After a death: whose name is on the title?

It shows every registered owner, including someone who has died if their name hasn't been removed yet. It shows how co-owners hold the property: as joint tenants or as tenants in common, with each owner's share. And it lists any mortgage or caveat registered against it.

It doesn't show the will, who the executor is, whether probate has been granted, or what the property is worth.

Wording varies by state. Most titles say 'joint tenants' or 'tenants in common' and give the shares; Victorian statements list joint tenants as 'Joint Proprietors'. If it isn't clear, ask the solicitor handling the estate.

• Joint tenants own the whole property together. When one dies, the others keep it automatically. This is called survivorship, and that share doesn't pass under the will.
• Tenants in common each own a set share, such as half, or a third and two thirds. When one dies, their share becomes part of their estate and passes under their will, or under intestacy rules if there's no will.
• A sole owner's property passes under their will, through the executor.

This is general information. Every estate is different, and the executor or a solicitor is the right person for anything that turns on the will.

• Joint tenancy: the surviving owner lodges a form with the registry, with the death certificate, to have the name removed. In NSW it's called a Notice of Death; other states call it a survivorship application or similar.
• Tenants in common, or a sole owner: the executor (or an administrator, if there's no will) deals with the property. That usually means getting probate or letters of administration first, then registering the property to the executor or transferring it to the beneficiaries.
• A mortgage on the title: the loan doesn't end with the owner, so talk to the lender early.
• Not the executor? Ask the executor or the estate's solicitor. They have the will and can tell you where things are up to.

Families are often surprised. A parent may hold the house as joint tenants with a new partner, so it passes to that partner rather than into the estate. Or a name you expected isn't there at all. The title shows the position at the registry today; whether it can be challenged is a question for an estates solicitor.

If you need to know who owned it before, a historical search shows past owners. We don't offer historical title searches yet; the state registry does.

The Title search shows the names and how they hold the property, with a plain-English summary in NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, the ACT and the NT. The Title + Full Report explains every entry beside its original text, flags anything unusual such as a caveat, and lists questions to take to the executor or solicitor. It isn't available in WA, or in Queensland yet.