1 What this means
Owners sometimes want part of a block to become separately held — for example a dwelling site or an area for one whānau group. The Court considers the owners, the proposed areas, survey requirements, access and existing interests before approving a partition.
Partition can change both the land’s boundaries and the ownership interests attached to each new parcel. Your percentage of the old block does not automatically mean the same percentage of every new parcel.
2 What still needs checking
- Support from the owners, and any trustees
- Survey requirements and costs
- Legal access to each new parcel
- What happens to existing leases, mortgages or other interests
- Council rules for creating new titles
3 What you can do next
Forms & templates for this
- Form 39 — Application for a partitionApplies to partition (divide) a block into separately titled parcels. Open Form 39 — Application for a partition Download Form 39 — Application for a partition
Check the latest version on the Māori Land Court website before filing. Templates are starting points, not official Court forms.
Official sources
Last reviewed 13 November 2026. General guidance only — not legal, financial or building advice. Court, lending and building decisions remain with the relevant decision makers.
