Planning to purchase an apartment in Dhaka? Have you checked all the necessary documents beforehand? Owning a flat in this city is a dream to many. Not everyone is fortunate; and those who are, it takes a considerable amount of investment of their life’s savings for a flat. Also, lands are scarce in this city, leaving apartments as the only option to own a decent resident. Undoubtedly, sensitive matters like this should be dealt with care and therefore understanding all the necessary documents becomes imperative before purchasing an apartment in Dhaka. Let’s get into the details of the legal documents you need to check, shall we?
Concerned Authority & Property Type
The first thing you need is to find out who is the concerned authority of your property. Plots in Dhaka are divided mainly into two segments; RAJUK leased, and Freehold properties. A full list of the areas and segmentation is given on RAJUK website.
Also, properties can be of two types, commercial and residential. The original deed of the property contains the information. Each type has their unique rules and regulation, managed by the authority of that particular area. Note that, a person cannot construct a residence in a plot allocated for commercial purpose and vice versa. Also, taxes and utility facilities vary among the two types. Now, let’s get into the detail of each segment and the respective legal documents.
Legal documents for RAJUK Managed Properties
RAJUK stands for Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, the only government agency dedicated to the development of the capital. Properties that fall under RAJUK authority have to get approval and permission for any activity performed with or on the property (e.g. buy/sell/construct, etc.). If your property is managed by RAJUK, then you will need to check the following legal documents before your purchase.
RAJUK Lease Deed
Mainly RAJUK provides an allotment for 100 years of a plot in Dhaka, and the official permission is given via the lease deed. This document is the proof of the ownership so before you make any payment, make sure to cross-check the seller’s name in the document. Also, the type of the property mentioned in this document too. Usually, a lease deed contains a 25 years’ history of the property so you will also get to know of previous owners in chronological order. If there are multiple current owners of the chosen property, it will be mentioned here separately. Moreover, this document contains additional deeds stating the adjacent properties and their owners as well.
RAJUK Approved Plan
Even though the property is allotted to an owner or multiple owners, they still need permission to construct a building on that plot. The design of the construction has to be approved as well which contains information about the number of floors, floor size, free space, etc. In short, this document is inclusive of everything you need to know about an apartment. However, without the original lease deed, RAJUK will not approve a construction plan. That way, you will also get a two-step verification of ownership of the property.
Freehold Properties
Properties which are not managed by RAJUK or others are mainly considered as freehold properties. As there is no direct authority for such assets, you should be extra cautious and check the following documents carefully.
City Survey Record
With a fixed interval period, Bangladesh government surveys the land ownership in Dhaka. During each survey, previous records are refreshed and new owners are updated besides Daag number, Porcha, etc. Since it is a government record, you will be able to verify the owner(s) and the property information via this document.
Copy of Registration
This, however, is the main ownership document of a property, similar to the lease deed for RAJUK owned properties. Assigned Land Registration Office of an area completes and authorizes this official document. While a survey record will give you the updated data, Registration document will verify any claim on the property. Usually, there are two copies issued for this document, one for the name bearer and other for the registry office. So, if you are concerned about the authenticity, visit the registration office and verify.
Mutation
A mutation is another official record which indicates successful completion of registration and acknowledgement of the registry office. Cases might be that a property is registered but is in the process of mutation. Yes, if the asset has a valid registration, you should not worry about authenticity. However, wait till it has a mutation certificate before you consider a transaction.
Stated above are some of the most important legal documents you must verify before buying a property. Feel free to seek additional assistance and legal property check if needed. If that is too much hassle for you, the best property portal of Bangladesh is here to provide you with a one-stop solution to all the property requirements. Hope you get to buy the desired property checking all the relevant real estate papers with ease!
