Due diligence
What a LIM report costs, council by council
A LIM report costs a median of $390 across the 65 New Zealand councils we checked, from $185 (Central Otago) to $598 (Grey). By law the council must issue it within 10 working days, and 25 councils offer a paid urgent option. Every figure below was read from the council's own fee schedule on 15 July 2026.
A LIM (Land Information Memorandum) is the council's formal report on a property. Councils revise fees each July, so confirm on the linked page before you order.
| Council | Standard | Urgent | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Ashburton District Council Fast-track accepted case by case and only if requested within one business day. Non-residential $644. | $322 10 working days | $522 5 working days | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Auckland Council Online applications; card payments add 1.75%. | $387 up to 10 working days | $522 up to 3 working days | Council fee page |
Buller District Council Published as a minimum fee, not a fixed price. Commercial and farms minimum $550. | $400 minimum, may be more 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Carterton District Council The council's own application form still shows last year's figures; the fees schedule is the current one. Standard cancellations are refunded less a $50 admin fee; urgent is not refundable. | $264 10 working days | $474 5 working days | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Central Hawke's Bay District Council Residential and lifestyle, covering 4 hours of processing; more may be charged. Urgent LIMs are no longer available. Rural and commercial $824. | $515 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Central Otago District Council Electronic residential LIM, non-refundable. The paper LIM is $315 (or $420 urgent), which is why this looks low: it is the only council pricing electronic and paper separately. | $185 10 working days | $263 5 working days | Council fee page 2026-27 |
Christchurch City Council | $320 10 working days | $420 5 working days | Council fee page |
Clutha District Council Published as a deposit, not a fixed fee. Complex searches may be charged a further $215/hr. Commercial, industrial and rural, or any property over 2.5 hectares, deposit $480. | $350 deposit, not a fixed fee up to 10 working days | $470 up to 5 working days | Council fee page 2026-27 |
Dunedin City Council | $345.45 5 working days | $403.20 3 working days | Council fee page |
Gisborne District Council Published as a minimum: costs may be more, and large properties are charged accordingly. Residential under 1 hectare. No LIMs processed 20 December to 10 January. | $416 minimum, may be more 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Gore District Council Residential. Cancellation fee $100. Rural, commercial and industrial are charged at actual cost with a $550 deposit. The council may charge more for large or complex properties. | $400 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/2027 |
Grey District Council | $598 10 working days (excluding 25 December to 15 January) | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/2027 |
Hamilton City Council | $425 up to 10 working days | $550 3 working days (residential only) | Council fee page |
Hastings District Council Part A only (no building file review) is $382. | $475 7 to 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
Hauraki District Council Hard copy adds $30. A further charge may apply for complicated or commercial properties. | $300 10 working days | $450 3 working days (the LIM page says 2 to 3) | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Horowhenua District Council Urban residential, delivered electronically. Commercial, industrial and rural $420. Hard copies incur printing fees. | $410 up to 10 working days from payment | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/2027 |
Hurunui District Council Residential or rural. The council states it does not offer an urgent LIM service. Business and industrial $376 for the first 2.5 hours, then $120/hr. Cancellation after 24 hours $50. | $323 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
Hutt City Council (Lower Hutt) Fast-track ($850) not currently available due to volumes. Hard copy adds $62. | $515 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
Invercargill City Council Single dwelling on one title, electronic copy; hard copy adds $16. | $510 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
Kaikōura District Council Commercial or more complex $500. Record of title adds $30. | $320 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Kaipara District Council Email service. Paper copy adds $30. Research fee $40 per half hour where extensive research is needed. | $400 up to 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Kāpiti Coast District Council Includes building plans; covers up to 5 hours of work. | $472 up to 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
Kawerau District Council Residential. Commercial and industrial $330. Applications must be in writing. | $270 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Mackenzie District Council Residential. Other properties including rural $715. No urgent fee is listed in the current schedule (one existed in 2024/25), so ask the council if you need one. | $450 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Manawatū District Council Residential. Commercial $418. | $371 up to 10 working days from payment | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Marlborough District Council Residential. Commercial, industrial and rural $810. Certificate of title $20. | $470 up to 10 days (the council says days, not working days) | Not listed | Council fee page |
Masterton District Council Certificate of title adds $37. Cancellation refunds taper from 80% within 24 hours to none after 48. | $462 10 days from application and payment | $662 5 days | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Matamata-Piako District Council Residential and rural. Business and industrial $580. Processing starts on payment. | $380 10 working days | $530 5 working days | Council fee page |
Napier City Council | $420 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
Nelson City Council Charged as a deposit; multiple titles billed at an hourly rate. | $375.74 deposit, not a fixed fee up to 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
New Plymouth District Council | $360 10 working days | $495 7 working days | Council fee page |
Ōpōtiki District Council Rural and residential. Urgent is the standard fee plus $270. Commercial and industrial $925. | $475 10 working days | $745 5 working days | Council fee page |
Ōtorohanga District Council Urgent is the standard fee plus $130. Follow-up work arising from a LIM is charged at actual cost. | $330 not stated | $460 5 working days | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Palmerston North City Council | $521 10 working days from payment | Not listed | Council fee page |
Porirua City Council | $475 10 working days | $569 5 working days (standard homes only) | Council fee page |
Queenstown-Lakes District Council | $304.56 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
Rangitikei District Council The council may charge more where searches are unusually complex. No urgent fee is published in the current schedule. | $410 within 10 working days (the clock starts the next business day if lodged after 2pm) | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/2027 |
Rotorua Lakes Council Commercial $437. Cancellation fee $50 within 24 hours, no refund after. | $334 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Ruapehu District Council A deposit: $155/hr applies beyond four hours. Hard copy adds $25. | $340 deposit, not a fixed fee 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
Selwyn District Council Residential and rural. Commercial and industrial $500. LIM processing pauses 20 December to 10 January. | $375 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page from 1 July 2026 |
South Taranaki District Council A minimum charge: extra time is billed in half-hour increments. LIM processing halts 20 December to 10 January. | $390 minimum, may be more 10 working days | $680 5 working days | Council fee page 2026/27 |
South Waikato District Council Council may charge actual and reasonable costs for large or complex applications. | $325 10 working days | $435 3 working days | Council fee page 2026-27 |
South Wairarapa District Council Both figures are minimum fee deposits, not fixed prices, as the council's schedule states. | $360 deposit, not a fixed fee 10 working days | $535 5 working days | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Southland District Council Non-refundable, and includes a single title search. Commercial, industrial and rural over one hectare $530. Complex applications may be charged $62.50/hr on top. | $425 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Stratford District Council Residential. Commercial $500. Requires a title no older than 3 months. Plans are not included. | $350 10 working days (council says LIMs typically take 5 to 7) | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Tararua District Council Residential and settlement zones. Rural, industrial and commercial $590. Card payments add 1.5%. | $450 within 10 working days of payment | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Tasman District Council Residential. Commercial and industrial $670. Properties with more than one record of title are quoted separately. Tasman is a unitary authority, so the LIM also carries regional council information. | $465 up to 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Taupō District Council Residential and rural. Commercial and industrial $420, urgent $560. Hourly rate after three hours $91. | $285 10 days | $485 3 days | Council fee page |
Tauranga City Council | $395 10 working days | $680 5 working days | Council fee page |
Thames-Coromandel District Council An urgent add-on fee of $176 is available for residential applications, but the council publishes no urgent turnaround time. Commercial $509 covering 3 hours, then $113/hr. | $396 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Timaru District Council Residential single-unit properties. All other properties $715. | $450 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Upper Hutt City Council Minimum fee covering 3 hours of processing; extra time $150/hr. | $460 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
Waikato District Council Electronic standard LIM. Urgent not available for commercial or industrial. Printed copy adds $30. | $360 10 working days | $510 5 working days | Council fee page 2025-2027 |
Waimakariri District Council Electronic copy. Hard copy $325. Commercial or industrial $384 electronic, covering up to 4 hours of processing. | $263 not stated | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Waimate District Council Residential and rural under 2.5 hectares. Larger and non-residential $650 covering up to 4 hours, then $150/hr. | $450 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page 2026-27 |
Waipa District Council Residential, rural and deferred residential. Other zones $505. Requires a record of title no older than 14 days. | $390 10 working days | $565 5 working days | Council fee page 2026-27 |
Wairoa District Council The council does not publish a timeframe or an urgent option alongside the fee. | $460 not stated | Not listed | Council fee page |
Waitaki District Council Non-residential (including any property over 2.5 hectares) $585 standard, $995 urgent. A record of title under 3 months old must accompany the application. | $440 10 working days | $795 3 working days where possible | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Waitomo District Council Hard copy adds $40. Cancellation admin fee $65. | $360 not stated | Not listed | Council fee page 2026/27 |
Wellington City Council Fast-track (extra $288) suspended while the council clears demand. | $575.50 10 working days by law; council notes a current average of 18 | Not listed | Council fee page |
Western Bay of Plenty District Council Electronic LIM. Hard copy adds $22. Online payment adds a 1.22% fee. | $388 10 working days | $554 4 working days | Council fee page |
Westland District Council Commercial $580. The council no longer supplies a certificate of title with a LIM, and does not hold HAIL contamination data. | $370 10 working days | $530 2 working days (residential only) | Council fee page |
Whakatāne District Council Residential and farming rural. Business and rural commercial $450. The clock starts the first full working day after payment. | $355 10 working days (excluding 20 December to 10 January) | Not listed | Council fee page |
Whanganui District Council Published as a base fee for residential and rural. Refunds taper: 75% same day, 50% within two working days, none after. | $305 10 working days from application and payment | Not listed | Council fee page |
Whangārei District Council | $429 10 working days | Not listed | Council fee page |
What we could not verify
Far North District Council: The council's website blocks automated access, and the only figure it currently displays is last year's ($405, marked 2025/26). A $415 figure appears in a 2026/27 proposal document, but we could not confirm the adopted schedule, so we do not publish either. Check with the council.
We would rather leave a gap than print a number we cannot stand behind.
The fee is not always a fixed price
Most councils charge a fixed fee for a standard residential LIM. Some publish a minimum, or a deposit, and then bill actual staff time on top, which usually bites on rural, large or multi-title properties. Those councils are marked in the table. A handful also price the electronic copy separately from the paper one, which is why the cheapest figure in the country looks unusually low.
What a LIM covers
The LIM is the complete council record for the property: building consents and code compliance certificates, rates, drainage plans, known hazard notations, and any requisitions or notices. Since October 2025, LIMs must also present natural-hazard information in a standard form. It is the document your lawyer reads before you go unconditional, and no online check replaces it.
When to order it
The fee is per property and non-refundable, which stings when you are bidding on several homes in a row. The pattern careful buyers use: run an address check first to see the title type and the council hazard layers, drop the properties with deal-breakers early, then put the LIM money into the genuine contender and give the council its full processing window before auction or the end of your due-diligence period.
Do you need a LIM to buy a house?
A LIM is not legally required. It is the council's formal record of what it knows about the property, and property lawyers routinely recommend ordering one before going unconditional. A sale and purchase agreement can include a LIM condition, which gives you a set number of working days to review it and raise problems. At auction there is no condition to fall back on: the sale is unconditional at the fall of the hammer, so buyers who want a LIM order it far enough ahead for the council to issue it before bidding.
Most buyers skip these checks. In research the Real Estate Authority published in October 2025, only 37% of recent buyers had obtained a LIM, 44% had an inspection report from a certified inspector, and 59% consulted a lawyer or conveyancer before making an offer (REA).
LIM vs builder's report
They answer different questions and one does not replace the other. The LIM is the council's paper record: consents, code compliance certificates, rates, drainage plans, hazard notations. A builder's report (pre-purchase inspection) is a person physically examining the building's condition on the day. The LIM can tell you that no consent exists for the sleepout you can see in the garden; only an inspection can tell you what state the sleepout is in. Careful buyers treat them as a pair: the LIM for what the council knows, the inspection for what the council cannot see.
Can you rely on the seller's LIM?
Some listings come with a LIM already attached. A LIM is prepared for the person who applied for it, and lawyers commonly advise buyers to order their own rather than rely on a supplied one, for two reasons: the council's duty of care runs to the applicant named on the report, and a supplied LIM shows the record as it stood when the seller ordered it, which may be months earlier. A seller's LIM is still useful for an early read before you spend your own money.
What a LIM does not cover
A LIM is a records search, not an inspection. It does not assess the building's physical condition, and it does not confirm that the work on site matches the consents on file. It does not cover the title, ownership or boundaries: that is the LINZ record, which your lawyer reads separately. And it cannot tell you about anything the council was never told about, which is exactly why the consent history and the building in front of you are worth comparing.
See the title type and council hazard layers for any NZ address, before you order the LIM.
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