Resources · Jammu & Kashmir

Buying property in Jammu & Kashmir: a first-time buyer's checklist

What to ask, what to see and what to sign, from first visit to registration. Updated 30 September 2026.

This guide is general information to help you prepare. It is not legal or tax advice. Rules and rates change, so always confirm with a lawyer and the Sub-Registrar's office before you pay anything.

Before you start: the 3 rules that matter most

Farm land is not open to everyone. Since October 2020, any Indian citizen can buy non-agricultural land in J&K. Agricultural land can still only be sold to an agriculturist from J&K, unless the government gives permission. ^1,2
Farm land can't simply be built on. Using agricultural land for a house or shop needs the District Collector's permission (a “conversion”). ^3,4
Government land can never be bought. State land (khalisa), grazing land (kahcharai) and village common land (shamilat) belong to the government or the village. Nobody can sell them to you, however long they've used them. Land given under the old Roshni Act is also a risk: the High Court declared that law void in 2020. ^5,6,7

Part 1: What to ask

Ask the seller or the agent these questions before you pay any token money, and get the answers in writing.

About the land

What are the khasra number, khewat number and village? You need these to look up the land records yourself.
Is it agricultural or non-agricultural in the records? If agricultural, has the District Collector already allowed it to be used for building? Ask for a copy of that permission. ^3,4
Is any part of it state land, kahcharai, shamilat or nazool? If yes, walk away from that part. ^5,6
Was the land ever given under the Roshni Act? If yes, don't buy it without your lawyer's written advice. ⁷
Who exactly owns it today? Every owner named in the records must sign the sale. If an owner has died, have the heirs completed the inheritance mutation?

About the seller

Is the seller's name in the latest jamabandi (record of rights), and has the last mutation been attested? ^8,9
Is anyone else claiming it? Any court case, family dispute or bank loan on it?
If someone is selling for the owner, can you see the original power of attorney? Your lawyer should check that it's registered and still valid.

About a flat or a project

What is the project's J&K RERA registration number? Projects on more than 500 square metres of land, or with more than 8 flats, must be registered before they are advertised or sold. ^10,11
What is the carpet area? Under RERA, flats are sold by carpet area: the usable floor area inside the walls. ¹⁰
When will it be handed over, and what happens if it's late?
Is the building plan approved? Ask for a copy of the approval.

About the agent

What is the agent's J&K RERA registration number? You can check it on the J&K RERA list of registered agents. ¹²

About money

What is the government rate for land in this area? Stamp duty is charged on whichever is higher: the price you pay, or the rate the District Collector has set. Each district publishes its rates every year. ^13,14
Are there unpaid bills: electricity, water, property tax or society charges?

Part 2: What to see

Look at these with your own eyes. Don't rely on photocopies the seller gives you.

Records to check online (free)

Jamabandi, khasra girdawari and mutation records on the J&K land records portal, landrecords.jk.gov.in. Check that the owner's name, area and land type match what you were told. ⁸
District stamp duty rates on your district's website. ^13,14
RERA registration of the project and the agent on rera.jk.gov.in. ^11,12

Documents to get from the seller (see originals, keep copies)

The seller's own registered sale deed (or how they got the land: gift, inheritance, allotment) and the chain of earlier deeds.
Attested mutation in the seller's name. ⁹
A certified copy of the land record (fard) from the patwari or tehsil office.
Land-use conversion permission, if the land was agricultural. ^3,4
The approved building plan and, for a finished building, a completion or occupancy certificate.
A no-dues letter from the bank, if the property ever had a loan on it.
The seller's ID. Make sure the names match the land records exactly.

On the ground

Visit the land with the patwari's map (the shajra) and check the boundaries and area match the records. Consider getting it measured officially (a demarcation).
Look for a road you can legally use. Is the access road public, or does it cross someone else's land?
Talk to the neighbours. They often know about disputes before any record does.
Check for nallahs, river banks, forest edges and power lines nearby, and ask whether building close to them is restricted.
For a flat: visit the site more than once, see a finished flat by the same builder, and compare actual progress with the builder's RERA page.

Part 3: What to sign

1. Token money and the agreement to sell

Don't pay cash. Pay by bank transfer or cheque so there is a record.
Sign an agreement to sell that lists the property (khasra numbers, area, boundaries), the full price, payment dates, what happens if either side backs out, and a date for registration. Have your lawyer read it first.
Buying from a builder: under RERA, the builder can't take more than 10% of the price as an advance before a written agreement for sale is registered. ¹⁰

2. Stamp duty and fees

In J&K the sale deed is registered online through the government's NGDRS system, and stamp duty is paid by e-stamp. ^15,16

Buyer	Stamp duty	Registration fee
Man	7%	1.2%
Woman	3%	1.2%
Joint buyers	Ask the Sub-Registrar	1.2%

These are the widely reported rates. Duty is worked out on the higher of the sale price or the district rate. Rates change, so confirm today's figures with the Sub-Registrar's office or your CA before you pay. ^13,17

First-time buyers: J&K gave 50% off stamp duty on homes up to ₹1 crore bought from government agencies or RERA-registered builders, until March 2024. Ask whether a similar scheme applies today. ¹⁸
Gifts within the family: stamp duty on gift deeds between close blood relatives (parents, children, siblings, grandparents) was reported to be waived from 1 April 2025. The registration fee still applies. Confirm with your CA. ¹⁷
Income tax (TDS): if the price is above ₹50 lakh, the buyer must deduct tax at source from the payment and deposit it with the Income Tax Department. The forms changed in 2026, so ask your CA for the current rate and form. ²⁰

3. The sale deed and registration

Your lawyer drafts or checks the sale deed. It must match the land records exactly: khasra numbers, area, boundaries and every owner's name.
Book the registration through NGDRS, pay the e-stamp duty and fee, and go to the Sub-Registrar's office on the booked date. Registration has been done by the Revenue Department's Sub-Registrars since November 2019. ^15,16
Buyer, every seller and witnesses attend with original ID. Ask the office in advance exactly who must come and what to bring.
Get your registered sale deed back and keep the original safe.

4. After registration: mutation

Registration alone doesn't update the land records. Make sure a mutation is entered and attested by the Tehsildar (or Naib Tehsildar), so your name replaces the seller's in the jamabandi. ^9,19
Check the land records portal a few weeks later to see your name. ⁸
Transfer electricity, water and property tax accounts into your name.

Sources

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