Status of Land Letter vs Planning Permission: Which Do You Need?
Ask for Status of Land correspondence when you need TCPD’s information about a parcel. Apply for planning permission when you need a decision on a development proposal. A building project or property purchase can require several documents because each answers a different question.
Read the complete land conversion guideThe documents answer different questions
Start with the task you need to complete. A lender’s request for a status letter does not mean the lender is applying for permission to build. A seller’s deed does not show that every proposed use of the land is approved.
| Document | Question it addresses | What it does not replace |
|---|---|---|
| Status of Land letter | What is the parcel’s planning position and relevant approval history? | Permission for a new house or change of use. |
| Planning permission | Is the submitted development proposal approved, and on what conditions? | Title investigation or every other required consent. |
| Local building approval | Has the relevant authority authorised the building proposal? | Ownership or the full set of technical approvals. |
| Deed / Certificate of Title | What title document relates to the land? | Planning permission or a professional title investigation. |
| Stamp Duty Exemption correspondence | What planning correspondence is required for that separate service? | An automatic tax exemption or general building approval. |
| WASA Clearance Certificate | What is the property’s WASA account and rates position? | Water connection or development completion approval. |
If you are buying land
Request the complete deed or title, survey, available approvals and a Status of Land letter for the actual parcel. Let your attorney check the legal file and your lender identify the documents required for finance. If the land is offered as an approved residential lot, examine the decision and plan that support that description.
A property can be described as residential in an advertisement without the file containing all approvals needed for your intended house. Clarify the outstanding planning, subdivision, access and servicing questions before committing to the purchase.
If you are building or changing agricultural use
Use the status enquiry to understand the planning starting point. Define the actual proposal with the relevant professional and pursue the planning route for the building, subdivision or material change of use. Check any State lease or private title restrictions separately.
Read the resulting approval and all conditions before beginning works. The agricultural-to-residential guide sets out how planning, tenure, agency reviews, building approval and completion fit together.
If the request concerns stamp duty
DevelopTT lists Stamp Duty Exemption Correspondence as a separate e-Service. Confirm with your conveyancing attorney or Inland Revenue which document is needed for the transaction and the current tax treatment.
Do not treat residential wording in a Status of Land letter as a calculation of stamp duty or proof of entitlement to an exemption. The property’s planning position and the transaction’s tax treatment are different questions.
If the request comes from WASA or a mortgage lender
Use WASA’s clearance application for the rates and account document. If the property is part of a private development, WASA’s checklist can also require the applicable Completion Certificate. Ask for that technical document by name.
First Citizens’ mortgage checklist includes a WASA Clearance Certificate at its post-approval stage. Obtain the lender’s own checklist early so you know which documents must be ready at each stage.
Discuss your land project
Tell us the location, the documents you hold and the development you have in mind.
Contact DSDillonThis guide provides general information. Obtain advice on the title, lease, site and approvals for your particular proposal.
