Due Diligence Before You Buy: A Practical Checklist for Mumbai Property

Why diligence beats intuition

A property purchase concentrates a decade of savings into a single decision verified over a few weeks. The checklist below is the spine of every engagement we run — adapt it, and wherever a line feels unclear, engage an advocate rather than assuming.

1. The title chain

Ask for the complete chain of conveyances and verify: continuity (each link sold by the person the previous link says owns it), registration (every transfer stamped and registered), and identity (names match government ID at every step). Gaps are common in older Mumbai stock and are often curable — but cure them before payment, not after.

2. Encumbrance and dues

Order the encumbrance certificate for the full search period, and separately confirm society dues, electricity, property tax and maintenance arrears are zero on possession day. A ₹40,000 legacy utility due can delay registration months if discovered late.

3. Sanctions and certificates

For ready property: Occupancy Certificate (OC), Commencement Certificate, and the approved plan — walk the building and confirm the flat you're buying physically matches the sanctioned plan (floor, wing, area). For under-construction: RERA registration number, sanctioned plan, and the RERA-filed timeline commitments.

4. Society and building health

Read the last two years of society minutes if possible: litigation notes, major repair levies, lift and facade condition, and the sinking fund balance. In buildings older than 25 years, ask when the last structural audit was conducted — it's statutorily required and frequently skipped.

5. The money map

Stamp duty and registration on the government-ready reckoner value (not the negotiated price if lower), GST on under-construction consideration, society transfer premium, parking charges, club membership, brokerage — and interiors, which in Mumbai routinely run ₹2,000–4,000 per sq ft. A flat that "fits the budget" before these numbers rarely does after.