You don't become the owner of a house just by registering it; know these important things before buying a house.

A registration deed alone is not sufficient to prove your ownership of any property; several other important documents are also required.

If you are buying a house, flat, or any other type of property, you need to understand that simply registering the property does not prove your ownership of that land or property. A Supreme Court judgment this year (2025) clarified that you cannot become the owner of a property merely through registration. To claim ownership of a property, mutation (transfer of ownership) is also crucial along with registration, because only after mutation is the name of the property owner officially recorded in the revenue department's records. This decision was given by the Supreme Court in the case of Mahnoor Fatima Imran vs. State of Telangana.

What did the Supreme Court judgment say?

If a person has purchased a property, including a house, plot, flat, or any other place, solely through a registration deed, they cannot individually prove ownership or title to the acquired property. This is because the purchase and sale of any property is recorded in the official records of the department. Besides registration, several other essential elements are required to prove ownership, including the title deed, mother deed, encumbrance certificate, and mutation documents.

Which documents are necessary to prove ownership?

A registration deed alone is not sufficient to prove your ownership of any property; several other important documents are also necessary. Among these, the mother deed is the most important. This deed reveals how the current owner acquired the property or land and whether it was previously held under an ancestral name. In other words, this document reveals the complete history of the property. Besides the mother deed, another crucial document is the encumbrance certificate. This certificate helps verify that the property being acquired is not subject to any existing loans, is not involved in any legal disputes, or is not subject to any ongoing court cases. Following this, the most important document is the mutation certificate, also known as the transfer of ownership certificate. Through this process, the buyer's name is registered in the government records after the property registration. If this document is not provided, the old owner's name remains in the government records, and your name will not be registered as the owner.

You should also ensure that the previous owner of the property has paid all applicable taxes, with house tax being the most important. If you proceed with the purchase without thorough due diligence, you may be liable for any outstanding taxes or legal issues related to the property.