Kerala Encumbrance Certificate

The encumbrance certificate is an important document that assures that a property is free from any monetary and legal liabilities. The encumbrance certificate is evidence that a property can be sold with a clean title, and the ownership will be transferred without any litigations. Encumbrance certificate usually contains all the financial and legal transactions for a specified time period that has been made concerning a property. The Registration Department in Kerala issues the encumbrance certificate. In this article, we look at the procedure for obtaining EC in Kerala. Know more about Kerala Property Registration and Pokkuvaravu or Mutation of Property

Importance of Encumbrance Certificate

Some of the situations when an encumbrance certificate is necessary is below for reference:

Encumbrance certificate must be submitted to get a property loan from banks and financial institutions to ensure the property is not already mortgaged
EC (document of evidence of ownership title) will be required for property transfers
In case the land tax is not paid for more than 3 years, EC has to be submitted with Village or Panchayat Officer for updating the land tax
To withdraw PF for property purchase and house construction, encumbrance certificate should be submitted

Details in Encumbrance Certificate

The following details relating to the Property will be provided in the encumbrance certificate:

Encumbrance Certificate will contain the name of the owner
Details regarding the property will be in EC
EC will give a complete property description as recorded in the sale deeds
EC will provide transactions related done on the property. The transactions will be in chronological order
If a property is bought by loan, then EC will contain details about a mortgage
For gift deeds, details on gift settlement will be mentioned
Release deed details will be available in case of one of the partner released his share from the mutually purchased property.

Fee for Encumbrance Certificate

The fee structure for obtaining the encumbrance certificate is below for reference:

S.No	Transaction	Fee
1	Application fee for certified copy and Encumbrance Certificate	Rs. 10
2	A general search for the first 5 years	Rs. 100
3	A general search for 6 to 30 years	Rs. 250
4	A general search for years exceeding 30 years	Rs. 25 for each year exceeding 30 years in addition to Rs. 250

A separate fee has to be remitted for each owner in case of share on a property.

Apply for Encumbrance Certificate Online

EC can be obtained online through the website of the Kerala Registration department. There is no need to visit Sub Registrar’s Office with an application form. Here is a step by step guide to apply online for Kerala Encumbrance Certificate. Step 1: Go to the Registration Department of Kerala home page. Step 2: From the application menu, select the encumbrance certificate and then click on submit Application for EC. Image-1-Encumbrance-Certificate-in-Kerala

Image 1 Encumbrance Certificate in Kerala Step 3: Update District and SRO details where the property is located and click on save. Step 4: Sub Register office details need to be provided. The applicant can save the details by clicking on save and next button. Step 5: Enter the applicant details. Image-2-Encumbrance-Certificate-in-Kerala

Image 2 Encumbrance Certificate in Kerala Step 6: It is mandatory to provide property related details such as Taluk, Village and area of measurement. Step 7: The applicant needs to enter details of the boundary of the property. Image-3-Encumbrance-Certificate-in-Kerala

Image 3 Encumbrance Certificate in Kerala Step 8: Once the applicant has entered the period for which the EC is needed, click on calculate the fee. Step 9: After entering the details as mentioned above, fee details will be displayed. Step 10: Click on the declaration and submit the application. Image-4-Encumbrance-Certificate-in-Kerala

Image 4 Encumbrance Certificate in Kerala Step 11: A pop-up window will appear. Click on view acknowledgement. Step 12: After the submission of the application the applicant can take print of acknowledgement. Note the Transaction ID for future reference

Check Status and Download Encumbrance Certificate

Once Application for EC is submitted online, and prescribed fees are paid, concern SRO will process the encumbrance certificate and issue the same. The applicant can check EC status online and download the certificate. Step 1: Select the EC status option from Encumbrance certificate menu under the certificate in the Registration Department of Kerala home page. Image-5-Encumbrance-Certificate-in-Kerala

Image 5 Encumbrance Certificate in Kerala Step 2: Enter the transaction ID and captcha. Step 3: Click on check status. The applicant can view the status of EC on the new screen. Image-6-Encumbrance-Certificate-in-Kerala

Image 6 Encumbrance Certificate in Kerala Step 4: By clicking on download option, the applicant can get an encumbrance certificateEncumbrance Certificate in PDF format. Note: Verify whether the EC is digitally signed and stamped with the official seal. The survey number and other details regarding the Property also need to be checked.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Kerala Encumbrance Certificate Process & Fees.

An encumbrance certificate is a document that provides evidence that a property is free from any monetary and legal liabilities. It contains details of all financial and legal transactions related to the property for a specified period.

An encumbrance certificate is important in situations such as obtaining a property loan from a bank or financial institution, transferring property ownership, paying outstanding land taxes, and withdrawing provident funds for property purchase or construction.

The encumbrance certificate includes the name of the property owner, complete description of the property, details of transactions related to the property in chronological order, mortgage details (if applicable), gift settlement details, and release deed details.

In Kerala, you can apply for an encumbrance certificate online through the Registration Department's website. You need to provide details such as the district, sub-registrar office, applicant information, property details, and the period for which the certificate is required.

The fee for an encumbrance certificate in Kerala varies based on the duration of the search period. It ranges from Rs. 100 for the first 5 years to Rs. 25 for each year exceeding 30 years, in addition to an application fee of Rs. 10.

After submitting your application and paying the prescribed fees, you can check the status of your encumbrance certificate online by selecting the "EC status" option on the Registration Department's website and entering your transaction ID.

Yes, once your encumbrance certificate is processed and issued by the concerned sub-registrar office, you can download it online by clicking on the "download" option after checking the status using your transaction ID.

You should verify that the encumbrance certificate is digitally signed and stamped with the official seal. Additionally, you should cross-check the survey number and other property details mentioned in the certificate.

The encumbrance certificate covers transactions related to the property for the specified period you requested. The maximum period for which transactions can be retrieved is typically 30 years or more, depending on the availability of records.

While an encumbrance certificate is not mandatory for all property transactions in Kerala, it is highly recommended and often required by banks, financial institutions, and government agencies for specific purposes, such as obtaining a property loan, transferring ownership, or updating land tax records.