LIM Report — How to Read One Before You Buy

A LIM (Land Information Memorandum) is a report issued by your local council under section 44A of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. Anyone can apply for one, and the council must issue it within 10 working days. It summarises everything the council holds on record about a property — and it can reveal issues no physical inspection will ever show, such as consents that were never signed off, hazard overlays, or rates owing on the land.

What the council must include

By law, every LIM must cover:

• Natural hazards — known hazards, reasonably possible hazards, and the climate-change impacts that exacerbate them
• Special land features the council knows about, including the likely presence of hazardous contaminants
• Drains — private and public stormwater and sewerage drains as shown in council records
• Drinking water supply — who supplies it and on what conditions
• Rates owing on the land, including arrears
• Every consent, certificate, notice, order or requisition the council has issued for the land or buildings — including building consents and Code Compliance Certificates (CCCs)
• Weathertightness notifications — leaky-building claims formally notified under the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act
• Land use and zoning — what the land may be used for and any conditions
• Heritage and statutory classifications, and network utility notifications
• From 15 January 2026: information about non-consented small stand-alone dwellings (the new granny-flat consent exemption)

Councils can add further information at their discretion, and the exact section names and order vary from council to council.

The natural hazards section changed in 2025

LIMs applied for since 17 October 2025 must present natural hazard information in a separate, dedicated section, under clear headings, with maps and plain-language summaries — covering not just known hazards but reasonably possible ones, climate-change effects that make them worse, and their combined impact. A LIM issued before late 2025 can materially understate hazard information compared to one issued today, so if the seller hands you an older LIM, treat its hazard section as out of date.

A LIM is essential due diligence for any NZ property purchase. Many sale and purchase agreements include a LIM condition giving you time to obtain and review one before going unconditional — and skipping it to save time or money is one of the riskiest shortcuts a buyer can take.

Order your own LIM rather than relying on a copy from the seller or agent: a LIM is legal evidence of the council's records as at its issue date, and if it's wrong, direct recourse against the council belongs to the person it was issued to.

The red flags buyers miss most

• A building consent with no CCC. The work was started — possibly finished — but the council never did a final inspection. This is common on 1990s–2000s properties and can derail insurance and lending.
• Notices to fix, dangerous or insanitary building notices. These mean the council knows about an unresolved problem.
• Flood overlays and overland flow paths. Flood mapping expanded materially after the 2023 Auckland floods. An overland flow path models where extreme rainfall would travel, not necessarily a history of flooding — but either way, understand it before you buy, and don't rely on a LIM issued before current mapping.
• Weathertightness silence. Leaky-building claims only appear if they were formally notified — many leaky homes show no LIM red flags at all. Monolithic or plaster cladding from the late 1980s to mid-2000s deserves specialist inspection regardless of what the LIM says.
• Drainage that doesn't match reality. A public drain through the section can limit where you can build, and drain plans that don't match what you see on site warrant questions.
• Rates arrears and open requisitions. Unpaid rates and unresolved council requisitions attach to the property, not the previous owner.
• Possible contamination. Past hazardous land use (HAIL registrations) shows up here — it affects land use, foundations, and lending.

What a LIM won't tell you

• The physical condition of the buildings — that's a building inspection
• Work the council doesn't know about — genuinely unconsented additions are invisible on a LIM
• Ownership, easements, and covenants — those live on the record of title from LINZ
• The plans and paperwork — consent drawings and correspondence are in the property file, ordered separately
• Anything about the neighbours — a LIM covers one property only

Councils are also expressly not required to prepare property-specific risk assessments. A LIM reports the records; interpreting them is on you and your advisors.

Order a LIM directly from the local council — most offer online ordering, and your lawyer or agent can order one on your behalf. The council must issue it within 10 working days (working days exclude the 20 December to 10 January holiday period). Most councils offer a faster paid option.

What it costs (mid-2026, GST inclusive)

• Auckland — $387 standard (up to 10 working days), $522 urgent (up to 3)
• Wellington — $575.50 residential; fast-track is currently suspended and processing has been averaging around 18 working days, so order early
• Christchurch — $320 residential, $420 fast-track (5 working days)
• Hamilton — $425 residential, $550 express (up to 3 working days)
• Tauranga — $395 (10-day service), $680 (5-day service)

Council fees usually change each July — check your council's fees page, or see our Council Property Guides for LIM ordering details by council.

Once it arrives, a LIM runs to 100+ pages of council records. Read the natural hazards section, the consent history, and the drainage plans first — or upload it to Shire's AI LIM report review, which surfaces the red flags in minutes and lets you ask questions with page citations, free to start.