Paying off your mortgage is a major milestone — but many New Zealand homeowners don't realise that repaying the loan doesn't automatically remove it from the property title. A formal "discharge of mortgage" must be registered to clear the lender's interest from your Record of Title.
What Is a Mortgage Discharge?
When you take out a mortgage to buy property, your lender registers a "mortgage instrument" on your property's Record of Title. This gives them legal rights over the property if you default. A mortgage discharge is the legal process of removing the lender's registered interest from your property title.
💡 Key Point:
Even after you've made your final mortgage payment, the mortgage remains on your title until a formal discharge is registered. This is a separate legal step from repaying the loan.
When Mortgage Discharge Happens
Mortgage discharge occurs when you pay off your home loan entirely, when selling your property, when refinancing to a new lender, or when requesting partial discharge for multiple properties secured under one mortgage.
🏠 Check Your Title After Mortgage Discharge
Confirm your mortgage has been properly removed. Get your current Record of Title delivered in just 2 hours.
Order Title Verification →