Caveats on a property title: how to check and what they mean

Caveat is Latin for “let them beware”. The person who lodges it, the caveator, is telling the registry and anyone searching the title that they claim an interest in the land and want it protected.

A caveat isn't proof that the claim is valid. It's a warning that holds certain dealings back while the claim is sorted out, by agreement, through the registry or in court.

• A buyer who has signed a contract and wants to protect it before settlement.
• A lender whose loan is secured by an agreement but not by a registered mortgage.
• A family member, partner or former partner who claims a share, for example after a separation.
• Someone with an option to buy, or a claim that the land is held on trust for them.

Order a title search. Registered caveats are listed with the title's other interests: in the Second Schedule in NSW and WA, under Encumbrances, Caveats and Notices in Victoria, under Easements, Encumbrances and Interests in Queensland, and in the schedule of dealings in SA. The entry shows the caveat's dealing number and usually who lodged it.

A caveat that has just been lodged may appear first as a pending or unregistered dealing. On a WA title, for example, Subject to Dealing means there's active registry activity.

If you've received a letter about a caveat on your property, check it independently: order a title search or contact the registry directly, rather than using contact details in the letter.

• Buying: a caveat lodged by someone other than you has to be dealt with before settlement. Your conveyancer will ask the seller to have it withdrawn.
• Selling or refinancing: you usually can't register the sale or new mortgage until the caveat is withdrawn or removed, or the caveator consents.
• A caveat you don't recognise on your own title: get a copy of the caveat to see who lodged it and what they claim, then talk to a solicitor. Most states have a process for the owner to make a caveat lapse unless the caveator goes to court.

The caveat form shows the caveator's name, an address for service of notices, and the interest they claim. Order it by the dealing number on the title from the registry or an information broker. Registry fees for 2026-27: NSW A$18.70 (broker or counter), VIC A$5.90 on the LANDATA website, QLD A$50.16, WA A$33.90, SA A$13.50, TAS A$39.20, ACT A$24, NT about A$29 online.

Title Registry doesn't sell caveat documents yet. At launch we sell the title search, which lists any caveat, and the Title + Full Report, which flags caveats as a red flag, explains the entry and lists questions to ask (not available for WA, or for Queensland yet).