Property Due Diligence Checklist: 12 Checks Every Pune Buyer Must Do

Buying property in Pune involves significant financial commitment — typically ₹60 lakh to ₹1.5 crore for a good 2–3 BHK flat. Yet many buyers complete this transaction with less scrutiny than they would apply to buying a used car. The result: expensive surprises that emerge months or years after registration, when legal remedies become complicated and costly.

This 12-point due diligence framework is built from real-world Pune property transactions. For each check, we tell you exactly what to verify, where to get the document or information, the approximate cost, the time required, and the specific red flags to watch for.

Check 1: RERA Verification

What: Confirm the project/property is registered with MahaRERA (Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority).

Where: maharera.mahaonline.gov.in — use the “Search” function with project name, developer name, or MahaRERA registration number.

Cost: Free

Time: 15–30 minutes

What to verify:

• Registration status: Active (not expired or cancelled)
• Registered carpet area vs. what the developer is selling you
• Promised possession date (check against what the developer claims)
• Details of the promoter/developer
• Any complaints registered against the project
• Quarterly progress reports uploaded by the developer (required under RERA)

Red flags:

• No RERA number at all for under-construction project (this is an illegal sale)
• RERA registration expired and not renewed
• Project showing large number of RERA complaints
• Registered possession date already passed with no extension update

Check 2: Title Search (30-Year Chain)

What: Complete review of all documents establishing ownership history for the past 30 years, confirming the seller’s legal right to sell.

Where: Engage an independent property lawyer at the Pune District Court. Documents obtained from Sub-Registrar of Assurances office and revenue records.

Cost: ₹8,000–20,000 for lawyer’s fee; ₹500–2,000 for document procurement

Time: 7–21 days depending on property history complexity

What to verify:

• Unbroken chain of registered sale deeds back 30 years
• No missing or unregistered transfers in the chain
• Current seller’s name matches the last registered transaction
• No adverse possession claims or court orders against the property

Red flags:

• Seller received property by inheritance but has no legal heirship documentation
• Gap in the ownership chain (missing deed for a period)
• Title based on unregistered agreements or Power of Attorney without proper documentation
• Any pending litigation visible in court records (your lawyer will check district court records)

Check 3: Encumbrance Certificate

What: Official record of all registered charges (mortgages, liens, caveats) against the property.

Where: Sub-Registrar of Assurances office for the relevant area. Also partially available online on igr.maharashtra.gov.in.

Cost: ₹500–1,500 (for a 30-year period search)

Time: 3–7 days (in person at Sub-Registrar office); faster online for recently registered documents

What to verify:

• No active mortgage or home loan against the property
• No caveat or lis pendens (litigation notice) registered
• Any old mortgage entries have corresponding Release/Discharge Deeds registered

Red flags:

• Active mortgage not matched by a registered discharge
• A registered caveat by a third party
• Mortgage registered in the name of a bank/NBFC with no corresponding NOC from that institution

Check 4: Occupancy Certificate (Ready Projects)

What: The OC is issued by PMC or PCMC after physically inspecting a completed building and confirming construction matches sanctioned plans. It is the definitive proof of legal completion.

Where: Obtained from PMC (pune.gov.in) or PCMC (pcmcindia.gov.in) by the developer. Ask the developer/seller for the original OC copy.

Cost: No cost to buyer (developer obtains and bears cost)

Time: Immediate — the document exists or it does not

What to verify:

• OC is issued for the specific wing/building you are buying in (large projects have multiple buildings, each requiring separate OC)
• OC date confirms the building is legally complete
• OC matches the registered address

Red flags:

• Developer provides only a “Completion Certificate” or “Building Completion Certificate” — this is NOT the same as OC and is often issued by private agencies. Insist on OC from PMC/PCMC.
• Developer says OC is “applied for” or “pending” — buying before OC is issued means buying an incomplete property that may have construction deviations
• No OC for a project sold as “ready possession” — this is a serious red flag indicating possible illegal construction

Why it matters: Banks typically require OC to disburse home loans. Living in a building without OC means you technically reside in an unauthorised structure. Resale becomes difficult without OC.

Check 5: Building Plan Approval from PMC/PCMC

What: The sanction letter from PMC or PCMC approving the architectural plans for the building.

Where: The developer should have the original sanction letter. For PMC, plans are also available at PMC’s Development Plan department. Post-RERA, the sanctioned plan is uploaded to MahaRERA.

Cost: No direct cost (review document obtained from developer)

Time: Immediate review

What to verify:

• Number of floors sanctioned vs. number of floors built
• Carpet area per unit in sanctioned plan vs. what developer is selling
• Parking provision as per plan
• Fire NOC, environmental clearance (for large projects) noted in approval

Red flags:

• Developer cannot produce original building plan approval
• Building has more floors than sanctioned (illegal construction — a common issue in Pune’s older localities)
• The flat you are buying is on an “extra” floor not in the sanctioned plan

Check 6: Layout Approval for Plotted Development

What: For gated plot developments (plotted schemes, row houses on individual plots), the layout plan approved by PMC/PCMC/Town Planning authority.

Where: Developer has the original; also verifiable at PMC Town Planning Department.

Cost: Verification only — no cost to buyer

Time: Immediate

What to verify:

• Roads in the layout marked and dimensioned
• Open spaces (garden plots) reserved as per Development Control Rules
• Utilities (water, drainage) planned and approved
• NA (Non-Agricultural) order for the entire layout land

Red flags:

• Layout sold without TP (Town Planning) scheme approval
• Open spaces in layout converted for construction by developer
• Roads in the layout are narrower than DCR minimum (6 metres in most Pune zones)

Check 7: Society NOC for Resale

What: For resale flats in a cooperative housing society, the society’s No-Objection Certificate confirming the seller is a member, the flat is free from dues, and the society has no objection to the transfer.

Where: The elected Managing Committee of the Housing Society. The society secretary issues the NOC on society letterhead.

Cost: ₹500–2,000 (society charges a nominal transfer NOC fee)

Time: 7–21 days (depends on society committee responsiveness)

What to verify:

• NOC confirms seller is the registered member
• All maintenance dues cleared up to the date of NOC
• Society has no resolution restricting transfer (some societies have restrictions on investor-to-investor transfers)
• Share certificate details match

Red flags:

• Society refuses to issue NOC due to seller’s disputes with the committee
• NOC has conditions attached (outstanding dues not yet settled)

Check 8: Property Tax Dues Verification

What: Confirm no outstanding property tax dues against the property.

Where:

• PMC properties: pune.gov.in → online property tax payment portal (search by property ID)
• PCMC properties: pcmcindia.gov.in → online tax payment portal

Cost: Free (online check)

Time: 5 minutes online

What to verify:

• All property tax paid up to the current quarter
• No penalty charges outstanding
• Property tax records are in the seller’s name (confirming their registered ownership)

Red flags:

• Multiple years of unpaid property tax (you inherit this liability if not cleared before registration)
• Property tax records in a different name from the seller (indicates mutation not done after previous transfer)

Check 9: Water Tax and Water Connection Status

What: Confirm no outstanding water charges and that the property has a valid water connection.

Where: PMC Water Department or PCMC water billing office. Many areas allow online checking.

Cost: Free

Time: 1–3 days

What to verify:

• All water bills paid up to date
• Water connection is legal and in the seller’s/society’s name
• Water source confirmed (PCMC/PMC supply, borewell, or tanker — understand the dependency)

Check 10: No-Dues Certificate from Society

What: Beyond the transfer NOC, a formal no-dues certificate confirming zero outstanding maintenance, sinking fund contributions, parking charges, or any special levies.

Where: Society office

Cost: Nil to ₹500

Time: 3–7 days

What to verify:

• Zero balance confirmed in writing
• Specific mention of maintenance, sinking fund, common area charges, and any special assessments

Check 11: Loan NOC If Property Is Mortgaged

What: If the property was pledged as collateral for a bank loan (whether the seller’s home loan or a business loan), a No-Objection Certificate from the bank confirming the loan is fully repaid and the mortgage is released.

Where: The lending bank’s branch where the loan was originated. Original mortgage documents will be returned by the bank on full repayment.

Cost: Bank may charge ₹500–2,000 for NOC issuance

Time: 7–15 days from bank

What to verify:

• NOC is on original bank letterhead with authorised signatory
• Loan account number matches the mortgage referenced in the EC
• All dues (principal, interest, penalty) confirmed as zero
• Bank confirms they have no further claim on the property

Red flags:

• Seller asks you to buy while promising they will clear the loan from the sale proceeds (highly risky — do not proceed without a bank NOC first)
• NOC issued by a different entity than the one shown in the EC

Check 12: Verify Actual Measured Area vs. Registered Area

What: Physical measurement of the flat’s carpet area, cross-verified against (a) what is registered in the agreement and (b) the RERA-registered carpet area.

Where: Physical inspection + documents

Cost: ₹2,000–5,000 if you hire a professional measurement service; free if you do it yourself

Time: 1–2 hours on-site

What to verify:

• Carpet area measured (walls excluded) matches registered carpet area within a 3% tolerance
• RERA carpet area definition: area within walls excluding balconies but including doorway widths
• Super built-up area as claimed matches the loading factor implied (typical in Pune: 1.25x–1.40x carpet area)

Red flags:

• Significant shortfall in carpet area vs. agreement (you are paying for area you are not getting)
• Developer refusing to allow measurement before registration

Summary Checklist Table

Total estimated cost of comprehensive due diligence: ₹12,000–30,000. On a ₹1 crore property, this is 0.012–0.03% of the purchase value. The cost of skipping it could be the entire purchase amount.

Pune Realty Hub provides guided due diligence support as part of our buyer representation service. We help you gather all 12 checks, connect you with independent lawyers, and flag issues before they become problems.

Message us on WhatsApp — share your shortlisted property address and we will outline the specific checks required for that property type and locality.

Call/WhatsApp: +91 84464 00021