Check a CDA Plot's Dues and Details Before You Buy in Islamabad: Rs 500 Report
Check a CDA plot before you pay: the Rs 500 Property Information Report, the 4 working day dues check and Rs 500 lien marking, with the papers each one needs.
Before you pay for a CDA plot or house in Islamabad, ask for its Property Information Report and an outstanding dues check. The CDA lists the report at Rs 500. The dues check is answered within 4 working days. Both go through the One Window Operation at the CDA Secretariat, using the owner's papers.
A seller can show you a clean-looking allotment letter and still owe the authority money, or have the plot pledged to a bank. These checks are cheap compared with the price of a plot. This guide explains what each one is, which papers it needs and what to do with the answer.
Understand what the CDA offers before a purchase
The CDA's list of procedures includes a Property Information Report, an outstanding dues check and a lien marking. Together they tell you what the authority's file says about the plot: who holds it, what is owed and whether a loan is recorded against it.
We read the CDA procedures page on 8 October 2026. It gives the papers and the fee for each service. The page does not say how long the Property Information Report takes, so we do not promise a date for it. Only the dues check shows a time: 4 working days.
| Service | Fee | Papers listed |
|---|---|---|
| Property Information Report | Rs 500 | Application, attested NIC copy, attested allotment letter |
| Outstanding dues check | Not listed | Apply at the One Window Operation or by mail |
| Lien marking | Rs 500 | Application, NIC, allotment letter, mortgage deed copy, CDA loan NOC (all attested) |
Ask for the Property Information Report
The Property Information Report needs an application, an attested copy of the NIC and an attested copy of the allotment letter. The fee is Rs 500. The papers are in the allottee's name, so the seller should apply or give written help.
If the seller will not share the allotment letter, that is a warning by itself. A genuine owner has the letter, or has already started the replacement process described in the guide to getting a lost CDA allotment letter replaced.
Compare the report with the sale papers. The name, plot number, sector and size must match what you are being sold. Any difference is a reason to stop and ask questions in writing.
Check outstanding dues in 4 working days
The dues check is requested at the One Window Operation counter at the Main CDA Secretariat or by mail. The CDA page says the reply comes within 4 working days. It does not list a fee. Ask the counter to confirm in writing.
Dues matter because a transfer cannot be completed while money is owed. Our guide to a CDA plot or house transfer explains the clearances the authority asks for. Annual charges, such as water and property tax, are separate bills, and the guide to paying CDA property tax and water bills online shows how to check them.
Agree in the sale papers who pays any dues found. A common sentence is that the seller clears all dues before the transfer date, with the cost taken from the final payment if not.
Have a lien marked if a loan is involved
A lien is a bank's claim on a property while a loan is unpaid. The CDA charges Rs 500 to mark one. It asks for an application, an attested NIC copy, the attested allotment letter, a copy of the mortgage deed and the CDA loan NOC.
Buyers who use a bank loan will meet this step. The mortgage permission service is separate. The CDA page gives the fee as Rs 40 per Rs 1,000 of the original plot price and says the agreement is executed in 2 working days. Check the numbers with the counter, because they are figures printed on a procedures page without a date.
If you are paying cash, still ask whether any lien is marked on the plot. The report is where it should show. For borrowing to buy or build, see the guide to a home loan for a plot and construction.
- Ask the seller for the allotment letter and a copy of the NIC.
- Apply for the Property Information Report with the attested papers and pay Rs 500.
- Request the outstanding dues check at the One Window Operation counter.
- Compare both replies with the sale papers.
- Write down who pays any dues and when.
- Pay the seller only after the answers match.
Verify the scheme itself, not only the plot
These reports check one plot. They do not tell you whether the housing scheme around it is approved. Many problems in Islamabad come from private schemes without approval, and the CDA publishes lists on its own site.
Our guide to checking whether a housing society is approved by the CDA shows how to look it up, and the report on the CDA sealing illegal housing schemes shows what happens to buyers when it is not. For the title side, read how to do a property registry verification before buying.
Common questions about CDA plot checks
How much does a CDA Property Information Report cost?
The CDA procedures page lists Rs 500. The page does not say how long it takes.
Can a buyer apply without the seller?
The listed papers are the allottee's NIC and allotment letter. A buyer should ask the seller to apply or to sign a written authority.
How long does the dues check take?
The CDA says it responds within 4 working days of the application at the One Window Operation.
What does lien marking cost?
It costs Rs 500 and needs the mortgage deed copy and the CDA loan NOC, according to the CDA page.
Where do I apply?
At the One Window Operation counter of the Main CDA Secretariat, Block V, Sector G-7/4, Islamabad. The CDA lists office hours of Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 8 October 2026 against the procedures page of the Capital Development Authority at cda.gov.pk. Fees, papers and the 4 working day reply for the dues check come from that page, which carries no date, so confirm them at the counter. We did not test the counter or the mail route. This is general information and not legal advice on a particular plot.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
