Regional property certificates
Regional property certificates (RPCs) bring together various pieces of information about a property. They are part of the legal searches undertaken by solicitors on behalf of their clients who are buying or selling property.
A new planning portal will be launched this autumn. This will allow you to submit requests for regional property certificates online. For further information, please visit https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/new-planning-portal. Mid Ulster District Council administers its own Planning Property Certificates. To find out how to apply for a Planning Property Certificate and any costs you can go to the Mid Ulster District Council website.
Why RPCs are needed when buying a property
If you are buying a property it is essential that you are fully aware of what you are purchasing, including any responsibilities and costs that go with it. Property certificates help to identify if there are any statutory provisions affecting the property and if any legal action has been taken or is pending by the council or other government bodies.
What’s included on a RPC
A regional property certificate provides information on:
- the planning history of the property
- confirms if the road adjoining the property is looked after by DfI Roads or is private and if there are any road works proposed which may affect the property
- confirms if a public water main serves the property
- confirms that the sewers are either maintained by NI Water or the property is served by a septic tank and that the necessary statutory consent for this is in place
- The details provided on the certificate are based on the information available to the consultees at the time of the enquiry
Information about planning applications submitted before 1973 will not appear on the certificate.
Process of a regional property certificate
The certificates are administered by the Regional Property Certificates Unit (RPCU) in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council on behalf of all councils except for Mid Ulster District Council which gives out its own certificates.
The RPCU check the property enquiry to make sure it is valid, confirm receipt and contact the following four authorities:
- Councils (Planning Offices)
- DfI Roads
- NI Water
- NI Environment Agency (Water Management Unit)
Once all replies have been received, the answers are put into a single regional property certificate. The certificate is then issued to the requesting solicitor.
Price of a regional property certificate
The fee for a regional property certificate for a single property is £70 (£58.33+VAT).
The fee for a regional property certificate for more than one property is £70 (£58.33+VAT) for the first property plus £7+VAT for each additional property.
Example: Regional property certificate enquiry relates to three properties
|
First property |
£58.33+VAT |
£70 |
|---|---|---|
|
Second property |
£7+VAT |
£8.40 |
|
Third property |
£7+VAT |
£8.40 |
|
Total fee due |
£72.33+VAT |
£86.80 |
The maximum number of properties per certificate is 30 or £313.60.
You can go to the Mid Ulster District Council's website to find out details about the costs of Mid Ulster District Council's certificates.
Applying for a regional property certificate
Regional property certificates are usually sought by solicitors on behalf of their clients who are buying or selling property.
A property enquiry form must be completed and submitted to the Regional Property Certificate Unit along with the correct fee and a map with the property clearly outlined in red.
The map should be an OSNI Address Centre Extract (ACE) or Land Registry map at the largest scale available (urban 1:1250/rural 1:2500). It must show Ordnance Survey sheet and plan number and the Irish Grid six figure reference number.
Cheques should be made payable to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and only one cheque submitted per application.
The address for the Regional Property Certificate Unit is:
Regional Property Certificate Unit
Fermanagh & Omagh District Council
2 Townhall Street
Enniskillen
BT74 7BA
For further advice, you can telephone (028) 66 321 828 or e-mail propcerts@fermanaghomagh.com
You can apply for a certificate from the Mid Ulster District Council website.
Other property certificates
Regional property certificates do not deal with matters about the other functions of the councils. A separate certificate that covers the following areas can be sought from the local councils directly:
- Building Regulations
- Licensing
- Environmental Health
- Postal numbering
Make sure you check the local council’s website for further details.