Running a family business comes with many positives, but there are also potential pitfalls to navigate. It is essential to have access to trustworthy information to help you protect your business.
The Australian Government’s Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) can help protect your business when you are buying valuable second-hand items, or if you sell, rent, lease or hire-out goods on terms.
What is the PPSR
The PPSR is the single, national online database of security interests in personal property in Australia. Personal property generally includes all forms of property other than land, buildings, and fixtures.
Buyers can check the PPSR to see if the valuable second-hand goods they want to buy are debt-free and safe from repossession.
Businesses selling on terms, such as retention of title or consignment, or leasing, renting, or hiring out valuable goods for more than two years can register their security interest on the PPSR.
How the PPSR can help protect your business:
The PPSR can help protect your business if you:
- sell goods under retention of title or consignment arrangements
- hire, rent or lease valuable goods, machinery, or equipment to others for more than two years
- buy or sell valuable used goods
- are seeking to raise finance using stock or other personal property as collateral
Sellers
If you sell to your customers on terms, such as retention of title, or lease out goods for more than two years, you can register your interest in the goods on the PPSR.
A Registration can help business claim items or their value back if your customer doesn’t pay or becomes insolvent. A $6 registration on the PPSR lasts up to 7 years.
Buyers
Before you buy, a $2 PPSR search will reveal whether the valuable second-hand goods, such as used cars, stock, equipment, machinery, or boats, are debt free and safe from repossession.
The PPSR is accessible online 24/7. Search results are available immediately and you will get a copy for records.
More information about how to use the PPSR to protect your business is available on our Education Hub, ppsr.gov.au/education-hub.
The PPSR is overseen and managed by the Registrar of Personal Property Securities which sits in the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA). Additional AFSA resources to help family business operators financially protect themselves can be found at www.afsa.gov.au