Rules in plain English
LIM vs PIM: what each one tells you, and what neither does
Updated November 2026
Doug Wakelin, Rural/Lifestyle Sales Consultant, Property Brokers Te Awamutu
General information only. Check with your solicitor and the council before you rely on it.
Short answer. A LIM (Land Information Memorandum) is a council report on a specific property. It's what you get before you buy. A PIM (Project Information Memorandum) is a council report on a building project you're planning, and you get it before you design or apply for a building consent. They answer different questions.
Compare them
| LIM | PIM | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Tells you what the council knows about a property | Tells you what a proposed building project will need from the council |
| When to get one | Before you buy (put it in your due diligence) | Before or when you apply for a building consent |
| Typical content | Consents and permits on file, notices, rates, drainage and water information, natural hazards, zoning and other council-held information | Likely resource consent needs, service connections, drainage, hazards and other approvals for the project |
| Who asks | Anyone, usually a buyer or their solicitor | The owner or builder planning the work |
| Plans and specifications | Not included | Project-specific |
Sources: Building Performance (MBIE) and council fee pages such as Christchurch City Council, checked 2 Nov 2026. Fees and turnaround vary by council, so check each council's page.
What a LIM won't tell you
- It only covers what the council holds. It won't tell you about unconsented work nobody told the council about, or the state of a septic tank or a bore.
- It doesn't replace a building inspection, a title search, or a check of regional council consents. Waikato Regional Council holds water, effluent and discharge consents, and those won't all be on a district council LIM.
- It doesn't tell you what the neighbours do. Spend time on the road and talk to them. Waipā District Council recommends visiting in good and bad weather and in all wind directions (Waipā DC).
Rural things to look for in a LIM
- Consents and code compliance certificates for every house, shed and implement shed, including the old ones.
- Notes on natural hazards: flood, slope instability, coastal erosion and inundation. Coastal places such as Mokau, Awakino and Marokopa have mapped coastal hazard areas (Waitomo DC).
- Zoning, overlays and whether a dwelling can be built.
- Rates, and any special rates or targeted rates.
- Notices, requisitions and any consent conditions that run with the land.
- Wastewater and water supply records.
Your steps
- Get the LIM early, not at the end of your conditional period.
- Read it with your solicitor.
- If you're planning to build, ask the council about a PIM or a pre-application meeting. Do it before you sign anything unconditional if a house site is the whole point of the purchase.
- Ask the vendor for building consent records and any council correspondence.
Check before you rely on this
General information only, not legal advice. LIM contents, fees and turnaround are set by each council. Check with your solicitor and the council.
Sources
- Building Performance (MBIE), project information memoranda
- Christchurch City Council, property information fees (used only to show what the reports are, not for fees in Doug's patch)
- Waipā District Council, country living
- Waitomo District Council, managing coastal hazards (Awakino)