Guide
Karachi Land Records, Registration and Property Tax
By Maham Imtiaz
Real Estate AnalystVerified author
12 min read
A Karachi property can have a valid allotment and an approved building and still not be safely owned. The third layer, title, depends on offices most buyers meet only at the end of a deal: the Board of Revenue Sindh, the sub-registrar, the Excise and Taxation department and, for many neighbourhoods, a cooperative housing society. Sindh's land paperwork also uses words such as deh, survey number and sanad that buyers from Islamabad or Lahore rarely see.
Our guide on how to verify property in Karachi divides every Karachi property into land, building and title. The hub guides on SBCA, KDA, MDA and the cantonments cover the first two layers. This guide covers the third: how land is recorded in Sindh, how a sale becomes a registered title, what stamp duty and property tax cost, and which kinds of land carry the highest risk.
Who records what in Karachi
| Record | Who keeps it | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue record (deh, survey number) | Board of Revenue Sindh, through the mukhtiarkar | Who holds land outside formal schemes |
| Scheme file (allotment, lease, mutation) | KDA, MDA, Lyari DA, DHA or the cantonment board | Who holds a plot inside a scheme |
| Society membership and transfer | The cooperative housing society | Who holds a society plot |
| Registered deed | Sub-registrar | That a sale, gift or lease was legally registered |
| Property tax record | Sindh Excise and Taxation, or the cantonment board | That annual tax is paid |
The key point is that no single office holds the full story. A registered deed proves a transaction happened. It does not prove the seller owned what he sold. That proof sits in the revenue record, the scheme file or the society register, depending on where the property is.
Deh, survey number and sanad: reading Sindh land documents
Outside formal schemes, land in Sindh is recorded by deh and survey number.
| Term | Meaning | Buyer check |
|---|---|---|
| Deh | A revenue village, the basic unit of land recording in Sindh | Confirm the deh name matches the location |
| Survey number | The numbered parcel within a deh | Match it to the survey map, not just the papers |
| Sanad | A grant document conferring rights over land | Verify it with the Board of Revenue |
| Mukhtiarkar | The revenue officer who keeps the local record | The office for a revenue-record check |
| Form VII | The record of rights for a survey number | Check current entries and any mutations |
If a seller's papers describe a plot only by deh and survey number, with no scheme or society record, the land sits outside a formal scheme. Its title rests entirely on the revenue record, and that record must be checked before anything else. A detailed explainer on reading Sindh land documents will follow in this series.
Checking land records online in Sindh
Sindh began computerising its land records in 2010 under the Land Administration and Revenue Management Information System (LARMIS). The Board of Revenue reports records for 5,979 dehs across the province, with digitised maps, a central data centre at Revenue House, Clifton, and a disaster recovery centre in Hyderabad. Records from 1985 to 2010, including Forms VII-A, VII-B and II, were scanned first.
There is an important limit. The Board of Revenue's online portal holds millions of digitised records, but they are for public information only and carry no legal validity. A certified record still has to be obtained through official channels. In September 2026, Karachi's commissioner acknowledged that the automation project launched in 2009 had not delivered its intended results, and our report on Sindh's plan to rebuild its land record system explains what a fresh rebuild could mean for buyers.
Until then, treat an online search as a first check only, then confirm the recorded owner and mutation history with the mukhtiarkar or the Board of Revenue before paying.
Property registration at the sub-registrar
Registration turns a sale into a legal title. In Karachi it happens at the sub-registrar's office under the Registration Act 1908.
Sindh launched e-registration in February 2024. By July 2025, it was running across 51 sub-registrar offices through People's Service Centres and had registered more than 100,000 documents, according to the Sindh chief minister's office. The chief minister directed the Board of Revenue to link e-registration with e-mutation, which would close the gap between registering a deed and updating the land record.
The steps for a typical Karachi sale:
- Confirm the seller's title with the right record keeper: KDA, MDA, DHA, the board, the society or the Board of Revenue.
- Obtain clearances: property tax, the land authority's dues, and the society NOC where relevant.
- For a newly built flat or house, obtain SBCA's approved completion plan, without which section 18-G of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance bars registration.
- Pay stamp duty and any provincial and federal taxes due on the transfer.
- Execute and register the sale deed at the sub-registrar.
- Record the transfer on the land authority's or society's own file.
Step 6 is the one buyers most often skip. A deed registered at the sub-registrar does not update KDA's file, DHA's register or the society's membership record. Until those are updated, the old owner still appears in the record that the next buyer or bank will check. A step-by-step registration guide will follow in this series.
Stamp duty and transfer costs
Stamp duty on a conveyance of immovable property in Sindh is charged under the Stamp Act 1899 as amended for the province. The Board of Revenue's stamp duty schedule for Sindh sets the general rate on a conveyance at 2% of the value in the Board of Revenue's valuation table.
| Cost | Charged by | Basis | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty | Government of Sindh | 2% of the valuation table value | Lower rates apply to REIT transfers |
| Registration fee | Government of Sindh | Set by notification | Confirm current amount before registry |
| Provincial capital value tax | Government of Sindh | Rate by property type and size | Collected by the registering officer |
| Federal withholding taxes | FBR | FBR valuation and filer status | Paid by buyer and seller separately |
Two valuations matter. Provincial charges are worked out on Sindh's valuation table, while federal taxes use FBR's valuation for Karachi. They can differ widely for the same property. Rates are revised in provincial and federal budgets, so confirm every amount on the day of registration. A yearly stamp duty calculator piece and an explainer on FBR valuation versus the Sindh rate will follow in this series.
Property tax in Karachi
Urban property tax in Karachi is levied under the Sindh Urban Immovable Property Tax Act 1958.
| Where the property is | Who collects the tax |
|---|---|
| Most of Karachi | Sindh Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department |
| DHA and the six cantonment areas | The cantonment board, under Sindh's 2024 amendment |
Since July 2024, cantonment boards collect the provincial tax within their limits, keep 2% as collection charges and pay 15% of the rest to the province. Outside the cantonments, the Excise and Taxation department assesses and collects it.
Arrears follow the property, not the seller. Ask for a tax clearance from the correct office before paying, because unpaid tax can delay registration and becomes the buyer's problem after transfer. A how-to guide on Karachi property tax rates, payment and arrears checks will follow in this series.
Leased, lease-able and unleased plots
Karachi plots fall into three broad groups, and the group decides the risk.
| Status | Meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Leased | A registered lease exists from KDA, MDA, DHA, a board or a society | Lowest; verify the lease and mutations |
| Lease-able | Land in a recognised scheme or regularised settlement where a lease can be issued on completing requirements | Medium; depends on dues and documents |
| Unleased | No lease, and no clear path to one | Highest; title rests on possession or informal papers |
A plot sold as "lease-able" is a promise, not a lease. Ask which authority will issue the lease, what remains to be paid, and how long it will take.
Cooperative housing societies
Large parts of Karachi, including PECHS and many societies in KDA's Scheme 33, are held through cooperative housing societies regulated by the Sindh Cooperative Department. The society keeps the membership and transfer record, and its NOC is normally needed for a transfer. SBCA still regulates any building on a society plot.
For a society plot, check that the society is registered, that its layout plan is approved, that the plot appears on that layout as residential or commercial, and that the seller's membership is recorded in the society's own books. A guide to who regulates Karachi's cooperative societies will follow in this series.
Katchi abadis and goth land
Katchi abadis are informal settlements that can be regularised and leased through the Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority. In September 2026, the Sindh Assembly was told that only settlements established before 2011 qualify for regularisation, with a Board of Revenue NOC now mandatory. Our report on Sindh's 2011 cutoff for katchi abadi regularisation covers what that means for residents and buyers. Regularisation usually leads to a 99-year lease.
Goth land, village land on the city's fringe, carries far higher risk. Records are often informal or disputed, and goth abad schemes have been used to convert land informally. Treat any goth plot as a specialist purchase that needs a lawyer's revenue-record check.
What the numbers show: Milkiyat.com findings
Stamp duty alone on a Rs20 million property. At 2% of a valuation-table value of Rs20 million: Rs20,000,000 × 2% = Rs400,000, before registration fee, provincial capital value tax and federal taxes.
E-registration processed about 5,900 documents a month. From February 2024 to July 2025 is about 17 months. 100,000 ÷ 17 = about 5,900 documents a month across 51 offices, or about 115 per office per month.
Katchi abadi regularisation has a long queue. In 2019, the Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority reported 1,414 settlements and 1,006 contacted about regularisation: 1,006 ÷ 1,414 × 100 = about 71%, leaving 408 settlements not yet approached at that time.
Checklist before you pay
| Property type | Title check | Tax and registry check |
|---|---|---|
| Plot in a KDA, MDA or Lyari DA scheme | Authority file and lease | Tax clearance; record mutation after registry |
| DHA or cantonment property | DHA or board record | Board tax clearance |
| Society plot | Society register, NOC, approved layout | Excise tax clearance |
| Land by deh and survey number | Certified revenue record from the mukhtiarkar | Excise tax clearance |
| New flat or house | Land record plus SBCA completion plan | Registry only with completion plan |
| Katchi abadi or goth plot | Regularisation status, lease, Board of Revenue NOC | Lawyer's revenue-record check |
Frequently asked questions
Q1. How can I check land records online in Sindh?
A. Through the Board of Revenue Sindh's online portal. The online record is for information only and has no legal validity, so obtain a certified record from the Board of Revenue before paying.
Q2. What is a deh in Karachi land records?
A. A deh is a revenue village, the basic unit of land recording in Sindh. Land outside formal schemes is identified by deh and survey number.
Q3. Where is property registered in Karachi?
A. At the sub-registrar's office under the Registration Act 1908. Sindh's e-registration system runs across 51 sub-registrar offices.
Q4. What is the stamp duty on property in Sindh?
A. The general rate on a conveyance is 2% of the value in the Board of Revenue's valuation table, plus other provincial and federal charges. Confirm current rates before registry.
Q5. Is registry enough to own a Karachi property?
A. No. After registry, the transfer must also be recorded on the file of KDA, MDA, DHA, the cantonment board or the society.
Q6. Who collects property tax in Karachi?
A. Sindh Excise and Taxation in most of the city, and the cantonment boards in DHA and cantonment areas since July 2024.
Q7. Can a katchi abadi plot be leased?
A. Only settlements established before 2011 qualify for regularisation and lease, with a Board of Revenue NOC now required.
Q8. Why can a new flat not get a gas or electricity connection?
A. Section 18-G of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance bars new utility connections and deed registration for newly built premises without SBCA's approved completion plan.
This guide is for general information. Rates, valuations and procedures change, and buyers should confirm every title record, tax and registration requirement with the Board of Revenue, the relevant land authority, the sub-registrar and a qualified lawyer before paying.