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To check a property’s permits and completion certificate before purchase in India, obtain the sanctioned plan and relevant construction permit, then ask the competent local authority to confirm the records and whether any completion or occupancy certificate covers the exact building, phase and unit. Compare the approved plan with what is actually built, check the project on the applicable state or union-territory RERA portal where registration applies, and have a property lawyer investigate any mismatch before you commit.
The right authority, document names and legal requirements depend on the property’s location and stage of construction. A building that looks finished is not thereby shown to match its approved plan or to have the permission required for occupation.
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What should you have ready before checking?
Start with the property’s precise location and identity, not a generic search for a certificate. You will need enough detail to distinguish the property from other buildings or phases in the same project: its address, survey or plot identifiers, project name, phase or block, tower, floor and unit number where applicable. Ask the seller or promoter to provide the records against which those details can be checked.
At a minimum, request copies of:
- the sanctioned building plan or approved layout plan;
- the relevant building or development permit, commencement approval, or locally applicable equivalent;
- for completed construction, the completion certificate, occupancy certificate, or other certificate required by the competent authority;
- the project’s RERA registration details, if registration applies, or an explanation of the basis for any claimed exemption; and
- records identifying the land, building, phase and unit to which the approvals apply.
These names are not universal. Ask the local authority which approvals and completion-stage documents apply to this property rather than assuming that a document used in another city is sufficient. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs explains that RERA’s completion and occupancy certificate definitions refer to the competent authority and local law.
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Keep copies of what you receive and note who supplied each document and when. Save the seller’s written explanations, the authority’s responses, the sale agreement and payment records. Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing buyer guidance advises checking documents and plans with the relevant authorities, reading documents carefully before execution, consulting legal experts, and retaining transaction records.
How do you identify the authority responsible for the property?
Find the competent authority for the property’s actual address before trying to verify a document. Depending on the location and development, it may be a municipal body, development authority, planning authority or another body empowered under local law.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsDo not assume that the authority or website used for a different property, city or state has jurisdiction here. The city name on a project brochure is not enough to determine who issued its approvals. Ask the seller to identify the issuing office and the approval number, then confirm independently with the authority responsible for the address. If the seller is unsure, contact the local civic or planning body and ask which office holds the building or layout approval records.
Delhi Police’s buyer checklist directs purchasers to check a building layout plan with the relevant town-and-country-planning and civic authorities. That is useful guidance for finding the right kind of office, not a nationwide instruction to use one particular department. Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike procedures are examples for their respective jurisdictions; they do not establish the process elsewhere.
How do you check the sanctioned plan and building permit?
Request the approved plan and applicable permit from the seller or promoter, then confirm the issuing authority, approval number, property identifiers and approved scope with that authority. A permit or sanctioned plan is evidence of approval for proposed construction under applicable local rules; it does not by itself establish that the finished property matches the approval or is cleared for occupation.
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- Match the identifiers. Compare the address, plot or survey number and project name on the documents with the property being sold. For a multi-building project, identify the relevant phase, block or tower; for an individual unit, identify its floor and unit number where the records specify them.
- Check who issued the approval. Confirm that the named body was competent to issue it for that location and type of development. If the record names another authority, ask why and have the responsible office confirm the approval’s status.
- Confirm the document record. Give the authority the document or approval number and ask it to confirm authenticity, status and scope. A seller’s copy is a starting point, not independent confirmation from the issuer.
- Read the plan for the relevant property. Check that the plan covers the building and phase being sold, not just the overall project or a different block. If the seller provides only a project brochure, marketing drawing or a plan without an approval reference, ask for the formal approved record.
- Keep the answer on file. Record the office contacted, date, reference number if provided, and what it confirmed. If an answer is verbal or unclear, request a written confirmation or directions to the official record.
The Bureau of Indian Standards’ guide to the National Building Code of India 2016 illustrates a general sequence: permit application and authority scrutiny precede permit issuance, and construction is to follow sanctioned plans. The guide describes a framework, not the exact permit form, office or legal procedure for every property in India; local rules govern those details.
How do you check a completion or occupancy certificate?
For completed construction, ask for the completion certificate, occupancy certificate, or whichever completion-stage document local law requires, and verify directly with its issuer that it is genuine and covers the property you are buying. Do not treat the terms as automatically interchangeable: ask the competent authority which document applies and what it certifies under local rules.
A permit authorizes proposed construction subject to applicable conditions. A completion or occupancy-stage certificate relates to a later stage. The BIS guide presents permission, construction, completion notice, inspection for deviations and occupancy permission as successive stages. Therefore, a construction permit alone is not proof that the building is complete in accordance with the sanctioned plan or has the applicable permission for occupation.
When checking a certificate, ask the issuing authority:
- Does the certificate number and issue date match its records?
- Which project, building, tower or phase does it cover?
- Does its scope include the unit or building being sold, or only another part of the development?
- Is the certificate final and effective, or is there a status or condition the buyer should understand?
- Which certificate is required for this property under the local process?
Do not infer that a whole development is covered because one tower or phase has a certificate. Equally, do not conclude that a building lacks the required approval solely because the seller uses a different certificate name: ask the authority to explain the locally applicable document and its scope. A completed-looking building, a handover promise or a certificate for a different phase does not answer those questions.
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Local procedures show why the authority’s confirmation matters. HMDA describes review of as-built drawings and a site inspection for deviations as part of its occupancy-certificate process. BBMP’s FAQ describes submission of a building completion certificate and a request for inspection before issue of an Occupancy Certificate or Building Completion Certificate under its local process. These are jurisdiction-specific examples, not procedures or allowances that can be applied to another city.
How do you compare the approved plan with what is built?
Compare the approved plan with the actual property and, where relevant, the common areas and amenities represented as part of the sale. A document can be authentic yet still fail to establish that the unit offered matches its scope. Ask the authority or a qualified professional to help interpret technical plan differences you cannot confidently assess.
Check identity and scope first: the building, phase, floor and unit shown in the records should correspond to the property on site. Then consider whether the built layout and the features represented to you correspond to the approved plan. Pay particular attention to material differences in configuration, building extent, or common facilities, and do not assume a brochure or sales drawing is the sanctioned plan.
Delhi Police guidance recommends checking the plan’s veracity with the concerned town planner and physically checking the site. HMDA’s local occupancy process also describes examining as-built drawings and inspecting the site for deviations before issuing its certificate. Those sources support comparing documents with the property; they do not establish that a particular deviation is acceptable. Ask the competent authority whether a difference was approved or regularized under applicable local law. Do not rely on a seller’s informal assurance that a deviation is harmless.
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How should you check RERA registration?
Search for the project on the RERA portal for the state or union territory where the property is located, then compare the project identity and available records with the seller’s documents. RERA registration is an important cross-check where it applies, but neither an online listing nor the absence of a listing settles every question about the approvals for a specific unit.
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The Ministry’s RERA FAQ says covered projects generally must be registered before they are advertised, marketed, booked, sold or offered for sale, and it identifies exemptions. These include a project where the land proposed for development does not exceed 500 square metres or the number of apartments does not exceed eight, inclusive of all phases; a project with a completion certificate received before RERA commenced; and specified renovation, repair or redevelopment that involves no marketing, sale or new allotment.
The 500-square-metre/eight-apartment threshold is an exemption criterion described in the official FAQ, not a general safety standard or a substitute for checking local approvals. Apply the current statute and relevant state or union-territory rules to the particular project. A missing RERA record needs a project-specific explanation because an exemption may apply; it is not, by itself, proof that a project is illegal. Ask the seller to explain the basis and have a lawyer check whether it fits the applicable rules.
What should you do if a record is missing or does not match?
Pause before signing or paying further money while a material discrepancy remains unexplained. Ask for the missing record or a written explanation, verify the explanation with the competent authority, and have a property lawyer assess the issue before deciding whether to proceed.
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- No sanctioned plan or permit supplied: Ask the seller for the formal approval and its reference number. If the seller says it is unavailable, ask the responsible authority what records exist and whether the claimed approval can be confirmed.
- No completion or occupancy certificate for a completed property: Ask which certificate local law requires, whether an application is merely pending, and whether an issued certificate covers the relevant building and phase. An application or promise to obtain a certificate is not the same as an issued certificate.
- Certificate exists, but identifiers differ: Ask the issuer to clarify whether the discrepancy is a harmless naming difference or whether the document covers another plot, building, phase or project. Do not resolve a material scope mismatch by assumption.
- The site appears different from the approved plan: Ask the authority whether the difference has approval under local rules. Have a lawyer investigate any claimed revision, regularization or other explanation rather than relying on an oral assurance.
- No RERA listing: Ask for the project’s registration details or the precise claimed exemption, then check the explanation against current state or union-territory rules with legal advice.
These checks do not establish title or settle all legal issues. Delhi Police’s checklist also points buyers to the ownership chain, applicable local clearances and dues, the occupancy certificate at possession, and legal review of the agreement. Ask a property lawyer to investigate title, land status, approval discrepancies and unresolved records before you rely on the seller’s statements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is the practical pre-purchase checklist?
Use this checklist to keep the review tied to the exact property rather than a project’s general claims:
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- Identify the competent authority for the property’s actual location.
- Obtain the sanctioned plan and applicable building or development permit.
- Match their identifiers and scope to the address, plot, project, phase, building and unit being sold.
- Confirm document numbers, authenticity and scope with the issuing authority.
- For completed construction, obtain and verify the locally required completion or occupancy-stage certificate.
- Compare the approved plan with the property on site and ask the authority about material differences.
- Check RERA records where registration applies, and document any claimed exemption.
- Have a lawyer review title, land status, clearances, dues, the agreement and unresolved approval issues.
- Save the documents, authority responses, agreement and payment records.
For a property still under construction, the completion-stage certificate may not yet be available because construction has not reached that stage. That does not remove the need to verify the applicable permissions and approved plans, confirm the project’s RERA status where relevant, and understand in writing what completion and possession documents are to be provided. For a completed property, treat the applicable completion or occupancy certificate as a separate verification from the original permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a flat if the occupancy certificate is still pending?
A pending application is not an issued certificate, and whether the property can lawfully be occupied or transferred depends on the applicable local rules and facts. Ask the competent authority for the property’s status and have a property lawyer assess the risk before signing or paying.
Is an occupancy certificate the same as a completion certificate in India?
Not necessarily. The terms and their legal effect depend on the competent authority and local law, so ask the authority which document applies to the specific property and what it covers.
What if the seller says a project is exempt from RERA?
Ask the seller to state the specific exemption and provide the project details supporting it. Check that explanation against the current rules for the state or union territory and get legal advice; a missing portal entry alone does not prove that an exemption applies.
Does a completion certificate prove that the seller owns the property?
No. A completion or occupancy-stage certificate concerns building approval or occupation under the applicable local process; it does not establish the ownership chain or clear title. Have a lawyer review title documents separately.
