Property Sales

➡️ Lear more about Ownership Transfers

Payment Responsibility During a Sale

Property tax balances shown on the current tax notice must be paid in full by the due date to avoid penalties.

• Adjustments between the buyer and seller are handled through legal representatives
• The City does not adjust tax amounts based on sale dates
• Payment deadlines apply regardless of ownership changes

Tax Notices & Adjustments

• Adjustment requests must be received by April 30
• The City will not process adjustments to property tax accounts between May 1 and the tax due date
• Any adjustments between buyer and seller should be handled through the legal transaction
• The full balance shown on the tax notice must be paid to avoid penalties. If the tax notice includes a credit that will be requested to be refunded, that amount must still be paid as part of the total payment. 

Example: You purchased a property and the tax notice shows a balance owing of $100 after a $500 credit. This credit will be refunded after the tax due date. The correct amount to pay is $600 (the $100 owing plus the $500 that will be refunded)

Refunds & Credits on Property Tax Accounts

Refund requests must be received in one of the following ways:

• Online Form: refund requests due to a sale must be accompanied by the Statement of Adjustments
• Email: legal representatives may request a refund to property.tax@nanaimo.ca. The request must include details such as refund amount, closing date and mailing address and payee information
• Refunds may take up to 6 weeks to process

Pre-Authorized Withdrawal Changes

If you are enrolled in pre-authorized payments:

• Changes or cancellations must be requested at least 10 business days before the upcoming withdrawal
• The May 15 and June 15 prepayments cannot be cancelled or changed after April 30
• Requests received after this date may not take effect before property taxes are billed
• Any requests for refunds will not be processed until after the tax due date

Need Help?

If you are buying or selling a property and have questions about your property tax account, deadlines, or refunds, contact the Property Tax department.