Chattels are moveable items that aren't part of the building. Why they must be listed in the agreement, and why valuing them matters.
Chattels are items of personal property within a building that are not fixtures — moveable things like appliances, curtains, light fittings, carpets and heat pumps.
Chattels only transfer with the property if they are specified in the sale and purchase agreement. The standard form has a chattels list with tick boxes; anything not marked can be removed by the vendor.
Common items that generate disputes: curtains and blinds, heat pumps, dishwashers, garden sheds, TV brackets, and the second fridge in the garage.
A fixture is attached to and forms part of the building — it passes with the land automatically. A chattel is moveable. The line is not always obvious; a built-in oven is usually a fixture, a freestanding one a chattel.
Chattels are the only meaningful source of depreciation deductions on a residential rental, because the building itself cannot be depreciated. Getting them properly identified and valued at purchase directly affects your tax position for years.
A chattels valuation at the time of purchase apportions the price between land, building and chattels. It costs money and usually returns considerably more than it costs.
"It was there when I looked" is not a legal position. If it is not on the list, it can go.
Buying without a chattels valuation weakens your deductions permanently. Reconstructing the split years later is harder and less defensible.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026 · ---
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