Section 32 explained: a line-by-line checklist for first home buyers (Victoria, 2026)

What is a section 32 statement?

A section 32 statement is a signed disclosure document required by section 32 of the Sale of Land Act 1962 (Vic). It tells you what legally affects the land: who owns it, what's registered against it, what it costs to hold, and what planning rules apply.

It's usually prepared by the seller's lawyer or conveyancer and attached to the contract of sale. Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) describes it as a legal document that must be factually accurate and complete.

What it isn't: a building report. CAV notes the section 32 does not cover the condition of buildings, whether they comply with building regulations, or the accuracy of measurements on the title. That's what your inspection and your own research are for (see what to know before a house inspection).

When must you receive the section 32?

Right now, the seller must give you the signed statement before you sign the contract. If they don't, you may be able to rescind (cancel) the contract, as explained below.

A change is coming in 2027. The Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 8 September 2026. Once its section 32 changes commence (on a date to be proclaimed, and no later than 1 June 2027, which is the date CAV lists), sellers must make the statement available, in hard copy or electronically on request:

• Private sale: from 14 days after the property is first publicly advertised.
• Auction or fixed-date sale: from 14 days before the first auction or fixed date.
• Unadvertised, or sold within 14 days of advertising: before you sign.

The seller will also have to give you written notice of any changes to the statement before you sign. Contracts signed within 28 days after commencement stay under the old rules. The same Act also changes early deposit release rules (no later than 1 July 2027).

As at October 2026, these timing changes have not commenced. We could not find any "Sale of Land Amendment Act 2024" or any new prescribed vendor statement form. The last major overhaul of terms contracts and rent-to-buy arrangements came from the Sale of Land Amendment Act 2019, whose main provisions started on 1 March 2020.

What's in a section 32? A line-by-line checklist

Sections 32A to 32I of the Act set out what must be disclosed. Here's what each part tells you.

Title and plan

You'll get a copy of the Register Search Statement (the title) and the diagram or plan showing the land. The title lists the registered owner and any mortgages, caveats, easements and covenants. If the land is part of an unregistered or staged subdivision, the latest plan must be attached. You can order your own copy from Landata.

Financial matters: mortgages, charges and outgoings

The statement must list any mortgage that won't be discharged before you take possession, any statutory charge over the land, and the rates, taxes and similar outgoings (council rates, water, and so on), including any unpaid amounts and interest. Sometimes it simply says the total "does not exceed" a stated figure.

Land tax: since 1 January 2024, a contract clause that makes you pay towards the seller's land tax is of no effect for sales below the threshold (originally $10 million, indexed), under section 10G of the Act. See the State Revenue Office for land tax basics.

Insurance

If the contract doesn't keep the risk with the seller until you take possession, the seller's insurance details must be included. Since 1 July 2026, the statement must also include details of any cover under Victoria's statutory domestic building insurance scheme where the owner-builder rules in section 137B of the Building Act 1993 apply.

Land use: easements, covenants, planning and bushfire

This part covers:

• Easements and covenants, registered or not, plus any existing breach of them.
• Bushfire prone area: a statement if the land is designated as one.
• No road access: a statement if there is none.
• Planning: the planning scheme, the responsible authority, the zone, and every overlay. You can cross-check this for free with a property report on VicPlan.

Notices

Any notice, order, declaration, report, recommendation or approved proposal from a government body that directly and currently affects the land, which the seller could reasonably be expected to know about. It also covers livestock disease or agricultural chemical notices and any notice of intention to compulsorily acquire the land.

Building permits

If there's a home on the land, the statement must list building permits issued in the preceding 7 years.

If a home was built or renovated by an owner-builder and sold within roughly 6.5 years of completion, the Building and Plumbing Commission says the seller generally needs domestic building insurance and a defects inspection report, included with the section 32.

Owners corporation

For units, apartments and many townhouses, the seller must attach the owners corporation certificate (or its prescribed information) and the accompanying documents, or state that the owners corporation is inactive. The certificate is where fees, special levies and insurance details live.

Growth areas infrastructure contribution (GAIC)

GAIC is a one-off charge on land in Melbourne's growth areas: Cardinia, Casey, Hume, Melton, Mitchell, Whittlesea and Wyndham (which includes suburbs like Tarneit). The SRO says it generally doesn't apply to land under 0.41 hectares, but a deferred liability stays attached to the land and can pass to a new owner. Where there's a GAIC recording on the title, the relevant certificates must be attached.

Services not connected

The statement must say if electricity, gas, water, sewerage or telephone services are not connected.

Section 32 red flags: what to ask your conveyancer

A red flag isn't automatically a reason to walk away. It's a reason to ask a specific question before you sign. Use this table as your checklist.

One more overarching red flag: a section 32 that's unsigned, missing attachments, or handed to you at the last minute with pressure to sign. Ask for the complete signed statement and time to review it. Before you make an offer, read our guide to making an offer on your first home.

What happens if the section 32 is wrong or missing?

If the seller gives you false information, leaves out required information, or doesn't give you a signed statement before you sign, you may be able to rescind the contract under section 32K.

You must do this before you accept title and become entitled to possession. A court can refuse rescission if the seller acted honestly and reasonably and you're substantially in as good a position as if the rules had been followed. Any contract term that tries to exclude these rights is void. You can also rescind if a notice of intention to compulsorily acquire the land is served before you take possession (section 32M).

Rescission has consequences, so get legal advice first.

Do you get a cooling-off period in Victoria?

Usually yes for a private sale: you have 3 clear business days after you sign to withdraw by written notice under section 31. But it doesn't apply at auction.

If you cool off, the seller can keep $100 or 0.2% of the price, whichever is greater. On a $600,000 home, that's $1,200.

There's no cooling-off period if:

• you buy at a publicly advertised auction
• you buy within 3 clear business days before or after a publicly advertised auction, or on auction day
• you previously signed a contract for the same property on substantially the same terms
• you're an estate agent or a corporate body
• the land is mainly used for industrial or commercial purposes, or is over 20 hectares and mainly used for farming.

CAV's private sale page and auction page explain this further. The practical lesson: if you're buying at or near auction, your section 32 review must happen before auction day.

Who should review your section 32?

Your own licensed conveyancer or solicitor, before you sign or bid. CAV recommends using your own legal practitioner or conveyancer rather than relying on the seller's.

Send them the full contract and section 32 as soon as you're serious, with your questions from the table above.

This is where a little preparation helps. Havenli's property report includes a "Know the property" section and contract and vendor statement analysis that turns the section 32 into plain-English questions to ask your conveyancer. It doesn't replace their legal advice; it helps you use their time well. Havenli launches on 8 November 2026, and you can join the waitlist here.

Also read CAV's due diligence checklist, which agents must make available at inspections. It covers things the section 32 won't, like flood risk and noise. For the bigger picture on value, see how to know a property's true value before buying.

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This is general information, not legal advice. Have a licensed conveyancer or solicitor review your contract and section 32 before you sign.

Once your offer is accepted, here's what happens between offer and settlement.

Sources

All sources checked as at October 2026.

• Sale of Land Act 1962 (Vic), authorised version 174, ss 10G, 31, 32 to 32P, 33B, Victorian Legislation
• Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2026 (Vic), No. 36 of 2026, Part 9, Victorian Legislation
• New changes to property sales and underquoting laws, Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Seek expert advice on property (Section 32 statement), Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Buying property by private sale (cooling off), Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Buying property at auction, Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Due diligence checklist, Consumer Affairs Victoria
• Understanding growth areas infrastructure contribution, State Revenue Office
• Land tax, State Revenue Office
• Selling an owner-built home, Building and Plumbing Commission
• VicPlan, Victorian Government
• Landata, Victorian Government