Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Chattel definition

What does Chattel mean? An item of tangible, moveable property used in practice to distinguish goods from land. In England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, “chattel” ordinarily means a chose in possession—physical things such as equipment, machinery, vehicles, stock, artworks or animals—rather than land or (historically) “chattels real” such as leasehold estates. Whether something is a chattel or a fixture is a case‑law question turning on the degree and purpose of annexation; this distinction matters in conveyancing, asset sales, secured lending and insolvency. “Chattel” is a descriptive common‑law term used across contexts rather than comprehensively defined by statute. Legislation often instead refers to “goods”...

Fixtures and Fittings in Property Transactions: Classification, Enquiries, Contract Terms, Vacant Possession, Landlord/Tenant Fixtures and Tax (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Property expert

Practice notes

When transferring an interest in land (whether freehold or leasehold)

On a transfer of a land interest, and unless the contract states otherwise:

fixtures are treated as part of the land and pass with the property; and
fittings (also called chattels) are not part of the land and are excluded.

It is not always straightforward to decide if a given item is a fixture or a fitting. That uncertainty can trigger disagreements over whether the item is included in the sale. It can also create difficulties when splitting the purchase price between the property and any chattels comprised in the sale for stamp duty land tax (SDLT)/land transaction tax (LTT) purposes (see: Tax—fixtures and fittings below).

Under a lease, as between landlord and tenant, the drafting may mean an item is classed as a landlord’s fixture, a tenant’s fixture, or a fitting/chattel, and that classification can affect repairing obligations, reinstatement, insurance, rent review and the position on yielding up...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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