Property owners in Johannesburg hoping for a smooth sale should prepare for a significantly longer wait. Ongoing disruptions at the Johannesburg Deeds Office — including structural damage, limited staff availability, and a backlog of unprocessed building plans — have extended the average transfer timeline to at least six months.

Following the shutdown of the building’s elevators by the Department of Employment and Labour in February 2025, public access to the Deeds Office was effectively suspended. Although the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has insisted the office was never formally closed, essential operations were clearly obstructed. The office only resumed basic functioning in early March.

According to Cor van Deventer, director at VDM Attorneys, the Johannesburg Deeds Office continues to face multiple challenges. “We’re dealing with a fire- and flood-damaged building, a reduced team, safety concerns, and chaotic record-keeping,” he explained. “It’s creating enormous pressure, especially for sellers who depend on swift registration to unlock funds.”

Under normal circumstances, a transfer might take six to twelve weeks. Currently, sellers are looking at a minimum of two to three months — and that’s without additional hurdles.

Approved Building Plans – A Critical Bottleneck

One of the most common delays is linked to unapproved municipal plans. Structures like garages, swimming pools, and extensions must have official approval before a property can be registered.

“I recently had a client who brought us his building plans, which he had carefully kept in his cupboard,” Van Deventer said. “They were drawn up by an architect, but the municipality had never approved them. We had to start the process from scratch at a cost of over R10,000. That single issue delayed the transfer significantly.”

Without approved plans, a property cannot proceed to registration. And in many cases, sellers only discover the issue once an offer has already been accepted.

The Cost of Administrative Delays

Missing or delayed building approvals don’t just stall registrations — they can derail the entire process. Van Deventer noted that key documents such as rates clearances, levy clearances, and bond cancellation figures have strict validity periods.

“Rates clearances are valid for 60 days, while levy clearances and bond cancellations last 90 days. If they expire while we’re still waiting on plans, we need to reapply for everything,” he explained. “That adds time, cost, and frustration.”

Your Deeds Office Isn’t a Choice

Unlike many services, sellers cannot select which deeds office to use. Jurisdiction is based on location. As Van Deventer pointed out, “Sellers often don’t realise that their suburb determines which Deeds Office will process the registration — and the performance difference between Pretoria and Johannesburg is enormous.”

To give context:

• Properties in Sandton, Lonehill, and Vorna Valley typically fall under the Pretoria Deeds Office, where registrations are currently being processed within 6 to 8 working days.
• In contrast, suburbs like Germiston, Benoni, Brakpan, and Springs fall under the Johannesburg Deeds Office, where delays can stretch into several months.

Heritage Buildings and Municipal Hurdles

While the approval process for building plans is standardised under the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, local differences still exist — especially when dealing with older or heritage properties. Sellers should anticipate additional time and cost if their home falls into this category.

“These approvals can be particularly slow,” Van Deventer warned. “It’s vital that sellers factor this into their planning early on.”

What if You Need to Sell Quickly?

For urgent or distressed sales, there are limited but viable options.

“One solution we sometimes offer,” said Van Deventer, “is to draft an addendum to the sale agreement allowing for the municipal plan costs to be paid from the proceeds of the sale — but only if the buyer’s bank doesn’t require those plans upfront.”

Another option is bridging finance, which provides access to funds before the transfer is finalised. “But I always caution sellers — bridging finance is expensive and should only be used when absolutely necessary,” he added.

Plan for a Six-Month Timeline

In light of the current delays, Van Deventer advised sellers to manage their expectations from the outset. “You’re safer working on the assumption that it will take six months,” he said. “That way you can make sure all your plans are in order, and the transfer process has enough breathing room to avoid financial strain.”