Section 32 explained: a Victorian home buyer’s guide
What a Section 32 vendor statement is, what’s in it, the red flags to watch, the full cooling-off rules, and how to read it before you sign — in plain English, sourced to Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Sale of Land Act 1962.
In Victoria, before you sign a contract to buy a home the seller must give you a Section 32 vendor statement. It’s required by section 32 of the Sale of Land Act 1962 (Victorian Government (legislation.vic.gov.au), verified 30 Jul 2026) (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) and it exists to tell you what affects the land before you’re bound. It's one mandatory disclosure document, not the complete due-diligence picture — contract review, independent title and planning searches, physical inspections, finance and insurance checks all remain essential. Read well, it surfaces most of the paperwork-visible risk; skimmed, it's where expensive surprises hide.
What’s inside — the divisions, in plain English
A vendor statement follows a set structure (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026). Here’s what each part means for you.
1. Financial matters
Rates, taxes, owners-corporation and other outgoings you'll inherit, plus any charge secured against the land.
2. Insurance
Whether the property stays at the vendor's risk until settlement, and — if it's an owner-built home sold within 6 years 6 months of completion — domestic building insurance for work over $16,000, covering structural defects for 6 years and non-structural for 2, capped at $300,000. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 28 Aug 2026)
3. Land use
Easements, covenants and restrictions, road access, whether it's in a designated bushfire-prone area, and the planning scheme/zone — what you can and can't do with the land.
4. Notices
Any notice, order or declaration from an authority affecting the land, including compulsory-acquisition proposals.
5. Building permits
Permits issued in the last 7 years — a flag to check works were approved and completed properly. A different clock to Division 2's insurance period above — don't treat the two as interchangeable.
6. Owners corporation
Created automatically when a plan of subdivision with common property is registered. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026) Fees, special levies, insurance and rules — research it further via the certificate, the public register of OC managers, and AGM minutes. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026)
7. GAIC
A growth-areas infrastructure contribution — $122,260-$145,220 per hectare for 2026-27, relevant only on the urban fringe. (State Revenue Office Victoria, verified 28 Aug 2026)
8. Services
Which essential services (water, sewerage, electricity, gas, phone) are not connected.
9. Title
The register search statement and plan — proof of ownership and the land's legal boundaries. Mandatory. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026)
10–13. Subdivision, energy, due diligence, attachments
Subdivision details, an energy note, the buyer due-diligence checklist, and the annexed certificates and documents.
Note: the owner-builder insurance disclosure in division 2 and the 7-year building-permit disclosure in division 5 are two different legal concepts with two different lookback periods — don't treat them as interchangeable numbers when checking a specific property.
The cooling-off period, in full
A private-sale purchase in Victoria generally carries a 3 clear business day cooling-off period, starting the date you (the buyer) sign the contract — not the date the vendor countersigns. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) It does not apply to: a property bought at auction; a sale within 3 clear business days before or after a publicly advertised auction of that property; land used mainly for industrial or commercial purposes; rural land over 20 hectares used mainly for farming; a buyer who previously signed a contract for the same property on substantially the same terms; or a buyer who is an estate agent or a corporate body. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) Withdraw within the period and you get back any money paid, less $100 or 0.2% of the purchase price — whichever is greater. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) There is no cooling-off period at auction, full stop — including on a pre-auction offer accepted within 3 clear business days of the scheduled auction date. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026)
The red flags that matter most
Easements and restrictive covenants that limit where and what you can build; owners-corporation special levies — combustible-cladding rectification alone has run roughly $10,000 to over $100,000 per lot in real Australian cases (bodycorporatefees.com (commercial strata-fees information site), verified 3 Aug 2026); building works done without permits; and planning overlays — heritage, flood and bushfire — that restrict use or add cost. And watch for what’s missing: a statement without the title and plan is deficient. It must be factually accurate and complete (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026); if it isn't, a buyer may be entitled to withdraw from the sale or pursue legal action against the vendor (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) — but whether you can rescind, delay, seek compensation or take another step depends on the actual omission, its materiality, timing and the specific facts. Don't assume the legal consequence yourself; get advice immediately from a licensed conveyancer or solicitor.
What a Section 32 does — and doesn’t — tell you
Its title information covers mortgages, covenants and easements — it says nothing about whether the buildings on the land are structurally sound or comply with building regulations. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) That gap is exactly what a building and pest inspection exists to close, and what an owners corporation certificate exists to close for shared-building financial risk — neither is optional just because the vendor statement looks clean.
How to read yours before you sign
Get the statement early, read every section (not just the price), cross-check the planning overlays against the property, and have a licensed conveyancer or solicitor review it. Use the checklist below to know what to ask.
Go deeper on each part
This page explains the document as a whole. Each of these covers one part of it in full depth.
Section 32 checklists by suburb
Sourced to the Sale of Land Act 1962 (Vic) and Consumer Affairs Victoria; GAIC rate is the 2026-27 State Revenue Office figure. General information, not legal advice — always confirm with a licensed conveyancer or solicitor. Data as of 2026-08-28.
Section 32 FAQ
What is a Section 32?
A Section 32, or vendor statement, is a document a seller must give a buyer before the buyer signs a contract to buy property in Victoria. Required by section 32 of the Sale of Land Act 1962 (Victorian Government (legislation.vic.gov.au), verified 30 Jul 2026), it discloses things that affect the land — financial charges, easements and covenants, planning controls, notices, owners-corporation details and the title. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026)
When do I get the Section 32?
The agent must make it available before you sign — for auctions, that means beforehand. Always read it before auction day, because there's no cooling-off period at a sale by auction. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026)
Is there a cooling-off period?
For a Victorian private sale, generally yes — 3 clear business days, starting from the date you sign the contract. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) It does not apply at auction, or to a private sale made within 3 clear business days before or after a publicly advertised auction of that property. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) If you withdraw during the cooling-off period, you're entitled to a refund of any money paid, less $100 or 0.2% of the purchase price — whichever is greater. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026)
What happens if my Section 32 is wrong or incomplete?
It must be factually accurate and complete. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) If it isn't, a buyer may be entitled to withdraw from the sale or pursue legal action against the vendor (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) — but whether you can rescind, delay, claim compensation or take another step depends on the actual omission, its materiality, timing and the specific facts. Don't assume the legal consequence yourself; get advice immediately from a licensed conveyancer or solicitor.
Does a Section 32 cover the physical condition of the building?
No. Its title information — mortgages, covenants, easements — says nothing about whether the buildings on the land are structurally sound or comply with building regulations; that needs a separate building inspection. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) See our guide to building and pest inspections.
What is GAIC and will I have to pay it?
The Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution is a state charge on land in Melbourne's designated growth corridors (Cardinia, Casey, Hume, Melton, Mitchell, Whittlesea and Wyndham). For 2026-27 it's $122,260 per hectare for Type A land and $145,220 per hectare for Type B-1, B-2 and C land, indexed to CPI each year. (State Revenue Office Victoria, verified 28 Aug 2026) It's irrelevant to almost every established suburb — the Section 32 will confirm whether it applies to the specific property.
What are the biggest red flags in a Section 32?
Restrictive covenants and easements that limit what you can build; owners-corporation special levies — combustible-cladding rectification alone has cost individual apartment owners anywhere from roughly $10,000 to over $100,000 (bodycorporatefees.com (commercial strata-fees information site), verified 3 Aug 2026); building works done without proper permits; and planning overlays (heritage, flood, bushfire) that restrict use or add cost. Missing mandatory documents, like the title, are a red flag too.
Is Section 32 the same in every state?
No — it's Victoria's own term, tied to section 32 of the Sale of Land Act 1962 (Victorian Government (legislation.vic.gov.au), verified 30 Jul 2026). Other states use a different document and process: NSW requires prescribed contract documents attached before signing, and South Australia's Form 1 can legally be served after the contract is signed. See our guide to cooling-off periods across every state for how the surrounding process differs.