2 Units on 1 title

[Elke]

Inspecting a place today that is 2 units on one title . It looks like a house divided into two. What does this mean apart from that I can't sell them separately ? To check:
- one lot of stamp duty?
- check council approved - fire wall, division
- other??

Ta

 

[Peter_Tersteeg]

The properties need to be on individual titles if you want to sell them separately. The current owner probably hasn't done this because:
1. It's a process that takes time and money.
2. Holding costs for two properties on a single title tend to be significantly lower than two sub-titled units.

The two properties can probably get individual titles reasonably easily assuming the construction works to divide the property were legal. It would be worth checking this with the local council regardless of what your plans are. The council should also be able to give you an indication of what their requirements and process is to subdivide.

 

[Elke]

Thanks Peter
We are happy to keep them as is, it's just we wanted to make sure it's all above board. Is it local council who can advise if there is a fire barrier between the two? It's a house split in half so one shared wall.

If it has no fire barrier what is involved to put one in retrospectively and approx costs I wonder ?

What else is required to make it above board to have separate dwellings?

Ta

 

[thatbum]

I would have thought there was a reasonable chance that none of the work was ever approved and its not even possible to split it into two dwellings.

 

[Elke]

Hahaha yes we thought the same thing. The agent has managed it and been the selling agent who sold it twice over 20 years, the contract has the two separate lease agreements so functionally it's operating as two.

 

[thatbum]

Hahaha yes we thought the same thing. The agent has managed it and been the selling agent who sold it twice over 20 years, the contract has the two separate lease agreements so functionally it's operating as two.

That doesn't necessarily mean much in a planning sense. Lots of houses get rented out separately, which can be a completely separate issue from subdivision.