Southern & South-Eastern Suburbs

Conveyancing in South Yarra.

South Yarra is split down the middle by Punt Road. Land east of Punt Road is in the City of Stonnington. Land west of it is in the City of Melbourne. Same postcode, two councils, two planning schemes. 

It is also the densest apartment market in this region, with 79.5% of occupied homes recorded as flats or apartments at the 2021 Census. Prepared establishes which side of Punt Road the land sits on, then works through the owners corporation records with you. Getting the first part wrong makes everything after it wrong too. 

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South Yarra at a glance

Postcode
3141
Council
City of Stonnington (east of Punt Road) and City of Melbourne (west of Punt Road)
Water corporation
South East Water
Most common dwelling
Flat or apartment

Authorities for South Yarra

Check it yourself

Links to government and third-party sites. We do not control what they publish, and the planning certificate and Section 32 for the specific property remain the source of truth.

About South Yarra

 Toorak Road and the northern end of Chapel Street form the retail spine, with the Jam Factory, the Como Centre and Prahran Market at the southern edge and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Fawkner Park and the Domain immediately west. South Yarra and Hawksburn stations serve the suburb and trams 58, 72 and 78 cross it. Punt Road is both the council boundary and the main north-south traffic artery. 

What the market here means for your contract

The 2021 Census recorded 79.5% of occupied private dwellings as flats or apartments, 12.8% as semi-detached, row or terrace houses and townhouses, and only 7.4% as separate houses. Almost every South Yarra transaction is an owners corporation transaction.

The stock divides into older walk-up blocks off Toorak Road and Domain Road, and newer Forrest Hill and Chapel Street towers. The first group brings ageing common property and absent maintenance funds. The second brings cladding, defect claims and mixed-use cost allocation between residential, retail and car parking lots.

Before you sign

In Victoria you get three clear business days to cool off, and none at all if you buy at auction.

That is the whole window. A contract read after settlement is a bill, not advice. 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 South Yarra

Punt Road splits the suburb between two councils

Establish which side of Punt Road the land sits on before anything else. It changes the rating authority, and therefore the rates adjustment at settlement and whose certificate belongs in the section 32. It changes the planning scheme, the zone and overlay schedules, the responsible authority for any permit, and the local policies that apply to a renovation. Planning Victoria records the South Yarra activity centre plan as sitting within Stonnington only, so the state plan does not extend west of Punt Road either. 

Owners corporation due diligence in two kinds of building

Ask for the owners corporation certificate and its attachments, at least two years of financial statements, general and committee meeting minutes, the maintenance plan and fund balance, and the insurance schedule. In a 1960s or 1970s walk-up, look for concrete spalling, balustrades, roofing and re-piping, and for special levies struck soon after settlement. In a newer tower, look for defect claims, developer-controlled early committees and how building services costs are shared with commercial lots. Read all of it before your cooling-off period ends. 

Cladding is a levy question as much as a safety one

Where a building has combustible cladding, the cost of rectification reaches a buyer through owners corporation levies, and lenders and insurers take it into account. Ask whether the building is in a rectification program, whether works are complete, and whether a levy has been struck or foreshadowed. Look for any building surveyor notice or direction in the corporation's records. This should be resolved before you are unconditional, not treated as a post-settlement discovery. 

Short-stay income needs two confirmations

South Yarra carries one of the higher concentrations of short-stay apartments in Melbourne. Victoria's short stay levy commenced on 1 January 2025 and applies to short-stay accommodation bookings, and separately many owners corporations have rules restricting or prohibiting short stays. Both need checking where a buyer's numbers depend on that income. 

Foreign buyers, vacant land tax and new apartments

A large share of South Yarra apartment stock is new or near-new and is actively marketed offshore. A foreign purchaser surcharge applies on top of ordinary land transfer duty on residential acquisitions, an absentee owner surcharge applies annually to land tax, and any Foreign Investment Review Board approval must be in place before the acquisition. Vacant residential land tax has also applied statewide since 1 January 2025, which is a real exposure for apartments left empty. Settle residency and structure before contract, and confirm current rates and thresholds with the State Revenue Office. 

Get a Free Contract review

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 $1,600 incl. GST fixed.

Either is fine with us.

How we help in South Yarra

Contract of Sale reviews

Before you sign anything, we review the Contract of Sale and explain the terms, special conditions and risks that could affect your purchase.

Section 32 Vendor Statement reviews

The Section 32 carries the planning controls, easements, owners corporation details and outgoings. We explain what it means 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, owners corporation fees and other adjustments, so nothing is wrong on the day.

Electronic settlement through PEXA

Most Victorian settlements now happen electronically. We run the whole process securely and keep you informed at each step.

Owners corporation due diligence

Buying an apartment, townhouse or unit means buying into an owners corporation. We review the records, financial statements, rules, maintenance obligations and any known issues.

Easements, covenants and title restrictions

We explain everything affecting the title, including easements, restrictive covenants, caveats, mortgages, section 173 agreements and other registered interests that could limit what you do with the property.

Stamp duty and Duties Online

We calculate your duty, prepare the documents and lodge everything through Victoria's Duties Online system.

See everything we handle across Southern & South-Eastern Suburbs

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 Albert Park that means environmental audit conditions, heritage controls and multi-tier owners corporations, 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 and Section 32 review

No charge, no obligation, no limit on how many properties. Back the same business day.

$1,600

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 land 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 is South Yarra in?

Both the City of Stonnington and the City of Melbourne, depending on where the property sits. Punt Road is the boundary: land east of Punt Road is in Stonnington and land west of it is in the City of Melbourne, even though the whole suburb shares postcode 3141. That changes the rating authority, the planning scheme, the zone and overlay schedules, and the responsible authority for any permit. Confirm the council from the title and the rates notice, not from the suburb name. 

What should I check about cladding before buying a South Yarra apartment?

Ask the owners corporation whether the building has combustible cladding, whether it is in a rectification program, whether works have been completed, and whether a levy has been struck or foreshadowed. Rectification costs reach lot owners through levies, and lenders and insurers take the position into account. Look in the corporation's records for any building surveyor notice or direction, and read the insurance schedule. Deal with it before you go unconditional. 

Do foreign buyers pay extra duty in South Yarra?

Yes. A foreign purchaser surcharge applies on top of ordinary land transfer duty on residential acquisitions in Victoria, and an absentee owner surcharge applies annually to land tax. Any Foreign Investment Review Board approval must also be in place before the acquisition. Duty is assessed on the transaction as executed, so residency and any trust or company structure need to be settled before the contract is signed. Confirm current rates and thresholds with the State Revenue Office. 

Buying or selling in South Yarra?

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

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