Guide
Karachi Property Buyer Due Diligence Checklist, Across Every Regulator
By Maham Imtiaz
Real Estate AnalystVerified author
10 min read
Most Karachi property losses happen at a predictable moment: when a buyer pays before checking. The token is handed over before the land record is seen, the booking is made before the sale NOC is confirmed, or the final instalment is paid before the completion plan exists. Each of those checks belongs to a different office, which is why buyers skip them.
This checklist puts every check in one place, in the order you should make them. It is built on our guide on how to verify property in Karachi, which explains why Karachi splits land, building and title between different regulators. Here, that framework becomes a practical list you can print, carry to a meeting with a dealer or builder, and tick off one item at a time.
Use the first section to identify your property type, then follow the stage-by-stage checklist. Every item names the office that can confirm it, because a check made only through the seller is not a check.
Step 0: identify which regulators apply
| If the property is | Land record | Building approvals | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| In a KDA scheme (Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, North Karachi, Surjani) | KDA | SBCA | Sindh Excise and Taxation |
| In Taiser Town, Shah Latif Town or New Malir Housing Scheme | MDA | SBCA | Sindh Excise and Taxation |
| In Hawksbay Scheme 42 | Lyari Development Authority | SBCA | Sindh Excise and Taxation |
| In a cooperative society (PECHS, Scheme 33 societies) | The society, plus KDA for the society's land | SBCA | Sindh Excise and Taxation |
| In DHA Phases 1 to 8 or DHA City | DHA Karachi | DHA | Clifton Cantonment Board |
| In another cantonment area | The cantonment board or Military Lands | The cantonment board | The cantonment board |
| In Clifton on KDA-leased land | KDA as lessor | Clifton Cantonment Board | Clifton Cantonment Board |
| Described only by deh and survey number | Board of Revenue Sindh | SBCA | Sindh Excise and Taxation |
If the seller cannot tell you which of these applies, that is your first red flag.
Stage 1: before you pay a token
| Check | Confirm with | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Seller's identity matches every document | NADRA CNIC check | Names or CNICs differ |
| Seller holds the land record | The land authority in Step 0 | Seller has only photocopies |
| Full transfer chain from the original allottee | The land authority's certified copies | Missing owner or transfer |
| Plot or unit matches its location on the ground | Site visit with the site plan | Number on site differs from the file |
| No one else occupies the property | Site visit, neighbours | Encroachment or tenants not disclosed |
| Not on converted amenity land | The approved scheme layout | Plot near or on a park or school site |
| No court case or stay | A lawyer's search | Pending suit or stay order |
| Dealer is accountable | Dealer's office, agency registration, written receipt | Cash-only, no receipt |
A token is usually small, but it is often treated as a commitment. Pay it only against a written receipt naming the property, the price and the conditions for refund. Our guide to protecting yourself from real estate scams in Pakistan covers the most common token and file frauds in detail.
Stage 2: before you book an off-plan unit
For flats, shops and offices sold before completion, outside DHA and the cantonments.
| Check | Confirm with | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Builder holds an SBCA licence | SBCA | Different company on receipts |
| Approved building plan covers your floor and unit | SBCA | "Revision in process" |
| NOC for sale and advertisement is current | SBCA directly | "NOC applied" or no reference number |
| NOC displayed at the booking office and site | Site visit | No notice board |
| Unit, size and price match the NOC schedule | The NOC | Extra charges not in the NOC |
| Booking amount within the NOC's cap before a construction permit | The NOC conditions | Large down payment before permit |
| Agency NOCs for upper floors of tall buildings | SBCA | Upper floors "subject to NOC" |
| Project not named in SBCA warnings | SBCA public notices | Project on a warning list |
These requirements come from the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979. Section 12 bars a builder from selling or advertising a building without SBCA's written approval, and section 12(3) bars registering more applications than the building has units.
Stage 3: before you pay the full price for a plot
| Check | Confirm with | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Registered lease, its date and remaining term | The land authority and the sub-registrar | No lease, or a lease near expiry |
| Possession order (MDA, Lyari DA schemes) | MDA or Lyari DA | "Possession soon" |
| Sector developed, with roads and utilities | The authority and a site visit | No road, water or power |
| Dues cleared | Dues clearance from the authority | Outstanding instalments |
| Society NOC (society plots) | The society | Society refuses NOC |
| Revenue record (land outside schemes) | Board of Revenue, through the mukhtiarkar | Deh and survey number only, no certified record |
| Not an open or pre-ballot file | The authority's allotment number | No allotment number |
Stage 4: before the final payment on a built unit
| Check | Confirm with | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Approved completion plan exists | SBCA, or DHA or the board | "Completion in process" |
| Occupancy certificate issued | SBCA | Keys offered before it |
| Completion plan matches the approved plan | Compare both | More floors built than approved |
| Your unit appears on the completion plan | SBCA | Unit missing |
| Legal utility connections | K-Electric, SSGC, water utility | Temporary or shared connections |
| Building not on the dangerous list | SBCA | Older building in District South |
| Original approval and any regularisation (older plazas) | SBCA | Neither file available |
This stage matters most. Under section 18-G of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979, a newly built unit cannot be registered or connected to utilities without the completion plan. Courts have also held that buyers who take possession without an occupancy certificate share the builder's fate if the building is found to deviate from its plan.
Stage 5: at registration
| Check | Confirm with |
|---|---|
| Property tax clearance | Excise and Taxation, or the cantonment board |
| Stamp duty paid on the correct valuation category | Board of Revenue valuation table |
| Federal advance taxes paid by buyer and seller | FBR challans |
| Sale deed describes the property exactly as the land record does | Lawyer and land authority |
| Completion plan attached for a new unit | Sub-registrar |
| Power of attorney, if used, is registered and valid | Sub-registrar |
| Biometric verification of both parties | Sub-registrar or People's Service Centre |
Stage 6: after registration
| Task | Where |
|---|---|
| Record the transfer as a mutation | KDA, MDA, Lyari DA, DHA, the board or the society |
| Update the property tax record | Excise and Taxation or the cantonment board |
| Transfer utility accounts | K-Electric, SSGC, water utility |
| Keep originals and certified copies | Registered deed, NOCs, challans, completion plan |
Most buyers stop at the sub-registrar. Until the mutation is recorded, the land authority's file still shows the previous owner, and that is the file the next buyer or bank will check.
What the numbers show: Milkiyat.com findings
Six stages, 41 checks. The checklist above has 8 checks before a token, 8 before booking, 7 before full payment for a plot, 7 before final payment on a built unit, 7 at registration and 4 after. That is 41 checks in all, with a buyer typically needing about 25 to 30 of them for one property type.
Each skipped stage has a cost. Skipping Stage 4 can leave a flat unregistrable. Skipping Stage 3 can leave a plot without possession. Skipping Stage 1 can mean paying for land the seller never owned. No later stage repairs an earlier one.
One regulator rarely covers more than a third of the checks. For a flat in a KDA scheme, KDA covers the land checks, SBCA the building checks, and the sub-registrar, FBR and Excise the title and tax checks. No single office answers more than about one in three of them.
Dealers and documents
Most Karachi purchases pass through a dealer. A dealer can find a property, but cannot verify it for you. Ask for a written receipt for every payment, agree the commission in writing before the deal, and never let the dealer hold original documents. Our explainer on property dealer commission in Pakistan sets out the usual rates and what a dealer's fee should and should not cover.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. What is the first thing to check before buying property in Karachi?
A. Which regulator holds the land record. The answer decides every later check.
Q2. Can a dealer verify a property for me?
A. No. Only the land authority, SBCA or the relevant board can confirm their own records. Verify directly with them.
Q3. What should I check before booking an off-plan flat?
A. The builder's SBCA licence, the approved plan, the current NOC for sale and advertisement, and that your unit and price match the NOC.
Q4. What should I check before the final payment on a flat?
A. That SBCA's approved completion plan and occupancy certificate exist, match the approved plan and cover your unit.
Q5. Is registration the last step?
A. No. Record the mutation with the land authority or society, and update tax and utility records.
Q6. Does this checklist apply in DHA Karachi?
A. Yes, but replace SBCA checks with DHA's approvals and the cantonment board's tax clearance.
Q7. How do I check land described only by deh and survey number?
A. Obtain a certified revenue record from the Board of Revenue Sindh through the mukhtiarkar before paying.
This checklist is for general information. Procedures, approvals and requirements change, and buyers should confirm every record directly with the relevant authority and a qualified lawyer before paying.