Official Land Registry Document
Title Search
Title Search Wellington | LINZ Record of Title
Quick Answer
A Title Search for a Wellington property is the official Record of Title held by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). It names the registered owner, the legal description, and mortgages, easements, covenants and unit-title interests for land across Wellington City — from Te Aro apartments to Karori, Newtown, Island Bay and the harbour edge.
Price from. Delivered electronically, typically within.
Order your Wellington title search now and confirm the LINZ register before you buy, refinance, or settle.
Wellington titles are dense with structure. CBD and Te Aro apartments are almost always unit titles, with accessory car-park and storage units that must match what was advertised. Inner suburbs — Newtown, Berhampore, Island Bay, Mount Victoria — still hold a large cross-lease stock. Hillside properties in Kelburn, Brooklyn, Ngaio and Karori commonly show rights of way, steep-access lots, and retaining-related consent notices. Harbour-edge and waterfront land can sit on reclamation titles with a different documentary history to a Town Belt-adjoining fee-simple section.
A title search is the current LINZ Record of Title. Wellington City Council issues the LIM for city properties. We retrieve the register and deliver it electronically.
Key Facts
Location
Wellington
Online Delivery
Delivered online via email
What Is This Document
A Title Search reproduces the live LINZ Record of Title under the Land Transfer Act 2017. It is the ownership document: who is registered, what estate they hold, how the land is described, and which instruments are noted.
In Wellington the estate type is the first filter. A Thorndon cottage may be fee simple. A Newtown bungalow on the same street pattern may be cross-lease. A Willis Street apartment is a unit title, and the car park is often a separate accessory unit. Getting that wrong at offer stage is expensive. Easements for steep access, party walls on narrow inner-city lots, and land covenants near the Town Belt are also title business.
Earthquake-prone building designations, strengthening notices, and much of the city's hazard information are Wellington City Council records. They appear on a LIM and in council files. They are not a substitute for the LINZ title, and the title is not a substitute for them. Reclamation land on the waterfront can involve historic Crown or port interests that still show as registered memorials.
The search is accurate as at the date of issue. It does not confirm that a deck sits inside the boundary or that a building is earthquake-rated.
Which Document Do I Need
Not sure which document you need for a Wellington property? Use this guide:
| Situation | Recommended Document |
|---|---|
| Confirm the registered owner, legal description, mortgages and easements | Title Search |
| Check building consents, zoning, rates and natural hazards | LIM Report |
| Check physical condition and weathertightness | Building inspection (arranged separately) |
A title search is the LINZ record. A LIM is the council record. Most Wellington purchases need both.
If you are unsure, our team can advise before you order — email info@landtitlesearch.co.nz.
What Information Is Included
Registered owner: the person, people, company or trustees recorded as holding the estate
Estate type: fee simple, leasehold, unit title, cross-lease, or stratum in freehold
Legal description: appellation (for example Lot and Deposited Plan) used to identify the land
Registered interests: mortgages, caveats, easements, covenants, and other dealings
Prior dealings: a history of transfers and instruments still noted on the current title
Unit titles: principal and accessory units for Te Aro, CBD and harbour-side apartments
Cross-leases: still common in Newtown, Island Bay, Berhampore and Mount Victoria
Hillside access: rights of way and consent notices on Kelburn, Brooklyn, Ngaio and Karori titles
Waterfront memorials: historic reclamation or port-related interests on some harbour-edge parcels
Why People Order
Apartment buyers in Te Aro and the CBD use the search to match principal and accessory units before they go unconditional. Inner-suburb purchasers check cross-lease versus fee simple. Lenders will not settle a Wellington mortgage without a current Record of Title. Owners on rights of way in Brooklyn or Ngaio need the easement in writing before they build or sell.
Wellington City Council's LIM covers consents, hazards and district plan. Greater Wellington Regional Council information may also feed a LIM. Neither council issues the LINZ title.
Real World Use Cases
Te Aro or CBD apartment
A buyer confirms the unit title, accessory car park, and any registered body-corporate interests.
Newtown or Island Bay house
A purchaser checks whether the estate is fee simple or cross-lease before auction.
Kelburn or Brooklyn hillside
An owner maps the right of way and any consent notice that affects further building.
Waterfront or harbour-edge site
A buyer reads reclamation or historic port memorials on the title.
Refinance in Karori or Thorndon
A lender requires a current LINZ title showing the registered owner and undischarged mortgage.
Land Registry Context
LINZ holds the national register. Wellington City is one territorial authority among several in the wider region. This page is for Wellington City land. Properties in Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua or the Kāpiti Coast are different council LIM sources and different location pages — they are still LINZ titles, but they are not Wellington City.
Older WN title references are common in Wellington files. Provide the reference if you have it. Town Belt, reclamation, and unit-title plans are all retrieved as current Records of Title where they exist on the register.
Common Mistakes
Treating an earthquake-prone notice as a title search
Strengthening designations are council files. They belong on the LIM, not on the LINZ ownership record.
Missing the accessory unit
Wellington apartment car parks are often separate units. If it is not on the title you are buying, it is not yours at settlement.
Assuming every inner-suburb house is fee simple
Cross-lease remains common in Newtown, Berhampore and Island Bay.
Ordering a Wellington City LIM for a Lower Hutt property
Wrong council, and still not a title.
Using a title copy from a previous sale
Later mortgages, caveats or unit-plan changes will not be on that copy.
When Not Sufficient
For Wellington due diligence, the title search is essential but works alongside:
LIM Report (Wellington City Council): Consents, district plan, drainage, and hazard information, including earthquake-prone building notes that do not appear on the LINZ title.
Body corporate records: For unit-title apartments — levies, insurance, long-term maintenance, and meeting minutes.
Builder's or structural report: Physical condition and seismic performance are not certified by a title search.
Survey: Cross-lease exclusive-use areas, rights of way, and decks on steep sites often need a spatial check against occupation.
How To Order
Provide the Wellington property address and, if you have it, the Record of Title reference (for example NA123/456). Complete payment at checkout. We retrieve the current title from LINZ and deliver it electronically.
Order your Wellington title search today — most orders complete within.
Turnaround & Delivery
Standard Wellington title searches are retrieved from the LINZ register and delivered electronically, typically within. Title data is held nationally, so turnaround does not depend on a local council queue the way a LIM does.
Price from. The completed Record of Title is sent as a downloadable document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Wellington title search the same as a Wellington City Council LIM?
No. The title is the LINZ Record of Title — ownership and registered interests. The LIM is the council property file, including earthquake and hazard records. Most Wellington purchases need both.
Can I order a title search for a Te Aro apartment I do not own?
Yes. The register is public. You do not need to be the registered owner to order a Wellington title search.
Will the search show if a Newtown house is cross-lease?
Yes. Estate type and cross-lease plan details appear on the Record of Title. That is a standard pre-auction check in the inner suburbs.
Does the title include earthquake-prone building status?
Not as a council designation list. Seismic notices sit on the Wellington City Council LIM. The title shows ownership and registered instruments only.
How fast is a Wellington title search?
Most searches are delivered electronically within from, much faster than a typical Wellington City Council LIM.
Does this page cover Lower Hutt or Porirua?
This page is for Wellington City. Hutt and Porirua properties are still LINZ titles, but their LIMs come from different councils. Use the matching location page when you order.
Order Your Wellington Title Search
From · typically delivered within. Official LINZ Record of Title for Wellington City apartments, hillside houses and harbour-side land. Delivered electronically.
Get Your Title Search - WellingtonRelated Services
Upgrade Your Order
Nearby Regions
Property Records Editorial Team
Last updated: