Before Sale Agreement: why the 22-A check comes first
Before Sale Agreement, one check should happen before token money, draft agreement, GPA discussion, or bank loan processing: Section 22-A prohibited property verification. As per latest IGRS data available with Verified.RealEstate, Telangana has 3,076,153 prohibited property entries. In simple buyer language, that is 30.76 lakh entries where registration may be blocked or questioned because the property is flagged under government records.
We have seen buyers in Hyderabad spend weeks negotiating a flat in Kondapur, a plot near Shankarpally, or agricultural land in Moinabad mandal, only to discover at the SRO stage that the survey number has a 22-A entry. By then, token money is paid, WhatsApp promises are made, and the seller says, “Small issue sir, it will be cleared.” Sometimes it is small. Many times, it is not.
My blunt advice: do not sign a sale agreement only on the strength of EC, pahani, tax receipt, layout copy, or a confident broker. Run the Section 22-A Prohibited Property Check first, then move to agreement terms.
Before Sale Agreement, understand what Section 22-A actually blocks
Section 22-A is not a casual remark in a file. It is a restriction list used by registration offices to identify properties that should not be registered, or should be registered only after proper clearance. When a property is shown as prohibited, the Sub-Registrar Office can refuse registration of the sale deed.
In Telangana property practice, a 22-A entry can relate to different types of land or property issues. Common categories include government land, assigned land, endowment land, wakf land, ceiling land, land involved in official restrictions, or land kept under prohibition by competent authorities. The exact reason must be checked against the survey number, village, mandal, and record source.
This is why a buyer in Gachibowli, Manikonda, Narsingi, Tellapur, Bachupally, Kukatpally, Uppal, LB Nagar, Kompally, Shamshabad, or Maheshwaram should not treat 22-A as a “rural land problem”. Hyderabad expansion has pulled many revenue villages into active real estate markets. Old survey numbers, layout conversions, nala mentions, assigned land histories, and government claims still matter.
A clean-looking plot with a compound wall is not the same as a clean title. The SRO goes by records, not by site appearance.
The 30.76 lakh-entry warning: why token money is risky
The 3,076,153 prohibited property entries are not a small background dataset. For buyers, the message is direct: Telangana land records carry a large number of restrictions, and some of them sit exactly in areas where real estate demand is high.
In our experience, the problem usually starts like this. A buyer likes a property. The seller asks for token money to “block” it. The broker says other parties are waiting. The buyer signs a simple sale agreement on stamp paper, often with a short due diligence period. Only after this, someone checks 22-A, Dharani, EC, or SRO remarks properly. If the land is prohibited, the buyer is stuck negotiating refund rather than negotiating purchase.
That is the wrong order. The right order is: identify the property clearly, verify 22-A status, check EC, confirm ownership chain, check market value and SRO jurisdiction, then discuss agreement advance. This sequence saves money and tension.
Before Sale Agreement, identify the property correctly
A 22-A check is only as good as the property details you enter. For land, you need the exact district, mandal, village, survey number, sub-division number if any, and extent. For flats, you still need the parent land details, not only the flat number and apartment name.
For example, “plot in Mokila” is not enough. Mokila falls in a specific revenue and registration context, and the survey number is the key. “Villa near Kollur ORR” is not enough either. Kollur, Tellapur, Osman Nagar, Velimela, and nearby villages have different survey histories and different SRO mapping. A buyer must insist on documents that show exact land identity.
Use the Survey Number Finder if you are trying to connect location details with land records. If you are unsure which registration office handles the property, use Find Your SRO Office. For village-to-SRO mapping, the SRO Village Directory is also useful.
What to check in 22-A before paying advance
When you run a prohibited property check, do not stop at a simple “yes” or “no”. Read the result like a title investigator. A buyer should look at these points:
- Village and mandal match: Make sure the prohibited entry belongs to the same village and mandal as your property, not a similar survey number elsewhere.
- Survey number match: Check full survey number and sub-division. A mismatch in one slash or alphabet can change the result.
- Extent mentioned: Sometimes only part of a survey number is affected. Do not assume the whole land is safe or unsafe without reading the extent.
- Nature of prohibition: Government land, assigned land, endowment, wakf, ceiling, court-related, or other official restriction will have different implications.
- Seller explanation: Ask for documentary clearance, not oral assurance. “We will manage at registration” is not a legal answer.
- SRO position: If there is doubt, take a written or documented view through proper legal channels before agreement.
The Section 22-A Prohibited Property Check should be part of every buyer’s first screening, especially for plots and lands in growth corridors like Shankarpally mandal, Chevella mandal, Moinabad mandal, Maheshwaram mandal, Kandukur mandal, Medchal side, and Yadadri-facing investment belts.
Before Sale Agreement, do not confuse EC with 22-A clearance
Many buyers say, “EC is clear, so title is clear.” That is not correct. An Encumbrance Certificate mainly shows registered transactions and registered charges for the period searched. It does not automatically certify that the property is outside prohibited property lists.
A land can show past sale deeds in EC and still carry a present restriction under 22-A. A flat buyer may see sale deed, link documents, and mutation records, but parent land restrictions still deserve attention. This is especially true where agricultural land was converted, layouts were formed long back, or the project sits on assembled parcels from multiple owners.
Run the Encumbrance Certificate Search and, where available, use the EC Analyzer to read transaction history. But keep 22-A as a separate checkpoint. EC and prohibited property status answer different questions.
Hyderabad localities where buyers should be extra careful
I am not saying every property in these areas is risky. Many excellent, clean-title properties exist across Hyderabad and surrounding mandals. But high-demand zones attract rushed buying, and rushed buying is where 22-A mistakes happen.
West Hyderabad: In Kokapet, Narsingi, Manikonda, Puppalaguda, Gachibowli, Nanakramguda, Tellapur, Kollur, Osman Nagar, and Mokila, buyers must check parent land details carefully. Apartment buyers should ask for land schedule, approvals, RERA details if applicable, and title report.
North and north-west: In Bachupally, Bowrampet, Dundigal, Kompally, Medchal, and Shamirpet side, old gram panchayat layouts, converted lands, and survey-level variations require proper verification.
South Hyderabad: Shamshabad, Maheshwaram, Tukkuguda, Kandukur, Adibatla, and surrounding villages have seen active land movement because of airport-side growth and industrial interest. Here, survey number verification and land-use checks become very relevant.
East Hyderabad: Uppal, Pocharam, Ghatkesar, Bibinagar, and Yadadri-facing areas see both end-user and investor activity. Buyers should check whether the land is patta, assigned, government-claimed, or under any specific restriction.
Use Property Verification Tool for a broader screening, and use Land Use Zone Finder if you want to understand planning-zone context before committing money.
Agreement clauses that protect a buyer if 22-A risk appears later
Even after checking, your sale agreement should not be casually drafted. A proper agreement must clearly say that the seller is responsible for giving marketable title, free from 22-A restrictions, government claims, encumbrances, litigation, acquisition issues, and third-party rights.
Ask your lawyer to include clauses on refund of advance if the property is found to be prohibited or not registrable. The agreement should give the buyer the right to cancel if SRO records, Dharani records, pahani, EC, municipal records, RERA records, or title search reveals a serious defect. Do not accept a one-line agreement saying advance is non-refundable under all circumstances.
For flats, the agreement should refer to the project’s land schedule and approval details. For plots, it should refer to survey number, plot number, layout details, extent, boundaries, and SRO jurisdiction. For agricultural land, include pattadar details, passbook reference if relevant, pahani position, possession, access road, and conversion status where applicable.
If you are preparing a draft, the Legal Document Generator can help you structure the basic document, but do not skip lawyer review for high-value or disputed properties.
Before Sale Agreement, compare ready reckoner and registration reality
Market value, guideline value, and final negotiated price are three different things. The government ready reckoner value helps with stamp duty and registration calculation, but it does not certify clean title. Still, it is a useful cross-check before agreement because the sale consideration, stamp duty planning, and SRO process should be realistic.
Use the Market Value / Guideline Value Search and Stamp Duty Calculator before you finalise agreement amounts. If you are buying an apartment where land and building components are being discussed separately, Composite Value Calculator can also help with valuation clarity.
One practical point: if the seller is pushing for a very low declared value, or wants a large cash component, be careful. Such arrangements create tax, legal, and proof-of-payment problems. In a future title dispute or cancellation, your recoverable paper trail may become weak.
Quick due diligence table before token advance
| Check | Why it matters | When to do it |
|---|---|---|
| 22-A prohibited property check | Shows whether registration may be blocked due to official restriction | Before token money |
| Survey number and village confirmation | Prevents checking the wrong land record | Before site finalisation |
| EC search | Shows registered transactions and charges for the search period | Before agreement drafting |
| SRO identification | Confirms where registration will happen and which records apply | Before stamp paper purchase |
| Guideline value check | Helps estimate registration cost and compare declared value | Before price finalisation |
| RERA lookup for projects | Useful for apartment and gated community buyers where RERA applies | Before booking amount |
For apartment projects, check RERA Project Lookup. RERA status does not replace title verification, but it gives another layer of project-level information.
What if the property shows up under 22-A?
Do not panic, but do not proceed casually. First, confirm the match. Check whether the survey number, village, mandal, and extent are exactly the same. Then ask the seller for the basis of title and any clearance orders. If the seller says the entry is wrong, the correction must happen through proper government process, not by verbal promise.
If only part of the survey number is prohibited, get a qualified legal opinion and verify demarcation. If the prohibition relates to assigned land, government land, endowment, wakf, or other sensitive category, treat it very seriously. In many such cases, the safest buyer decision is to walk away unless the issue is formally cleared before payment.
For buyers who already paid token money, check the agreement language. If the seller gave title warranties, issue a written notice through your lawyer and seek refund based on failed title condition. Keep all payment proofs, chats, drafts, receipts, and document copies safely.
My practical buyer rule for Hyderabad and Telangana
Before Sale Agreement, finish the record checks that can stop registration. Section 22-A is at the top of that list. After that, look at EC, Dharani/pahani position, link documents, SRO jurisdiction, layout approval, land use, RERA where applicable, and tax/payment structure.
Real estate in Hyderabad moves fast in places like Kokapet, Tellapur, Kollur, Mokila, Tukkuguda, Kompally, and Ghatkesar. Good properties do get picked up quickly. But a buyer should not allow speed to replace verification. A genuine seller with clean documents will usually cooperate with basic checks. If someone is irritated because you asked for survey number and 22-A verification, that itself is a signal.
The 3,076,153 prohibited property entries in government records are enough reason to change buyer behaviour. First verify. Then negotiate. Then sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 22-A check before sale agreement?
It is a verification to see whether the property is listed as prohibited under Section 22-A records. If it is flagged, the SRO may refuse registration of the sale deed unless the restriction is legally cleared.
Should I pay token money before checking 22-A status?
No. In our view, buyers should run the 22-A check before token money or sale agreement. If the property later turns out to be prohibited, refund and cancellation can become difficult.
Does a clear EC mean the property is not prohibited?
No. EC and 22-A status are different checks. EC shows registered transactions and charges for the searched period, while 22-A tells you whether the property has an official registration restriction.
Is 22-A verification needed for flats in Hyderabad?
Yes, especially for under-construction projects, small apartment buildings, and resale flats where parent land details must be checked. Flat buyers should verify the land schedule along with RERA, EC, and title documents.
What should I do if my chosen plot appears in prohibited property records?
First confirm the exact survey number, village, mandal, and extent. Then ask for official clearance documents and take a legal opinion. Do not proceed only on oral assurance from the seller or broker.
