With a plethora of new housing projects and societies, the importance of due diligence has increased manifold before you invest your hard-earned money in a real estate project. Many housing projects glamorize their development work which makes you prone to assume that the project is entirely legal and worth your investment. Sometimes, the case is not as straightforward as it may seem.
Whenever you find yourself intimated by the stupendous advertisement, marketing campaign and low prices of a society, do not rush to invest until you are certain that the project is legal. How to check the legal status of an upcoming society?
Related: Not sure where to invest? Here are the Top Five Real Estate Projects in Islamabad
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What makes a project legal?
A project that is legal shall have:
- Acquired the land for the society.
- Obtained NOC (no objection certificate) from relevant development authority.
A society can not start development work until it has gained the land and NOC.
Any project which doesn’t meet these requirements and has started its development work still would be counted as illegal.
Can you invest in an illegal society?
It is recommended never to invest in a society that doesn’t have NOC. You might fall for the tempting promises that can later make you regret if your investment gets stuck for a prolonged period of time. Invest in a project only when it is approved by the relevant authorities.
However, the process of obtaining NOC is quite time consuming which requires the owners to purchase or acquire the land prior to applying for the NOC. Therefore, some investors tend to invest in the “prelaunch” phase to reap maximum benefits. Whenever you invest in a society that does not have the NOC yet, make sure the developer is credible and that they have acquired the land and started the process for NOC at least.
How to check if a society is legal?
Every city or district has a Development Authority which regulates the residential and commercial properties in that vicinity.
Most of the Development Authorities have websites where you can check the legal status of a society that is located in that city’s territory. Alternatively, you can also contact them directly to enquire about the approval status of a society.
Any project that is located in Islamabad Capital Territory would receive its NOC from CDA (Capital Development Authority). Thus, if you intend to confirm the legal status of a society in Islamabad, you should visit CDA’s website or contact them directly.
The table below presents the development authorities of famous cities along with links to the list of approved housing societies on their official websites:
| Area | Development Authority | List of Legal Housing Societies |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab | Govt of Punjab Database | https://ahs.punjab.gov.pk/ |
| Islamabad | CDA (Capital Development Authority) | https://www.cda.gov.pk/housing/ |
| Rawalpindi | RDA (Rawalpindi Development Authority) | https://rda.gop.pk/phs/ |
| Lahore | LDA (Lahore Development Authority) | https://lda.gop.pk/private_schemes/ |
| Multan | MDA (Multan Development Authority) | https://mda.punjab.gov.pk/private-housing-and-land-sub-division |
Moreover, Punjab Government has a website that lets you confirm the NOC status of any society located in Punjab province. A project located in Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, or any other city would be listed on the website. Click here to visit the official website of Government of Punjab for the list of Approved Housing Societies.
