Property Documents Checklist — Kya Verify Karein Before Buying

Ek real story batata hoon — names change kiye hain.

Rahul ek broker tha Delhi NCR mein. Ek resale flat ka deal kiya — buyer ready, seller ready, price agreed. Agreement sign ho gayi, advance diya.

Registration ke din pata chala — property pe ek bank ka loan tha jo seller ne nahi bataya tha. Encumbrance certificate nahi check kiya tha. Deal cancel, advance stuck, buyer furious, broker ki reputation khatam.

Ek document. Ek bhool. Poora deal barbad.

Property documents verification sirf legal formality nahi hai — ye teri professional duty hai. Aur teri reputation ka safeguard bhi.

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Kyun Broker Ko Documents Samajhne Chahiye

Tu legally “document verifier” nahi hai — ye kaam lawyer ka hai. Lekin ek informed broker ka farz hai ki:

1. Buyer ko pata ho kaun se documents maango
2. Obvious red flags dekh sake
3. Lawyer refer kar sake appropriate time pe
4. Deal mein surprises na aaye

Buyer jab tujhpe trust karta hai, wo ye expect karta hai ki tu important documents ka basic check kare. Ye trust maintain karna teri professional value hai.

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Resale Property — Complete Document Checklist

Document 1: Title Deed / Sale Deed (Chain of Title)

Kya hai: Property ownership ka main document. Pichle maalik se current maalik tak ki chain.

Kahan milta hai: Sub-Registrar office, existing owner ke paas

Kya check karo:

• Current seller ka naam document mein exactly wahi hona chahiye jo records mein hai
• Chain of title minimum 30 years — kitne maalikaano se guzri property
• Koi court case / litigation mention toh nahi

Red flags:

• Chain mein gap — “koi link missing hai”
• Seller ka naam misspelled ya alag
• “Will” ya “Gift Deed” ke through ownership — extra verification chahiye

Document 2: Encumbrance Certificate (EC)

Kya hai: Property pe koi loan, mortgage, ya lien toh nahi — iska certificate.

Kahan milta hai: Sub-Registrar office (offline) ya state portal pe online

Kya check karo:

• Minimum last 15-30 years ki EC maango
• “Nil encumbrance” = property mortgage-free hai
• Koi bank loan registered toh nahi

Red flags:

• Active mortgage (home loan) listed hai jo seller ne nahi bataya
• Court attachment mentioned hai
• Multiple transactions in short time (may indicate fraud)

Ye Rahul wali galti isi mein thi. EC check nahi ki.

Document 3: Approved Building Plan

Kya hai: Local authority (municipal corporation, development authority) ne construction ki permission di thi — uska document.

Kahan milta hai: Municipal corporation / development authority

Kya check karo:

• Approved plan vs actual construction match karta hai kya
• Unauthorized construction (extra rooms, floors) detect karo
• Parking, commercial use — plan mein include hai kya

Red flags:

• Extra floor built kiya gaya hai approved plan se beyond
• Commercial property residential plan pe — illegal use
• Builder khud “plan nahi mila” kahta hai — serious red flag

Document 4: Completion Certificate (CC) aur Occupancy Certificate (OC)

Kya hai:

• CC = Construction complete ho gaya, approved plan ke according
• OC = Building rehne ke liye fit hai — utilities (water, electricity, lifts) connected

Kahan milta hai: Municipal corporation ya local authority

Kya check karo:

• Dono certificates hone chahiye ready-to-move property mein
• Koi bhi certificate missing = property technically illegal occupation mein hai

Red flags:

• “OC pending hai” — buyer utilities connection officially nahi kar sakta
• “CC aayi nahi abhi” — construction complete officially nahi
• Koi bhi missing certificate = bank bhi loan nahi dega usually

Important: Bahut saari resale properties mein OC nahi hoti — especially older construction mein. Buyer ko clearly explain karo implications.

Document 5: Property Tax Receipts

Kya hai: Municipality ko pay kiya gaya property tax — last minimum 3 years ka.

Kahan milta hai: Seller ke paas / Municipal corporation

Kya check karo:

• Tax receipts current year tak paid hain
• Property ka naam receipts mein seller ka hi hai
• Koi arrears (bakaya) toh nahi hain

Red flags:

• Tax arrears — buyer ko clear karne padenge after purchase
• Naam mismatch — ownership dispute ka sign

Document 6: Society NOC (For Apartments)

Kya hai: Housing society se No Objection Certificate — ki koi dues nahi hain aur transfer ko objection nahi hai.

Kahan milta hai: Housing society / RWA

Kya check karo:

• Maintenance dues fully paid hain
• Parking clearly assigned hai document mein
• Water/electricity dues clear

Red flags:

• Society se NOC refuse kiya ja raha hai — legal dispute hint
• Large outstanding dues — buyer ko inherit karne padenge

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New Project (Under-Construction / New Launch) — Document Checklist

Document 1: RERA Registration

Mandatory for any project above threshold. RERA number project ke har advertisement pe hona chahiye.

Verify karo: State RERA portal pe project number search karo — active status confirm karo.

Red flag: “RERA pending hai” — ye acceptable nahi. Until RERA registered nahi, koi bhi booking money mat dene dena buyer ko.

Document 2: Land Title Documents

Kya check karo: Builder ke paas land ka clear title hai. Land leased nahi hai (agricultural convert ya government land).

Lawyer se verify karwao specifically ye document.

Document 3: Environmental Clearance (EC)

Large projects mein mandatory. Builder ke paas honi chahiye.

Document 4: Commencement Certificate

Construction shuru karne ki local authority ki permission.

Document 5: Layout Plan Approval

Colony/township layout approved hai local authority se.

Document 6: Bank Tie-Ups

Reputed banks ne project ke liye loan approve kiya hai. Ye builder ki credibility ka indirect sign hai.

Red flag: Koi bhi bank project ko approve nahi kar raha.

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Resale vs New Project — Verification Comparison

Document	Resale	New Project
Title Deed / Chain	Critical	Builder’s land title
Encumbrance Certificate	Must-have	Less critical (new project)
Building Plan Approval	Verify match	Builder provides
OC / CC	Must verify	Will come on completion
RERA Registration	Not applicable	Mandatory
Property Tax Receipts	Essential	Not applicable (new)
Society NOC	Essential	Not applicable (new)
Bank approval of project	N/A	Very important

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Verification Timeline — Kitna Time Lagta Hai

Document	Source	Time to Get
Title Deed copy	Owner	Immediate
Encumbrance Certificate	Sub-Registrar / Online	1-3 days (online), 3-7 days (offline)
Building Plan	Municipality	3-15 days
OC/CC	Municipality	3-10 days
Tax Receipts	Owner / Municipality	1-2 days
Society NOC	Society	7-15 days
RERA Verification	Online portal	Immediate

Total comprehensive verification: 15-21 days. Budget this time in deal timeline.

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State-Specific Nuances

Maharashtra

• Index-2 document important hai — property transaction ka record
• 7/12 extract — land records for plotted developments
• MahaRERA portal pe verification easy hai

Delhi / NCR

• DDA allotment letter if DDA property
• Mutation certificate — revenue records mein naam change
• NDMC / MCD receipts — as applicable

Uttar Pradesh

• Khatauni / Khasra — land records important
• UP RERA portal — check karo
• Stamp duty circle rate check karo — property value comparison

Karnataka

• Khata certificate — BBMP/CMC municipal record
• Betterment charges receipt — if applicable
• EC from online portal easy hai

Tamil Nadu

• Patta — land ownership document
• A-Register extract — agricultural land conversion
• CMDA approval — Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority

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Document Verification Red Flags — Master List

Immediate stop ya lawyer consult karo agar:

• Title chain mein koi gap hai
• Seller ka ID aur documents mein naam match nahi karta
• Active encumbrance (loan/mortgage) hai jo seller ne nahi bataya
• RERA number invalid ya lapsed hai
• OC nahi hai ready-to-move property mein
• Seller documents quickly dikhana nahi chahta
• Approved plan se extra construction clearly visible hai
• Multiple sellers — one claims ownership (dispute hint)
• “Verbal agreement” ya unregistered deal ka reference

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Broker Ka Role — Boundaries Samjho

Tu kar sakta hai:

• Checklist buyer ko de
• Obvious red flags flag karo
• Timeline coordinate karo
• Lawyer referral karo

Tu nahi karta:

• Legal opinion dena
• Document genuineness certify karna
• Title insurance replace karna
• Lawyer ka kaam

Every deal mein ek independent lawyer se legal due diligence karwao — especially resale mein. Ye buyer ko strongly recommend karo. 5,000-15,000 ka lawyer fee ek potential crores ke fraud se bachata hai.

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Checklist — Printout Ready Version

Resale Property

• Title Deed (30 year chain)
• Encumbrance Certificate (15-30 years)
• Approved Building Plan (match actual construction)
• Occupancy Certificate
• Completion Certificate
• Property Tax Receipts (last 3 years)
• Society NOC with dues clearance
• Mutation / Khata certificate (state-specific)
• No pending court cases (check eCourts.nic.in)
• Seller ID matches all documents

New Project

• RERA Registration — active status
• Land Title Documents (builder)
• Layout Plan Approval
• Environmental Clearance (if applicable)
• Commencement Certificate
• Bank tie-up (reputed bank)
• Escrow account details

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Bhai, ye sab overwhelming lag sakta hai — lekin ek baar system ban gaya toh 15 minute ka kaam hai. Checklist print karo, har deal mein use karo.

Aur yaad raho — ek informed broker jo documentation seriously leta hai, wo long-term reputation build karta hai. Buyers tumhare paas baar-baar aate hain, aur refer karte hain.

Property ka decision lifetime ka hota hai — documents seriously lo.