there has never been any requirement for new landowners to be notified of the liability when land changed hands. The land may not even be near the church. Any land in a parish with a medieval church (whether in a town or in a rural location) could carry this liability.