Tamil Nadu Eases Rules for Non-Visit Property Registration

Tamil Nadu’s Registration Department has ordered a series of changes to simplify non-visit property registration, reducing some of the documentation and charges involved in completing transactions online.

Under the revised procedure, people registering property sale deeds and mortgage documents through the non-visit system can use an Encumbrance Certificate obtained free of cost from the department’s website. Earlier, applicants were required to submit an Encumbrance Certificate obtained by paying a fee.

The changes are aimed at addressing practical difficulties reported after the online registration system was introduced. The non-visit facility allows citizens to submit eligible documents through the online system without physically visiting the concerned Sub-Registrar Office.

The Registration Department has also clarified that documents relating to deposit of title deeds for mortgage purposes can be accepted even when they are submitted through the citizen portal.

Another change concerns loan closure documents. For registering receipts related to the closure of a loan, an Encumbrance Certificate will no longer be required. This is expected to reduce the documentation involved in completing such registrations.

The department has also waived the additional holiday fee applicable to non-visit registrations. Since the system allows applicants to complete the process online from any location, the department has stated that there is no need to collect a separate holiday charge for such registrations.

The revised instructions were issued by Registration Department Inspector General Arun Sundar Dayalan.

The non-visit registration facility covers documents such as property sale deeds for houses and plots, mortgage-related documents and receipts connected with loan closure under the department’s online registration initiatives.

The move is part of the Registration Department’s continuing efforts to modify the online registration process based on issues raised during its implementation. By reducing documentation requirements in selected transactions, the department is seeking to make digital property registration more convenient for citizens.

However, the department has also clarified a limitation of the system. Since the applicant can complete a non-visit registration from any location through the online platform, special power documents known as “Presentation Power” cannot be used for such registrations.

The latest changes therefore focus on simplifying eligible online property transactions while retaining specific procedural requirements under the non-visit registration framework.