If you’re asking “Are all approvals in place?”, the honest answer is: never assume—always verify document by document. In South Delhi (Saket, Malviya Nagar, GK), many properties look perfect but miss one critical approval.
Here’s a clear approval checklist + how to verify each one so you can confidently answer that question for any property.
✅ Complete Approval Checklist (Builder + Land + Construction)
🧾 1. Land Ownership Approval (Foundation of Everything)
✔ What to check:
- Registered Sale Deed / Conveyance Deed
- Clear title chain (20–30 years)
- Land use = Residential
✔ Verify with:
- Sub-registrar records
- Local authority like Delhi Development Authority
⚠ Red flag:
- GPA-only property
- Disputed ownership
🏗️ 2. Land Use & Zoning Approval
✔ Confirm:
- Land is approved for residential use
- Not agricultural or unauthorized colony
✔ Why it matters:
- Wrong land use = illegal construction risk
🏢 3. Building Plan Approval (Most Ignored but Critical)
✔ Ask for:
- Sanctioned building plan
- Approval from municipal authority
✔ Check:
- Number of floors approved vs built
- Layout matches actual construction
⚠ Common issue in South Delhi:
- Extra floors or illegal extensions
🏗️ 4. Construction Approval
✔ Ensure:
- Construction done as per approved plan
- No deviations
👉 Even small deviations can create:
- Loan rejection
- Legal notices
📜 5. Completion Certificate (CC)
✔ Confirms:
- Building constructed legally
- Follows approved plan
👉 Without CC:
- Property may be considered incomplete legally
🏠 6. Occupancy Certificate (OC)
✔ Confirms:
- Safe to live
- Water, sewage, electricity approved
⚠ In many builder floors in Saket:
- OC is missing
👉 That = legal + utility risk
💰 7. Loan / Mortgage Clearance
✔ Check:
- Bank NOC
- No active loan
👉 If loan exists → ensure proper closure before purchase
📊 8. Encumbrance Certificate (EC)
✔ Confirms:
- No legal dues
- No disputes
- No charges
👉 Must be clean for at least 10–15 years
🧱 9. RERA Approval (If Applicable)
Check registration under
Real Estate Regulatory Authority
✔ Applies to:
- New / under-construction projects
⚠ Not applicable to many small builder floors
🏢 10. Utility & Civic Approvals
✔ Verify:
- Electricity connection legal
- Water connection approved
- Sewerage system connected
👉 Illegal connections = future trouble
🧠 How to Actually Verify (Step-by-Step)
Don’t just “see documents”—verify them:
✔ Step 1: Collect Copies
- Sale deed
- Building plan
- CC / OC
- Tax receipts
✔ Step 2: Cross-check
- Names match across all documents
- Address matches exactly
✔ Step 3: Authority Verification
- DDA / Municipal office
- Sub-registrar office
✔ Step 4: Physical Match
- Compare actual structure vs approved plan
✔ Step 5: Lawyer Audit
- Always get legal verification done
👉 This step catches 90% of hidden issues
🚨 Reality Check (South Delhi Truth)
In areas like Saket:
👉 Many properties have:
- Partial approvals
- Missing OC
- Extra construction
👉 So the real question is not:
“Are approvals there?”
👉 It is:
“Are ALL approvals complete and matching reality?”
⚠️ Red Flags = Deal Breakers
Avoid if you see:
- ❌ No approved building plan
- ❌ No Completion / Occupancy Certificate
- ❌ Mismatch between plan & actual building
- ❌ GPA instead of ownership
- ❌ Builder avoiding document sharing
✔ Quick Yes/No Test
You can say approvals are “complete” ONLY if:
- ✅ Land title clear
- ✅ Building plan approved
- ✅ Construction matches plan
- ✅ CC + OC available
- ✅ No loan / legal dues
- ✅ RERA (if applicable)
👉 If even ONE is missing → not fully approved
💡 Final Takeaway
- Most risky deals fail at building approval + OC level
- Paperwork may look fine—but technical approvals matter more
- In South Delhi, “almost approved” = risky