What is a LIM report?
A LIM (Land Information Memorandum) is the council's report on a property. It sets out what the council holds about it, such as planning rules, natural hazards, pipes and drains, and past building work. It shows only what the council has on file. It is not a building inspection or a title search.
This guide is general information, not advice for your situation.
Last updated: 20 October 2026
What does a LIM include?
The law sets out what a council must put in a LIM (section 44A of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987). That includes natural hazards the council knows about, such as flooding, erosion or land movement; stormwater and sewer drains on its records; rates owing; consents, certificates, notices and orders about the land or its buildings; the rules on how the land may be used; and information other authorities and utility operators have given the council. A council may add other information it considers relevant.
What does a LIM say about natural hazards?
Since 1 July 2025, a LIM must give understandable information, as far as the council knows it, about natural hazards that affect the land, and those the council is satisfied could reasonably affect it now or in the future. That includes effects of climate change that make hazards worse, and the combined effects of all of them.
What doesn't a LIM show?
A LIM shows what the council has on its records about the property, and nothing more. It doesn't describe the condition of the building; a building inspection does that. It isn't a title search, so it doesn't show everything registered on the record of title. And it shows the council's records on the day it was issued: anything the council recorded after that date isn't in it.
Can I rely on a LIM?
A LIM is the council's own record of what it holds about the property on the date it was issued. It can't show what the council doesn't know about. It also doesn't say what its contents mean for your purchase. Have a lawyer or conveyancer look at the LIM before you commit. Bring in other experts when something could change your risk, your costs or what you can do with the property.
What's the difference between a LIM and a building report?
A LIM is council paperwork: what the council has on record about the property. A building report comes from a building inspector who looks at the building itself and reports on its condition. A LIM can't tell you about the condition of the building, and a building report doesn't set out the council's records. Some things in a LIM, such as building work without a code compliance certificate, are reasons to ask a building inspector to look closer.
How do I get a LIM?
You apply in writing, usually online, to the council for the district the property is in, and pay that council's fee. Anyone can apply for a LIM on any property. The law gives the council 10 working days to issue it, and working days don't include weekends, public holidays or 20 December to 10 January. Some councils ask for the property's legal description or a recent record of title with your application, and some offer a faster service for a higher fee.
Is a LIM the same as a property file?
No. A LIM summarises information the council holds about a property. A property file holds the council's documents for it, such as building and resource consent documents. Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga councils provide the property file separately (Tauranga also offers both together), and Christchurch City Council includes the property file with its LIM.