Once settlement has occurred, you or your solicitor must register the transfer documents, the Certificate of Title, to the property in the Titles Office in order to be recognised as the registered owner on the title to the property.

If you are purchasing a house with someone else you will need to consider whether you register your names on the title as tenants in common or as joint tenants, or if you only register the property in your own name.

Tenants in Common means that you legally own the property together (with either equal or unequal shares) but each party’s share in the property will be recognised as separate.  As such, each owner has the ability to sell or transfer their share to a third party, or leave their share of the property to whomever they have identified in their Will. If they do not have a Will, and therefore die intestate, their part of the property is dealt with in accordance with the intestacy laws.

Being Joint Tenants means that you own the property together (in equal shares), however if one of you dies, the deceased’s share of the property automatically transfers to the surviving owner regardless of what the deceased’s Will may say.

If only one name is registered on the Title, only one person will be recognised as the owner of the property.