Mutation: What you must know about the 'identity card' of your property

Key points

• Registration vs mutation: What is the difference?
• Why mutation matters Purchase of property Inheritance after the owner’s death Transfer through gift deed or Will Court-ordered transfer of ownership How long does it take and what does it cost?
• Buying a property in India does not end with signing the sale deed and completing registration.
• One crucial step that might not be known is “mutation,” the process of updating ownership details in municipal or revenue records after a property changes hands.
• Without it, government records may still show the previous owner’s name even after the property has been legally registered.So here's what one needs to know about 'mutation' in real estate and why it mattersProperty registration is the legal process through which ownership transfer is recorded at the sub-registrar’s office after paying stamp duty and registration charges.