What to check before buying property in Mohali

The short checklist

You can print this page and tick each line. The sections below explain every item.

• The seller is the owner on the GMADA record or the land record.
• The land record (jamabandi) and mutation show the seller's name.
• The encumbrance check at the Sub-Registrar is clear.
• No court case involves the seller or the property.
• CERSAI shows no mortgage on the property.
• For a GMADA allotment, you have the No Due Certificate and GMADA's permission to transfer.
• For a project, it is registered with Punjab RERA, and you have noted the completion date.
• For a plot in a private colony, you have seen the licence, the CLU and the master-plan zone.
• A lawyer has given an opinion on the title.
• You have visited the site and checked the road, the boundary and who is in possession.
• The sale is made by a registered deed, and you will apply for mutation afterwards.

The nine records to check

1. Check the seller and the GMADA record

   For a plot or house in a GMADA sector, ask the seller for the allotment letter, and ask the GMADA estate office whether the seller is the allottee on record. If the seller bought from an earlier owner, ask for the whole chain of papers.

2. Check the land record (jamabandi) and mutation

   The jamabandi is the revenue record of who owns the land. Mutation is the entry that updates it after a sale or an inheritance. Check both on the Punjab Land Records portal and confirm that the seller's name appears.

3. Check for encumbrances at the Sub-Registrar

   An encumbrance check shows whether the property has been mortgaged, sold or registered to someone else. Ask for it at the Sub-Registrar office for the area.

4. Search for court cases

   Search the eCourts portal for cases involving the seller or the property. A lawyer can do a fuller search.

5. Check for a mortgage on CERSAI

   CERSAI is the central register where lenders record loans secured on property. Check that no lender has registered a charge on the property. This does not replace the encumbrance check at the Sub-Registrar.

6. Get a No Due Certificate

   For a GMADA allotment, the No Due Certificate shows that the allottee has paid all dues. It comes before GMADA gives permission to transfer.

7. Get a lawyer's opinion on the title

   A lawyer who knows Punjab property law should read the papers and give an opinion on the title. This is separate from the RERA, GMADA and revenue checks, and it is worth paying for.

8. Get GMADA's permission to transfer, where it applies

   A transfer of a GMADA allotment needs GMADA's permission (an NOC). GMADA's NOC form shows a transfer fee of 2.5% of the allotment or auction price for sites and 5% of the allotment price for houses, when permission is sought before the conveyance deed, and says the fees are subject to revision at the start of each financial year. GMADA's own documents give different timelines: 21 working days on the NOC form and 15 days on its Single Window list for permission to sell or transfer. Ask the estate office how long it will take, and confirm the fee before you agree a price.

9. Register the conveyance deed, then apply for mutation

   The sale is completed by a registered conveyance deed (sale deed). After registration, apply for mutation so that the revenue record shows your name.

For a flat or a project: check RERA

• A project must be registered with Punjab RERA before it is advertised, booked or sold. Land up to 500 square metres, or up to 8 apartments (counting all phases), is exempt.
• At least 70% of the buyers' money must be kept in a separate project account.
• Check the project on the Punjab RERA website by searching the list of registered projects. Note the completion date and any extension orders.
• RERA checks the finances and delivery of a project. It does not check the title of the land, so do the checks above as well, and confirm the CLU (change of land use) or licence and the master-plan zone.
• For a delay, the interest payable is the State Bank of India's highest MCLR (marginal cost of lending rate) plus 2%.
• A promoter who does not register can be penalised by up to 10% of the project cost.

For a plot in a colony: licence, CLU and zone

Many plots are sold in private colonies. Before you pay for one, ask to see:

• The licence or CLU for the colony.
• The RERA entry for the colony, if it has one.
• The master-plan zone. The land must be in a zone where houses are allowed.
• Any NOC needed to register a plot. The rules on registering plots in unauthorised colonies without an NOC changed several times in 2024 and 2025, and their present status is unconfirmed, so ask the Sub-Registrar.

Near Chandigarh, including Kharar, also check the Periphery Control rules (the Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952, which covers land within 10 miles of the Chandigarh boundary). Do not rely on a colony being regularised later. In early July 2026 Punjab widened the rules for regularising unauthorised colonies, but colonies under the GMADA regional plan were left out, and the application deadline of 30 September 2026 has passed.

What does "GMADA approved" mean?

You will see "GMADA approved" in many adverts. It is not one document. (Our explainer on what GMADA is shows what it does and does not approve.) Ask which approval is meant, and ask to see the paper:

• the licence or approval for the colony,
• the CLU for the land,
• the approved layout plan,
• the RERA registration, for a project.

Then check each one with the office that issued it. An advert, a signboard or a broker's word is not proof.

Red flags

• The seller is slow to show documents, or shows only photocopies.
• The price is far below what similar properties are asking.
• You are pushed to pay a token amount or cash quickly.
• The plot has no clear road access.
• The colony has no licence, or the answer to "is it approved?" is vague.
• The sale is done on a power of attorney, an agreement to sell or a will instead of a registered sale deed. The Supreme Court of India held in 2011 (Suraj Lamp and Industries v. State of Haryana) that such documents do not by themselves transfer ownership of immovable property.
• Someone promises guaranteed returns, or sells "letters of intent" in land that has not yet been acquired.

Costs to plan for

Plan for stamp duty and registration (which Punjab charges on the higher of the sale price and the collector rate), the GMADA transfer fee if you buy a GMADA allotment, a lawyer's fee and any loan fees. The Mohali property guide 2026 has the stamp duty figures that portals quote, and says why you should confirm them at the Sub-Registrar office.

We can help with these checks

If you would like help with any of these checks, call one of our directors. We will tell you what to ask for and where to check it. We are not lawyers, so we will also tell you when a lawyer should look at the papers.