Common Subdivision Questions

What is subdivision 

Residential subdivision refers to the creation of individual titles for specific areas or lots within a larger ‘parent’ block of land. In most cases this involves turning one large property into several smaller ones. If you are looking to increase the value of your property investment, add another house or just provide extra family accommodation, subdivision may be the best option.

An application for subdivision consent (a type of resource consent), must be made for any proposed subdivision that alters legal boundaries. The most common type of subdivision is freehold, which involves the creation of individual titles.

 

Does available area matter

While local Councils impose a minimum site area for vacant lot (as of right) subdivision in Auckland, Manukau and Waitakere we can generally subdivide below the minimum land area for a vacant lot if we can demonstrate that a new house will fit onto the proposed site, subject to complying with the town planning rules for that zone. This is referred to as a complying development application.
If you send us a copy of your existing site plan, we can determine whether this option is achievable for you. There is no charge for us to do this, although our advice will be subject to the accuracy and reliability of your existing plans. If either a vacant lot or complying development subdivision appears to be possible, our next step would be to carry out a detailed topographic site survey to confirm there is sufficient area available for the new house or vacant lot.

Common Issues 

There are several common issues that you are likely to face, and we will advise on all such issues and provide you with guidelines to resolve these problems. Some common issues are:

• What documentation do I need to get my neighbours approval?
• What happens if a neighbour objects?
• What if I need to access drainage through a neighbouring property?
• What if there is insufficient land area for the new lot?
• What happens if we cannot comply with some of the Council requirements?