How to get a property title search and a rates notice

What is a title search?

A title search is a copy of the official land register entry for a property. In Australia the register is kept by each state and territory, and it is the legal record of who owns the land and what interests sit on it. When a lender takes a mortgage over a property, it checks this record to make sure the person offering the security actually has the right to do so.

Victoria’s land registry explains that a title search shows the owners of a property and any mortgages or other encumbrances affecting the land, and that people need to check title details when buying, selling or applying for a bank loan. That sums up why the document comes up so often in loan applications.

What does a title search show?

The layout differs between jurisdictions, but you can expect most of the following:

• A reference such as a volume and folio number, or a lot on plan.
• A description of the land.
• The registered owner or owners.
• Registered mortgages, with the lender named.
• Easements, covenants and other restrictions.
• Caveats, which record a claimed interest in the land.

Tasmania’s Land Titles Office lists exactly these items on its folio text, including unregistered dealings. If the title shows a mortgage you did not expect, or a name that does not match your records, that is worth sorting out before you apply.

How do you order a title search in each state and territory?

Each register has its own online service, and many also work through authorised information brokers. The sites below are the starting points.

State or territory	Where titles are held	How people usually order
Victoria	Land Use Victoria, with LANDATA as the online service	Online through LANDATA or an authorised broker
New South Wales	NSW Land Registry Services	Through its online services or an information broker
Queensland	Titles Queensland	Online through its search portal
Western Australia	Landgate	Land Enquiry Services site, as a guest or with a login
South Australia	Land Services SA	Online through the SA land titles service
Tasmania	Land Titles Office, Service Tasmania and The LIST	Online, at a Service Tasmania shop, or in writing
ACT	Access Canberra	Through the ACT land titles register
Northern Territory	Land Titles Office, NT Government	Through the NT land titles service

Check the fee on the official page before you pay. Fees are set by each office, and third-party brokers may add a service charge.

What details do you need before ordering?

The easiest identifier is the title reference, which appears on your contract of sale, a previous title search or your mortgage documents. If you do not have it, the street address works for most services. Tasmania notes that a volume and folio reference saves time and money, and that without one you can use the plan and lot number or the address. Western Australia accepts a street address, a volume and folio, or a lot on plan number.

Have a card and an email address ready, since most services deliver a PDF online. Western Australia says its certificate of title copies arrive by email, within about 30 minutes.

Do you need to own the property to order a search?

Usually not. Landgate states you do not need to own a property to order a copy of its certificate of title, and Tasmania says anyone who pays the prescribed fee can search a title. That is helpful for buyers, brokers and people checking a property they are considering. For a loan, however, the lender will normally want a current search it can rely on, and your broker can arrange that when the time comes.

What is a rates notice and where do you find it?

A rates notice is the bill your local council issues for council rates. It shows the property address, the land description, the valuation used for rating, and the amounts due. Water authorities issue their own notices. Lenders ask for the latest notice because it confirms the address and that rates are being kept up to date. If you can no longer find yours:

• Look in your email, since many councils send notices electronically.
• Log into the council’s online portal using the property reference.
• Phone the council’s rates team and ask for a reissued copy.

For rural land, rates notices can list several parcels under one assessment, which matters when the loan is secured over a farm. See our pages on rural property loans and rural land loans for how that works in practice.

Why do lenders and private lenders care about the title?

The title tells them what ranks ahead of their loan. A first mortgage sits at the top, a second mortgage behind it. How that ranking works is explained in first, second and third mortgages: what ranking means. Caveats matter too. A lender who sees an unexplained caveat will want to know who lodged it and why. The guide on what is a caveat loan and the page on caveat loans show the other side of the coin, where a caveat is used deliberately as security.

How does Ownright use title information?

Ownright is about solutions. Trevor Scott leads a team with more than 40 years of finance experience, and reading a title properly is a basic part of finding a pathway. When a title is unusual, such as multiple owners, a deceased estate, an old mortgage that has not been discharged or several parcels, we look at lenders who are comfortable with that structure rather than sending the file to the first name on the list.

An illustrative example: a title search shows a mortgage from a previous refinance that was paid out but never discharged. Spotting that early lets a broker request the discharge, so the new loan is not held up at settlement. Private lending speeds can be possible, but depend on the lender, the security and how quickly documents arrive.

What mistakes should you avoid with title and rates paperwork?

• Using an old search. A title can change, so lenders prefer a recent one.
• Ordering for the wrong parcel or the wrong unit.
• Ignoring a caveat or easement until the lender raises it.
• Assuming a rates notice and a title show the same owner name format.

For the full list of paperwork a lender may ask for, see what documents do I need for a loan, and for a first look at the valuation step, how to get a property valuation for a loan.

What if the title is not in your name alone?

Titles often list more than one owner, and the way ownership is recorded affects who must sign. Joint tenants and tenants in common are treated differently, and a lender normally requires every registered owner to agree to a mortgage over the property. If a former partner is still on title, or an owner has died, the title will not match the story you tell the lender, and that gap needs resolving early.

Common situations include:

• A deceased estate: the title may still show the late owner until probate is complete. Pages such as deceased estate finance show how lenders approach it.
• A relationship breakdown: the title may need to change as part of a settlement. See property settlement finance.
• Companies and trusts: the owner on title may be a trustee, and the lender will want the trust deed. Read more on trust borrowing.
• Old mortgages: a paid-out loan that was never discharged still appears on the title.

What should you check on the search once it arrives?

Read the search carefully before sending it anywhere. A short checklist helps:

1. Do the names on title match your identification exactly?
2. Is the land description the same as the contract of sale or rates notice?
3. Are all registered mortgages ones you expect, and are any already paid out?
4. Are there easements, covenants or caveats you did not know about?
5. Are there extra lots, such as a car space or a shared driveway, that should be part of the security?

If anything looks wrong, contact your conveyancer or solicitor for the formal fix and keep your broker informed. Titles are legal documents, and Ownright’s role is to arrange finance, not to give legal advice, but spotting an oddity early lets the finance plan around it.

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