A LIM is a report prepared by the Council that contains a summary of any relevant information that the Council has on file about a property, including the land and buildings. LIMs are issued in accordance with Section 44A of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. The Act requires that LIMs are issued within 10 working days of request and specifies minimum information to be included in the report.

If you are considering purchasing a property, it is recommended that you obtain a LIM before finalising the purchase. LIMs are often obtained by property owners considering selling a property and also by developers and consultants planning property projects. Anyone can request a LIM report on any property.

LIMs can usually be emailed to the customer – subject on occasion to limitations on the size of attachments. Reports can also be posted or couriered. Please specify on your application form how you would like to receive your report and ensure your email address and/or mailing address are recorded correctly.
A LIM application form must be completed for each property. We no longer offer hard copy forms and applications are all to be completed online.

Please note that some properties may require Council to produce more than one LIM, with fees applying to each LIM report issued. Generally, a separate LIM report will be required for each Certificate of Title. However this is not always the case for every property. Please contact Council for further information if required.

Payment may be made by cash or eftpos at a Council office, by cheque, or by internet banking / direct credit. If paying by internet banking, we recommend the use of your bank’s Bill Payment service. Council is pre-registered with all main banks. Please ensure you include your name and ‘LIM’ in the reference fields with your payment. (Do not include the property valuation number with the payment).

What information will be in a LIM?

• Land contamination information
• Information from the Council Hazards database (flooding, landfill, tomos, noise from roads or nearby industry etc.)
• Advice if the property has housed a Hazardous Activity or Industry (can have significant implications under new National Environmental Standards)
• Location of Council water, sewer and storm water pipes or drains (may limit ability to build on the land)
• Location of any protected natural areas, features, trees or buildings on the property
• Advice of Resource Consents issued to neighbouring properties
• Details of Resource Consents relating to the property
• Property zoning information
• Building warrant of fitness / compliance schedule information
• Aerial photograph with indication of boundary location (not guaranteed survey quality)
• Refuse and recycling collection information
• License details – ie food premises, liquor, health, hairdressing
• Rating valuation information
• Annual rates for the property
• Current rates balance including arrears if any
• If there are extra charges for water supply via a water meter
• Swimming pool fence compliance
• Building permit and consent information (this may include permits or consents for buildings etc that are no longer on the property)
• Any notices, orders or requisitions on the land or buildings