Property Lawyer Sydney

Legal due diligence: title, constraints and value drivers

We perform transaction due diligence tuned to Sydney assets: title and plan checks, easements/encumbrances, caveats, heritage/conservation overlays, contamination risk, and infrastructure interfaces. Planning instruments and council controls that affect buildability, use, and timing are mapped to the deal timetable. Tenancy audits cover rent streams, options, make‑good liabilities, arrears, service obligations, and compliance history. Findings become a risk register with recommended pricing adjustments and special conditions that reflect the asset’s reality.

Contract structuring, special conditions and duty planning

Contracts allocate risk precisely through warranties, indemnities, completion conditions, and evidence obligations (certificates, plans, environmental reports). We plan transfer duty across land and any business‑asset elements using robust apportionment and valuations to minimise reassessment risk. Mixed‑asset transactions are documented so inclusions and exclusions do not accidentally trigger duty or leave gaps. Conditions address title correction, contamination remediation, heritage approvals, and third‑party consents to protect timelines.

Completion choreography and clean handover

We coordinate notices, deliverables, and settlement steps with lenders, conveyancers, and authorities to avoid last‑minute delays. Completion packs include keys, access credentials, as‑built documentation, compliance certificates, and service provider assignments. Post‑completion support covers registrations, duty lodgements, and transitional matters with tenants/contractors. The goal is a transaction that closes cleanly, transfers control, and preserves revenue and operational continuity from day one.

Leasing and occupancy disputes

We triage rent/outgoings disagreements, make‑good claims, misrepresentation allegations, and disputes over relocation/demolition rights or access. The pathway emphasises negotiation first, then targeted mediation, and tribunal/court if necessary. Evidence packs, lease/disclosure, rent accounts, notices, site records, valuations, are assembled early to compress timelines and legal spend. We prioritise practical outcomes that restore occupation and trading stability while finalising sums and obligations.

Title, easement and boundary conflicts

Encroachments, interference with easements or support, and priority disputes can halt projects. We deploy survey evidence, historic instruments, targeted undertakings, and consent orders to secure access and protect structures. Settlement frameworks focus on keeping works moving, structuring remedial steps, and preventing repeat conflict. Where permanent solutions are needed, we document easements/licences with maintenance and liability clarity, then align registration and planning consistency.

Planning enforcement, appeals and compliance resets

When compliance notices or adverse conditions emerge, we assess merits and build case theory with expert evidence. We pursue modification or appeal strategies where viable, or negotiate alternative measures that satisfy the consent authority while preserving project viability. Compliance resets, processes, reporting and documentation, are implemented to prevent repeat enforcement and restore confidence with councils, neighbours, and stakeholders.

Governance tune‑ups and enforceable by‑laws

We review meeting procedures, delegations, voting rules and record‑keeping to prevent invalid resolutions. By‑laws are drafted or modernised for use, noise, renovations, pets, parking, waste, short‑term letting, and safety, balancing resident amenity with operational practicality. Clear, enforceable by‑laws reduce complaints and formal disputes, giving building managers credible tools to maintain standards and protect asset value.

Common property dealings, licences and easements

Where access, services or exclusive use over common property is required, we document licences, easements and exclusive use rights with accurate plans, indemnities, maintenance obligations, insurance provisions, and termination triggers. Instruments are aligned to construction schedules and service commitments so works do not stall. Duty, registration and consent steps are sequenced to avoid administrative delays and title inconsistencies.

Strata renewal, collective sales and redevelopment

For collective renewal or site consolidation, we coordinate valuations, owner engagement, and approvals sequencing against statutory thresholds. Communication plans build trust and reduce resistance. Agreements and timelines are structured to minimise challenge risk through consultation, resolution, and implementation phases, protecting long‑term value and ensuring transitions are commercially and legally sound.

Approvals strategy and feasibility that match consent pathways

We build approvals strategies around local instruments and consent authority expectations. Feasibility checks cover zoning, height/FAR, heritage, traffic, overshadowing, and design quality requirements. We determine whether your project sits within standard DA processes or alternative/referral pathways. Pre‑lodgement engagement is used to de‑risk objections and clarify documentation needs, reducing rework after exhibition.

Lodgement, assessment, conditions and modification

We prepare lodgement packages, forms, plans, statements of environmental effects, specialist reports, and community engagement materials, and manage submission via the planning portal. During assessment, we respond to information requests, manage exhibition and submissions, and negotiate conditions proactively, offering practical alternatives where a condition may be impractical. Post‑consent, we guide certification, construction staging, and modification applications to keep the program on time.

Tracking, stakeholders and reform resilience

We track applications to give teams and financiers clear visibility of status and deadlines. Stakeholder management covers neighbours, precinct bodies, utilities, and referral agencies, with agreed responsibilities and timelines. When reforms adjust pathways or decision criteria, we adapt sequencing, documentation, and consultation tactics to keep your approvals resilient and your project viable without avoidable delay.

Residential conveyancing built for certainty

We deliver end‑to‑end residential conveyancing: contract review, risk spotting (easements, encumbrances, flooding/heritage overlays), negotiation of amendments, and finance/insurer alignment. Search packs and reports are explained in plain language. Timetables and conditions are tracked so cooling‑off, finance approvals, and special conditions are met, preventing default or cost leakage. Communication is proactive so buyers and sellers always know next steps.

Off‑the‑plan, unique assets and special conditions

For off‑the‑plan or atypical assets (mixed‑use, heritage, unusual easements), we dig into plan/spec inclusions, completion tests, defect liability, sunset clauses, and variation rights. Special conditions are crafted to protect against delays, design changes, or amenity shortfalls. Where strata/community title applies, we review by‑laws, levies, building management statements, and developer obligations, ensuring the purchase aligns with use and cost expectations.

Settlement, registrations and post‑completion support

We choreograph exchange, settlement, and registrations with lenders and authorities. Settlement statements, adjustments, and deliverables are verified early to avoid last‑minute surprises. After completion, we handle title registrations, notices, and any transitional tasks with agents, managers, or utilities. The objective is a smooth transfer of ownership with clear records, accurate adjustments, and no loose ends.