How do I find out the previous owner of my house in South Africa?

Lake Properties                     Lake Properties

Lake Properties                     Lake Properties

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the different ways you can find out the previous owner of your house in South Africa:

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1. Deeds Office Search (Official & Most Reliable Method)

The Deeds Office, managed by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, maintains legal records of all property transactions in South Africa. Every property transfer is registered there, including details of previous and current owners.

How to access this info:

• In person:
  Go to the Deeds Office nearest to your property. Offices are in major cities like:

  • Pretoria
  • Johannesburg
  • Cape Town
  • Pietermaritzburg
  • Bloemfontein
  • King William’s Town

  Bring:

  • Erf number (or farm number if rural)
  • Physical address
  • Your ID

  You can request:

  • A Deed printout – shows current and past owners
  • Transfer history – includes ownership changes and prices

• Online:
  Use DeedsWeb

  • Register an account (you’ll need to create a profile and deposit funds)
  • Search by property description or person’s name
  • View:
    • Property ownership history
    • Bond (mortgage) details
    • Title deed info

  Note: It’s a paid service, but costs are relatively low (under R50 for basic searches).

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2. Use Property Information Services (Private Sector)

There are platforms that access Deeds Office data and present it in easy-to-read reports. These are great if you want more detailed info (e.g., neighborhood trends, market value, bond history).

Popular ones:

• Lightstone Property
  https://www.lightstoneproperty.co.za

  • Reports include previous owners, market activity, property value trends.
  • You’ll need to create an account and buy reports (R100–R250+)

• Windeed
  https://www.windeed.co.za

  • Offers similar data: property reports, title deed copies, owner lookup, etc.
  • Used by legal professionals and estate agents

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3. Through Your Conveyancer or Estate Agent

If you recently bought the property, the conveyancing attorney (the one who handled the legal transfer) has access to all the transfer documents. These include:

• Name of the seller (previous owner)
• Title deed and property history

You can simply request this information from them, and they should be able to provide it at no extra cost, especially if they acted on your behalf.

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4. Municipal Valuation Roll (Basic Info Only)

Some municipalities allow public access to their valuation rolls, which sometimes show ownership and valuation dates.

Try your local municipality’s website and look for:

• Property search
• Valuation roll
• GIS (Geographic Information System) viewer

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