Title
In terms of property law, 'title' refers to the legal right to ownership of property. In very broad terms, an 'owner' is a person or organisation who has the rightful title to something such as property, i.e. the property belongs to them. Title can refer to a partial interest in a property or the full interest, and this can be transferred from one person or organisation to another.
The term title can also refer to a formal document, such as a deed, that provides tangible evidence of ownership. Conveyance of this document is usually required in order to transfer ownership of property between parties. The ways in which a title is obtained are through purchase, descent or grant.
Privity of title, also referred to as privity of estate, is the legal relationship between two or more parties who share an interest in the same property. That is, when the parties’ estates constitute one estate in law. A common example of privity of title is the relationship between landlord and tenant.
In common law, the right to obtain full property ownership, where another party maintains legal title, is known as ‘equitable title’. Upon the contract execution for the sale of property or land, the equitable title passes to the purchaser. When the sale contract conditions have been met, legal title passes to the purchaser. Legal title is the actual ownership of property.
Title can also refer to a profession such as in the example of 'Architect' which is a protect professional title, meaning only qualified and registered (with the ARB) Architects can use the name when marketing themselves or discussing what they do. Similarly 'Chartered Architectural Technologist' is a protected title only to be used by qualified and registered members of that Institute.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
BSR as a standalone body; statements, key roles, context
Statements from key figures in key and changing roles.
ECA launches Welsh Election Manifesto
ECA calls on political parties 100 day milestone to the Senedd elections.
Resident engagement as the key to successful retrofits
Retrofit is about people, not just buildings, from early starts to beyond handover.
What they are, how they work and why they are popular in many countries.
Plastic, recycling and its symbol
Student competition winning, M.C.Esher inspired Möbius strip design symbolising continuity within a finite entity.
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.
The Warm Homes Plan details released
What's new and what is not, with industry reactions.
Could AI and VR cause an increase the value of heritage?
The Orange book: 2026 Amendment 4 to BS 7671:2018
ECA welcomes IET and BSI content sign off.
How neural technologies could transform the design future
Enhancing legacy parametric engines, offering novel ways to explore solutions and generate geometry.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government and other bodies.
From QS to further education teacher
Applying real world skills with the next generation.
A guide on how children can use LEGO to mirror real engineering processes.
Data infrastructure for next-generation materials science
Research Data Express to automate data processing and create AI-ready datasets for materials research.
Wired for the Future with ECA; powering skills and progress
ECA South Wales Business Day 2025, a day to remember.
AI for the conservation professional
A level of sophistication previously reserved for science fiction.