Deeds showing a rental company??

[Snowpurple]

I'll have to keep this brief for anonymity but if anyone can offer any advice I'd be so grateful!

Aging relative bought a house in 70s, paid off probably late 80s and cannot find title deeds now they're getting affairs in order. When searching the house shows on the register summary as the deeds being held by 'company name rental Ltd' from early 00s. They've not sold it, have lived there quite happily with no mortgage for years.

Before I panic older relative can anyone shed any light on why this may be? No contact details online for them and if it is a scam I don't want to alert them to it until they've had legal advice.

Equity release?

I think more information is required, could be they did sell it to a rental company for eg.

What does it say specifically? Does it mean they just have the deeds or does it state them as registered owner?

"the house shows on the register summary as the deeds being held by 'company name rental Ltd' from early 00s"
If the house is registered on the HM Land Registry, holding of paper deeds has no legal authority. The registery should show the "title holder" who is the owner. Is that what you meant?

Title deeds are updated with equity release but it's generally only a legal charge that would be registered and ownership should still show the person as the owner.

Have you actually paid the three pounds or whatever it is to get the title sheet?

Apologies for my rushed and panic opening.

Another relative did a paid search to get it for them and I've been sent what is similar to this one I found online by them in a panic, it has registered owners as 'company name rental ltd' and their company address in London which is nowhere near us, and under that has last sold for with 'no price recorded' - older relatives name nowhere on it.

So just trying to work out what's happened as older relative is making a will and looking for the deeds with clearly no idea there could be anything awry. We've all been through a bereavement so it's not the best time for them at all to be able to mentally deal with this.

You need to sit your relative down and talk through how exactly they bought the property, who they paid, any documents relating to mortgaging or loans, because it seems like they are not the legal owner of the property. If it looks like there has been any irregularity - you need to contact HM Land Registry asap and try to get it sorted out. It's very odd that a property is registered to a company but your relative has been living in it for decades.
Try looking up the company here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house.

Is the bereavement the spouse of the elderly person? Were they the owner of the home? It was quite common for older couples that the man would be the only name listed on the deeds. It’s possible that they entered into equity release of ‘their home’ without their spouse being made aware.