How to check if someone is encroaching on your land

Encroachment is when a neighbour or third party extends onto your land — a fence shifted a metre, a shed built over the line, a track or planting that creeps across the boundary. Left unchallenged, it can quietly cost you part of your plot.

Encroachment is most common where land is unoccupied, infrequently visited, or owned by someone living elsewhere — exactly the situations where it's hardest to notice. The earlier you spot it, the easier it is to resolve, so knowing what to look for and how to keep watch matters.

Common signs of encroachment

• A boundary fence, wall or hedge that has moved from where it used to be.
• A structure — shed, extension, wall, hardstanding — built up to or over the boundary.
• A neighbour using part of your land for parking, storage, access or planting.
• New tracks, fences or cultivation appearing on land you own but don't regularly visit.
• Overhanging structures or services (guttering, cables, pipes) crossing the line.

Why it matters: adverse possession and "boundary creep"

Beyond the immediate nuisance, prolonged unchallenged use can, in some circumstances, lead to a claim of adverse possession — where someone who has occupied land for a long enough period may apply to be registered as its owner. The rules are strict and were tightened for registered land, but the principle is real: ignoring encroachment for years is riskier than dealing with it early. Even short of that, "boundary creep" steadily erodes the usable area and the value of your plot.

How to check your boundary

1. Get your title plan. Order the title register and plan from HM Land Registry and compare the recorded boundary with what's on the ground today.
2. Compare imagery over time. Satellite and aerial images from different dates reveal whether fences, structures or cultivation have moved — change you'd never catch from a single visit.
3. Document the current state. Date-stamped photographs of fences, markers and structures give you a baseline to compare against later.
4. Commission a survey if it's serious. Where the line is genuinely disputed, a measured boundary survey by a chartered surveyor is the authoritative step.

What to do if you find encroachment

Don't remove anything or escalate before you've taken advice — self-help can weaken your position. Raise it with the neighbour in writing, keep a clear record of dates and evidence, and speak to a solicitor about your options early. Most boundary issues are resolved by agreement; the ones that turn costly are usually the ones left to fester.

Keeping watch when you're not there

The hardest part of protecting a boundary is simply noticing change in time — especially for owners who live some distance away or abroad. Regular satellite monitoring closes that gap: it flags visible change on and around your plot automatically, so you find out when a structure appears or the ground is disturbed, not years later.

This guide is general information and is not legal advice. Boundary and adverse-possession law is complex and fact-specific — always consult a solicitor or chartered surveyor about your particular situation.