LINZ property data
Property title search in New Zealand: ownership, encumbrances and sales history
The title register answers two different questions at once: who owns a property, and whether there is anything left in it once the registered interests are counted.
What the title register is, and what it is good for
Land titles in New Zealand are maintained by Land Information New Zealand under the Land Transfer Act 2017. The register records the legal description of a parcel, the registered proprietors, and the instruments registered against the title such as mortgages, caveats, easements and other encumbrances. Sales history sits alongside it.
For a locate, the register places a named person at an address with a dated instrument behind it, which is a considerably stronger signal than a directory listing. For an asset enquiry, it is the starting point for whether there is equity worth pursuing, because the encumbrances registered against a title tell you who is already ahead of you.
Reading a title result properly
Ownership on a title is a legal position, not an occupancy record. A person can own a property they do not live in, and can live in a property owned by a trust or another party entirely. A title search that returns a trust or a company as proprietor is not a dead end, it is a redirection into the company and director records.
Equally, a registered mortgage tells you an interest exists, not what is currently owed under it. Treat the register as evidence of position rather than a valuation, and pair it with the security interest and insolvency results before drawing a conclusion about recoverability.
What a property title search returns
- Registered proprietors and the form in which the property is held.
- Legal description of the parcel and the record of title reference.
- Encumbrances registered against the title, including mortgages and caveats.
- Sales history where the register holds it.
How it fits the rest of the enquiry
Property results are most useful in sequence. Ownership first, then security interests over personal property, then insolvency history. That order answers the recoverability question faster than working through the same records in any other arrangement, and it is the order the platform presents them in.
This source is queried as part of a consolidated skip tracing enquiry, on the same authorised-purpose declaration and the same audit record as every other source. There is no separate account, no separate invoice and no minimum spend against it. What you pay is the monthly subscription plus the searches you run, set out on the pricing page.
Questions about linz property data
Can I search a property by owner name?
Enquiries can begin from a person or from a property, and the consolidated result shows title records connected to the subject of the search where the register supports the link.
Does the title show what is owed on a mortgage?
No. The register records that a mortgage is registered and in whose favour. The balance outstanding is not part of the register.
Is a title search a public record search?
Yes. The title register is a public register maintained under the Land Transfer Act 2017 and accessed under LINZ licensing terms. It is still only searched on a declared authorised purpose within intelID, and still logged.
What if the property is owned by a trust?
The proprietor shown is the legal owner, which may be trustees or a trustee company. The company and director records are the next step in establishing who sits behind it.
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