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Buyer guide · Mumbai and Thane

Is the property mortgaged? CERSAI search, and three free checks first

How to check for a mortgage on a Mumbai or Thane flat or project: MahaRERA’s encumbrance section, mortgages on Index II, the builder’s company charges, and a CERSAI search step by step.

By Ashwin · Updated · Not legal advice

Four places to look

WhereShowsCost
MahaRERA project pageLoans the builder declares on the project, and whether each is on CERSAIFree
Index II, IGR eSearchEvery registered mortgage and deposit of title deeds on the plotFree
CERSAI searchSecurity interests lenders have filed, by property or by borrowerA fee per search
MCA, index of chargesCharges registered against the builder’s companyFree to view

1MahaRERA’s encumbrance section

Builders must declare the loans on a registered project. The page shows each one and says whether it is in the CERSAI registry.

Time
5 min
Cost
Free

How to check

  1. Open the project’s page (our search guide shows how).
  2. Scroll to Financial Encumberance Documents (MahaRERA’s spelling). Read “Do you have Financial Encumberance” and the table under it: lender, trustee, secured amount and Is available in CERSAI Report.
  3. Open the disclosure letter under it: it should say which property the loan is secured on.

Watch out for

  • “No” encumbrance, but the builder’s company has open charges (check 4).
  • A disclosure letter years old: loans change, and the page may not have been updated.

2Mortgages on Index II

In Maharashtra, mortgages and deposits of title deeds are registered or filed with the sub-registrar, so they appear on the plot’s IGR search like any sale.

Time
20 min
Cost
Free

How to check

  1. Search the plot by year, village and CTS or survey number (our Index II guide shows how).
  2. Look for rows of type गहाणखत (mortgage deed), Agreement Relating to Deposit of Title Deeds, and रिकन्व्हेन्स (reconveyance, a release).
  3. Open each: the builder’s company as the borrower on the whole plot is a project loan; one flat’s owner is a home loan.

294

mortgages and title-deed deposits

of 1,435 documents on two project plots we read in full

Deposits of title deeds are how most home loans are recorded, so many of these are earlier buyers’ loans on their own flats, not loans on the project.

3The CERSAI search

CERSAI holds what lenders have filed across India, including loans that weren’t registered with the sub-registrar. It is the last check, for a specific flat or borrower.

Time
15 min
Cost
A fee per search

How to check

  1. On cersai.org.in, open Public Search.
  2. Choose an asset-based search for a property (survey or CTS number, building, flat, locality, district, pin code), or a debtor-based search for a person or company.
  3. Pay the search fee online, and download the report.
  4. A report with entries lists each security interest: the lender, the date, and the asset as described.

Watch out for

  • Details that don’t match exactly: lenders describe property in their own words, so try more than one search.
  • An empty report isn’t proof: only what lenders filed is there.

What it doesn’t tell you: The fee is widely given as ₹10 plus GST per search; confirm it on the site before you pay. A CERSAI search doesn’t replace a lawyer’s title search.

4The builder’s company charges

Loans to the builder’s company are registered as charges with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. They show borrowing that may not be on the MahaRERA page yet.

Time
10 min
Cost
Free to view

How to check

  1. Find the builder’s company name and CIN on the MahaRERA page or the agreement.
  2. On the MCA portal, search the company and open Index of Charges: each open charge shows the lender, amount and date.
  3. Compare the open charges with the loans the MahaRERA page declares.

This is how our Kalpataru Parkcity Sector B report found ₹800 crore of loans from March 2026 that the project’s MahaRERA disclosure didn’t show (see the preview).

Quick answers

What is CERSAI?

The Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India, set up under the SARFAESI Act, 2002. Banks and lenders file the security they hold there, including mortgages on property.

How do I search CERSAI for a property?

On cersai.org.in, open Public Search, choose an asset-based search, enter the property details, pay the search fee and download the report.

Is CERSAI search free?

No. There is a fee per search, widely given as ₹10 plus GST; check it on the site. The MahaRERA page, Index II and the MCA index of charges are free and show most project loans.

How do I check if a flat in Maharashtra has a loan on it?

Search the plot on IGR eSearch for mortgage deeds (गहाणखत) and deposits of title deeds, check the project’s MahaRERA page for declared loans, and run a CERSAI search for the flat.

Is it a problem if the project land is mortgaged?

Not by itself; most projects are built with a loan. Ask for the lender’s no-objection or release for your flat, in writing, before you pay in full.

The checklist

CheckWhereTime
Declared loans, and whether on CERSAIMahaRERA page5 min
Mortgages and deposits on the plotIndex II, IGR eSearch20 min
Open charges on the builder’s companyMCA, index of charges10 min
A CERSAI search for your flatcersai.org.in (fee)15 min
The lender’s release (NOC) for your flatBuilder, before you pay in full—

Let us check the loans for you

Each report reads the MahaRERA disclosure, every registered document on the plot and the builder’s company charges, and says where they don’t match. Each project’s preview is free.

See what our reports found

More: the property card and Index II, and conveyance and who owns the land.

Sources

  • CERSAI, cersai.org.in: public search; the registry is set up under the SARFAESI Act, 2002.
  • MahaRERA public project pages: Financial Encumberance section, as read for our reports.
  • IGR eSearch registrations on two project plots, read in full in October 2026.
  • Ministry of Corporate Affairs, company master data and index of charges.