Fee simple, cross-lease and unit title
Helps you tell the three common NZ ownership types apart and what to check on each.
- Fee simple means you own the land and the house; check the title for covenants, easements and caveats.
- Cross-lease homes share land with neighbours, so changes to the house or site may need their consent.
- On a cross-lease, compare the filed plan with what is actually on the site, because differences can cause title problems.
- Unit title means you own a unit plus a share of common property through a body corporate.
- For unit titles, ask for the seller's disclosure statement, the body corporate finances, minutes and maintenance plan.
Check the details. Get your lawyer to read the title, lease or body corporate records before you offer, and ask your lender how it treats each type.
Facts we checked
- A unit title seller must give the buyer a pre-contract disclosure statement (the old article called it a pre-purchase statement).Unit Titles Act 2010 (legislation.govt.nz) · accessed 2026-10-29
Official pages
Shortened from a Berry article first written 2026-05-02. Figures we could not check against a public source were taken out. This is general information, not advice.