Interests and complex tenure

Many property questions become confusing because the map shows a simple parcel while the legal interests are more complex.

Easements and covenants

An easement can create a right over land, such as access or services. A covenant can impose a registered restriction or obligation. In the cadastre these can be represented as non-primary parcels or recorded through title instruments, depending on the interest and survey history.

For landlocked whenua research, do not assume a visible driveway is a legal right of way. Follow title instruments and survey plans when the legal access relationship matters.

Unit titles

Unit-title developments divide ownership/interests vertically and horizontally in ways that a single ground parcel cannot fully explain. Addresses, titles and units can therefore be many-to-one with the underlying base parcel.

Cross leases

Cross-lease titles can combine undivided interests in land with exclusive-use areas shown on plans. Again, a conventional parcel polygon is not the whole ownership model.

GIS approach

Keep the cadastral geometry as context and store legal record references separately. When a project needs to display an easement, use the specific surveyed interest geometry or digitised plan evidence, not an inferred strip drawn along a driveway.

For basic concepts see Records of Title and LINZ parcels. For access investigations see Landlocked Māori land.

Last reviewed: 26 August 2026