Property Owner Responsibilities

The ratepayer will always be the owner, not the occupier. There will only be one rating unit and Council will only be able to remit rates if it has a policy which says it can do so.

Owner Liability

The owner of a property, rather than the occupier, will ultimately be the person responsible for ensuring rates are paid. There may be instances where a commercial lease provides that the lessee is to pay the rates. In these cases the owner will still be invoiced and will need to pay the rates. It is then up to the owner to recover the rates from the lessee, (unless the lease is registered on the record of title see Local Government Rating Act (2002) Section 11

Selling your property

On settlement your solicitor will undertake a rating apportionment between the vendor and the purchaser. Please refer to your settlement statement or contact your solicitor.

If you have recently received an assessment that is still in your name please contact your Solicitor to ensure the notification of the sale was issued.

If you have a Licence To Occupy Road Reserve you will need to ensure your solicitor is aware of this. The purchaser will need to be made aware of this document, confirming that if the structure is to remain in the Road Reserve after settlement, they will need to enter into a new agreement with Nelson City Council to document this occupation and pay the calculated rental. A Licence to Occupy Road is always subject to the review of the Nelson City Council.

Subdivisions

Council is required to set rates on the information contained within the Rating Information Database as at the 30 June in any year. If a subdivision occurs during a rating year the property rates should be paid in full for that rating year . New rates notices will be issued in subsequent years for the new rating assessments.

Land Information Memorandum request

If you are considering purchasing a property, you can request a Land Information Memorandum (LIM) report that Nelson City Council will prepare that details relevant information and any restrictions for the site. The report will hold contemporary and historical information that is held by the council regarding the site. It is recommended that a LIM report is requested prior to purchasing any property.

Solicitor rates enquiries

The Solicitor Rates Enquiry form is to be used by solicitors and legal agencies acting on behalf of their clients in the conveyancing of their property solicitor rates enquiries.

Customer service contacts

You can contact the Council's Customer Services team which operate a 24 hour, seven days a week phone service on +64 3 546 0200 or email enquiry@ncc.govt.nz
Nelson City Council
Civic House
PO Box 645
110 Trafalgar Street
Nelson