Buying or selling a property is an exciting step and we’re here to help make it as easy as possible. We’ve outlined how we manage changes to property ownership, rates notices and dog registration during a property sale, so you know exactly what to expect.
Before buying a property, it’s important to do your research. Listed below are a number of different searches and report options that we recommend you investigate before making a purchase.
We update property ownership details after receiving official notification from the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy - Land and Property. This process can take two to twelve weeks.
The department provides us with the contact information supplied by your solicitor, including your full name, mailing address, phone number and email address.
Updating details
Once our records have been updated, any future rates notices will be sent to the mailing address provided by your solicitor.
If you’ve since moved into the property and/or need to change your mailing address or would like to nominate an authorised person to speak on your behalf in relation to the property, visit our Update your details page for further information.
Methods of notice delivery
When you buy a property, notices are sent via post by default. If you want to use a different method, visit our My rates notice page to update the method of delivery.
If your property sells while general rates notices are being issued, the notice will still go to the owner listed in our records at that time. After we receive official confirmation of the ownership change, we’ll update our records and send a letter to the new owner if payment is needed.
Most of the time, any general rates due during the sale are included in the settlement. If you have questions about rates notices or payments during this period, check your sales paperwork or contact your solicitor to make sure everything matches your sales agreement.
Your solicitor should arrange for the water meter to be read on settlement day. This helps calculate water usage and adjust charges fairly between the buyer and seller. Water rates include consumption charges and an infrastructure charge and these amounts are usually adjusted at settlement. We don’t adjust water consumption charges ourselves and the current property owner will always receive the water rates notice - even if some usage was from the previous owner.
These adjustments are usually shown on your settlement statement. If you’re unsure, check your paperwork or contact your solicitor for a breakdown of water charges.
If you have a dog registered with us, it's important that you notify us that the location where the dog is kept has changed.
Visit our Dog registration and pet microchipping page for information about updating dog registration records.
Depending on your circumstances, the following searches and information resources may help you make an informed decision before purchasing a property.