Inner Sydney

Conveyancing across Inner Sydney.

Inner Sydney does not run on one planning system. Across these 18 suburbs, a section 10.7 certificate can name Sydney LEP 2012, Sydney LEP 2005 at Central Park in Chippendale, a State precinct policy at Barangaroo, Darling Harbour or near Redfern station, the Green Square town centre plans in Zetland, or another council's plan in parts of Camperdown and Rosebery. The first job in any contract review here is reading which one applies.

Prepared reviews your contract for sale and the documents attached to it against what the address actually raises: which plan and zone apply, which conservation area and flood catchment the street sits in, and, for the apartments that make up most of the stock, the strata records behind the lot. Our NSW team works from Chippendale, five minutes' walk from Central.

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Inner Sydney at a glance

Suburbs
18
Councils
City of Sydney, with Inner West in part of Camperdown and Bayside in part of Rosebery
Office
Chippendale, 5 min from Central
Settlement
PEXA

Authorities for Inner Sydney

Check it yourself

Links to government and third-party sites. We do not control what they publish, and the section 10.7 certificate and the documents attached to the contract for the specific property remain the source of truth.

About Inner Sydney

The region runs from the harbour at Barangaroo south to Alexandra Canal. The Sydney CBD, Barangaroo and Pyrmont sit around Darling Harbour; Haymarket, Ultimo and Surry Hills ring the southern end of the city; Chippendale, Darlington, Redfern and Eveleigh sit around Central, the University of Sydney and the old Eveleigh railway workshops; Waterloo, Zetland, Beaconsfield, Rosebery, Alexandria and Erskineville run south through and around the Green Square renewal area towards Alexandra Canal and Sydney Park; and Glebe and Camperdown face the inner west.

Almost all of it is in the City of Sydney. The exceptions are the part of Camperdown west of Mallett Street, Salisbury Road and Church Street, which is Inner West Council, and the part of Rosebery outside Epsom Road, Southern Cross Drive, Gardeners Road and Botany Road, which is Bayside Council. Sydney Metro City opened on 19 August 2024 with new stations at Martin Place and Gadigal in the CBD, platforms at Central and a new station at Waterloo, and Redfern station's southern concourse opened on 8 October 2023.

What the market here means for your contract

The dwelling mix separates these suburbs more than the map does. At the 2021 Census, flats or apartments made up 99.2% of occupied private dwellings in the suburb of Sydney, 98.8% in Haymarket, 95.2% in Barangaroo and 92.5% in Zetland. Darlington runs the other way, at 76.1% terraces, semi-detached houses and townhouses, while Beaconsfield (44.6% against 36.6% apartments) and Glebe (47.2% against 46.0%) sit closer to an even split.

Renting is the norm almost everywhere: in 17 of the 18 suburbs more than half of occupied dwellings were rented, from 50.7% in Rosebery to 76.0% in Chippendale, and in Beaconsfield the figure was 48.8%. The practical effect is two kinds of file. An apartment turns on the section 184 certificate, the by-laws and the strata records, a terrace turns on the conservation area, the flood information and the title, and either may come with a tenant whose lease has to fit your settlement date.

Before you sign

In New South Wales you get 5 business days to cool off on an established home, 10 for off the plan, and none at all at auction. If you agree to waive the cooling off period and provide a 66W Certificate then no cooling off applies as well.

That is the whole window, and pulling out during it costs 0.25% of the price. If the property is going to auction, the review has to happen before you raise your hand, and it costs you nothing to have it done. There is no reason to be the person who finds out afterwards.

Send it now, free

Local detail

What we check in Inner Sydney

Which plan the certificate names

Sydney LEP 2012 covers most of the region, but not all of it. Central Park in Chippendale remains under Sydney LEP 2005, a site in Glebe has its own 2011 plan, the Green Square town centre in Zetland has two plans of its own, and Barangaroo, Darling Harbour and the former Redfern-Waterloo Authority sites near Redfern station sit under the State policy for Eastern Harbour City precincts, where the Planning Minister decides larger projects. In Camperdown, west of Mallett Street, the certificate comes from Inner West Council and names the Inner West LEP 2022, and in the part of Rosebery outside the City it comes from Bayside Council and names the Bayside LEP 2021. We read which instrument the section 10.7 certificate names for the address rather than assuming.

Conservation areas mapped street by street

Heritage conservation areas under Sydney LEP 2012 run through most of the terrace streets, among them Pyrmont (C52), Redfern Estate (C56), the Waterloo area (C70), Golden Grove, Darlington and Darling Nursery Estate (C18, C19 and C10), Burren Estate in Erskineville (C21), Alexandria Park (C1) and Hillview Estate in Beaconsfield (C4), with Camperdown Park (C32) on the Inner West side. Rosebery's older streets are a special character area instead, and many of its lots carry a 1914 covenant that limits each house to a single storey. Within an area the council grades each building as contributory, neutral or detracting, and the City's conservation areas review changed some boundaries with effect from 23 January 2026. We check the current maps for the address, not a description written before that date.

Flood catchments, not suburb names

The City of Sydney plans for flooding by catchment: Alexandra Canal (plan adopted March 2014) takes in Alexandria, Beaconsfield, Erskineville, Rosebery, Zetland, Waterloo, Redfern and Eveleigh; Blackwattle Bay and Johnstons Creek (both May 2015) cover Glebe, Darlington and Camperdown; and City Area and Darling Harbour (both August 2016) cover the CBD, Haymarket, Surry Hills and part of Ultimo. The City records floodwater reaching 2.3 metres in Joynton Avenue, Zetland, in the April 2015 storms. Whether flood related development controls apply to an address is reported on its section 10.7 certificate, which we read alongside the study for the right catchment.

Former industrial land under new homes

Much of the newer housing stands on old industrial land: the former Millers Point gasworks at Barangaroo, declared a remediation site in May 2009, the CSR sugar refinery under Jacksons Landing in Pyrmont, the Carlton and United brewery at Central Park, the Metters and McPhersons factories at Ashmore in Erskineville, a racecourse and car factory on the drained Waterloo Swamp in Zetland, and the landfilled brickworks at Sydney Park, declared significantly contaminated by the EPA on 25 February 2019. A section 10.7 certificate reports contamination only in the terms of section 59(2) of the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997, and does not record a former use. We look for the remediation conditions in the consent, any site audit statement and the EPA record of notices.

Strata records behind newer towers

Home building compensation cover is not required for new buildings of more than three storeys containing multiple units, which describes much of the apartment stock here. A buyer relies instead on the strata building bond inspections, the duty of care in section 37 of the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 and the powers of Building Commission NSW, which publishes its orders only while they remain in force. The section 184 certificate does not show any of that, so we read the strata records for defect reports, bond inspections and orders.

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How it works in 3 steps

Step 1

Upload your contract

Upload your contract, add a few details and you’re done. No appointment to book, no credit card and no obligation.

Step 2

Same business day review

In before 2pm, back before you need it.

We’ll send you a free legal review to help you understand what matters, what to watch for and what to do next.

Step 3

Your call

Walk away, or have us run the matter through to PEXA settlement for $1,900 incl. GST fixed.

Either is fine with us.

How we help in Inner Sydney

Contract for sale reviews

Before you sign anything, we review the contract for sale and explain the terms, special conditions and risks that could affect your purchase.

Prescribed documents and the 10.7 certificate

The documents attached to the contract carry the section 10.7 planning certificate, the title and plan, the sewerage diagram, easements and restrictions, and for strata the scheme documents and by-laws. We explain what they mean and flag anything that deserves a closer look.

Property conveyancing

Buying or selling, we manage the legal transfer of ownership, prepare the documents and coordinate every party through to settlement.

Settlement and statement of adjustments

We prepare and check settlement figures, including council rates, water rates, strata levies and other adjustments, so nothing is wrong on the day.

Electronic settlement

Land dealings in New South Wales must be lodged electronically, and certificates of title were cancelled in October 2021. We run the whole process securely and keep you informed at each step.

Strata due diligence

Buying an apartment or townhouse means buying into a strata scheme. We review the section 184 certificate, the records, financial statements, by-laws, the capital works fund, maintenance obligations and any known issues.

Easements, covenants and title restrictions

We explain everything affecting the title, including easements, restrictions on the use of land and positive covenants created by a section 88B instrument, caveats, mortgages and other registered interests that could limit what you do with the property.

Transfer duty and land tax clearance

We calculate your duty, check first home buyer concessions, prepare the documents and lodge everything with Revenue NSW, and we obtain the land tax clearance certificate so an unpaid charge on the land does not follow you.

NSW property law advice

NSW has its own legislation and its own processes, from exchange of contracts to 66W certificates. Our NSW team works from our Chippendale office, so you get advice from people who do this every day.

Special conditions and contract drafting

Not every contract for sale is standard. We review and draft special conditions so they protect your interests and match what was actually agreed.

Cooling-off rights

On a NSW private sale, cooling-off is 5 business days from exchange, and withdrawing costs 0.25% of the price. We explain the rights, the deadlines, 66W certificates and the auction exceptions before you commit.

Vacant possession and tenanted properties

Buying an investment property, or expecting the place empty on settlement day? We explain your rights and obligations, including leases, notice requirements and settlement conditions.

GST and GST withholding

New homes and some other transactions trigger GST withholding. We explain the obligation and make sure the right amount is paid.

Foreign resident capital gains withholding

Where FRCGW applies, we handle the requirements and the documentation needed for settlement.

Deposits and deposit bonds

We advise on deposit requirements, deposit bonds, guarantees and how deposits are held through the transaction.

Early occupation and licence agreements

If a buyer wants to move in before settlement, or a seller needs to stay on after it, we prepare licence agreements that set out exactly what each side can do.

SMSF property purchases

Buying through a Self-Managed Super Fund adds legal and compliance requirements. We work alongside your accountant and adviser to keep the transaction on track.

Why Prepared

Anyone can offer a free review. What matters is what comes back, and who wrote it.

 

Speed

Same-day contract reviews. While others wait on a callback, you are at the next inspection ready to offer.

Expertise

Your contract is reviewed by experienced Australian property lawyers who understand the local property market. In inner Sydney that means reading which of several planning instruments the certificate names, the conservation area and flood catchment the street sits in, and the strata records behind the lot, not a generic checklist.

Fixed fee

One price for the conveyancing, published before you commit. No hourly billing, no surprises on the invoice, and no charge at all for the review that got you there.

What it costs

Nothing to have it read. One price if you go ahead.

Most conveyancers charge for a review, or ask you to request a quote before they will tell you anything at all. Here is the whole thing, so you can compare without making a phone call.

Free

Contract review

No obligation, as many properties as you need for your first 90 days, then $49 a review. Back in 4 business hours.

$1,900

Full conveyancing, buying

Incl. GST, fixed. Contract through to PEXA settlement, adjustments and duty lodgement.

$300

Selling, and it does not sell

Professional fees only, plus the cost of any searches already ordered. You are not billed for a settlement that never happened.

Government charges, searches and transfer duty are payable in addition and are set by the State, not by us. We tell you the total before you instruct.

Start with the free review

Common questions

Which council covers Inner Sydney?

The City of Sydney covers all 18 suburbs except parts of Camperdown and Rosebery. West of Mallett Street, Salisbury Road and Church Street, Camperdown is in Inner West Council, and the part of Rosebery outside Epsom Road, Southern Cross Drive, Gardeners Road and Botany Road is in Bayside Council. In both, the section 10.7 certificate comes from that council and lists its plans. Even inside the City, the council is not always the consent authority: at Barangaroo, Darling Harbour and on the former Redfern-Waterloo Authority sites, the Planning Minister decides larger projects.

Is buying an apartment in inner Sydney different from buying a house?

Yes, because you are buying a lot in a strata scheme rather than land on its own title. The section 184 certificate, the by-laws, the capital works fund plan and an inspection of the strata records usually tell you more about the lot than the contract does. In buildings shared with shops, as in parts of Haymarket, the strata management statement for the building matters too, and some schemes, such as Central Park in Chippendale, are served by a licensed private water network the owners corporation must disclose. At Jacksons Landing in Pyrmont the strata scheme sits inside a community scheme, with two certificates and two sets of by-laws, and at Barangaroo South the buildings stand on 99 year leases over land that stays in public ownership.

How long is the cooling off period when I buy in Sydney?

5 business days for an established home and 10 business days off the plan. There is no cooling off if you buy at auction, or if you agree to waive it and a section 66W certificate is provided. Before you sign, check the contract has its prescribed documents attached, including the section 10.7 planning certificate, the sewerage diagram, the title documents and, for an apartment, the strata scheme documents and by-laws. If any are missing, you can rescind the contract within 14 days of it being made.

Buying or selling in Inner Sydney?

Send us the contract. You will get it back reviewed, in plain English, with the issues that matter flagged.

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