What is an easement and how does it affect my development?

An easement is a legal right registered against your land title that allows another party to use a defined part of your land for a specific purpose. It does NOT transfer ownership — the land is still yours — but the easement holder has the right to access and use that strip.

Common easement types in SEQ:

1. Stormwater easement — usually 1.5-3m wide, runs from a higher lot through yours to a downhill drain. Council right. 2. Sewer easement — typically 3-4m wide centered on the sewer main. Urban Utilities (Brisbane) or council right. 3. Electrical easement — varies widely from 0.5m to 30m+ for transmission lines. Energex / Powerlink right. 4. Access easement (right of way) — gives a neighbour the right to drive or walk through part of your land. Usually for landlocked rear lots (battle-axe configurations). 5. Drainage easement — allows surface water to flow across your land. Council right.

Why easements kill development plays: - You generally can't build over an easement (some councils permit minor structures with permission). - Easements consume your buildable footprint — a 4m sewer easement through the middle of an 800m² lot effectively reduces your buildable area by 100-150m². - Easements affect subdivision design — new lots created through subdivision typically can't have easements bisecting their main building envelope. - Easements affect resale — buyers discount lots with significant easements.

How to find easements: - Title search via Titles Queensland — shows registered easements on the title. - The DCDB cadastral data Casa Daily reads — flags major easements at the suburb level. - The Council planning portal — sometimes shows trunk sewer/stormwater overlays. - Site survey before purchase — definitive but expensive.

Casa Daily flags easement risk in the Snapshot intelligence for every saved listing where the cadastral data shows easements crossing the lot.