How to find your property boundary in New Zealand

A legal description like Lot 3 DP 12345 identifies a New Zealand parcel precisely, but almost nobody keeps one memorised for their own property, let alone one they are just curious about. Search a New Zealand street address on MapMyLot instead and the property boundary loads as a highlighted polygon on the map, with area and perimeter in the readout panel - no legal description and no account needed. LINZ cadastral coverage on MapMyLot spans 4.26 million parcels nationwide.

What the readout panel shows

The panel above is MapMyLot's parcel readout for a live search - the same layout applies to a New Zealand address: land area in square metres and hectares, perimeter in metres, and, where available for the location, straight-line distance to the coast, nearby parks and waterways.

Legal description versus a street address

New Zealand's cadastral system identifies a parcel by its legal description, such as Lot 3 DP 12345, drawn from LINZ (Land Information New Zealand) records - not something most homeowners can quote from memory. MapMyLot accepts the street address instead and resolves the matching LINZ parcel automatically, so the legal description is never a prerequisite for a quick check.

Note: cadastral boundary data is subject to positional variation by location and source dataset. For a legally binding boundary determination - for example ahead of a fence or a build near a property line - engage a licensed cadastral surveyor.

Free to check, Pro for unlimited

Five address lookups a day are free, with no account required - enough to check a handful of New Zealand properties. MapMyLot Pro, at A$19.99 a month, removes the daily limit and adds unlimited PDF boundary reports, useful for agents, buyers comparing several properties, or anyone doing repeat lookups. A single PDF report is also available for A$4.99 without a subscription.

LINZ cadastral data is refreshed on the agency's own update schedule, so a very recent subdivision may take time to appear. If a search returns no boundary for a brand-new lot, that generally means the subdivision has not yet been registered in the source dataset rather than an error in the search.

Related checks

See MapMyLot's satellite map view for New Zealand properties, check proximity to power lines, flood zones, the coast, and parks, or see how MapMyLot compares on the comparison page.

How accurate is the LINZ boundary overlay?

LINZ explains that digital cadastral accuracy varies by location and how the parcel was mapped. There is no universal 1-2 metre accuracy guarantee. Satellite alignment adds another source of variation. Use the overlay to identify and compare parcels; use a licensed cadastral surveyor to establish a boundary on the ground.

Check an address in three steps

1. Open the map, enter the street address and select the matching result.
2. Confirm the highlighted parcel is the one you meant to check, then read its area and perimeter.
3. Use satellite view for visual context and review the available readouts. If the parcel or figures do not match your documents, investigate the difference before relying on them.

What to do after your first check

Confirm you have the right parcel, then compare its mapped size and shape with the listing or your documents. If you need a copy for your own research, a one-off PDF property report costs A$4.99. For repeated checks, Pro costs A$19.99/month and includes unlimited lookups and PDF reports. Compare the options after checking the address. Reports are informational and do not replace a survey or title search.