Waikato District Council launches free online search for property files

The council says if you can't find what you are looking for via the search tool you should order the property files. Photo / Supplied

Waikato District Council has launched a new online search process that allows users to access certain public property files, completely free of charge.

The search, which replaces a previously manual process that costs both customers and staff time and money, allows customers to self-search for a number of property documents.

“The previous process came at not just a monetary cost to our customers, but a time cost to our staff too,” says council land information officer Bethney Waters.

“Where previously a staff member would have to search for the property files on the customer’s behalf, the new search allows customers to self-serve that information.”

Before launching the new process, the council staff had to digitise tens of thousands of records to ensure they were accessible.

“We recognised some time ago that time and cost were creating a barrier for our customers,” says Waters.

“We hope that the search tool will help to alleviate some of these barriers to allow our customers to access the information that they are after with ease.”

Files available through the tool include issued building consents, building permits, approved plans, code of compliance certificates, resource consents and plans, all available 24/7 on any device, any time to best suit customer needs.

A full list of documents available via the search can be found on the district council’s website.

Not all property files are online yet as the council staff continue to digitise files to expand on the information available via the search. If residents can’t find what they are looking for via the search the council is asking them to order the property files. Fees and charges for ordering property files can be viewed on the website.

The information contained in a property file may not represent all the information the council holds for a property. A property file is not a Land Information Memorandum (LIM) and should not be used as one, the council says.

If you are considering buying a property, the council recommends you apply for a LIM.