No approval needed from Rajuk for transfer of residential plots, flats: Housing ministry

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works has announced that no approval from Rajuk or any other authority will be required to transfer residential plots or flats developed under the ministry or its affiliated bodies.

From now on, ownership of such land or flats can be transferred through registration at the sub-registrar's office by paying a fixed fee, according to a government notification issued by the ministry on Sunday.

The move aims to simplify the transfer process for residential properties, reduce harassment and corruption, and make dealings more transparent and efficient, the ministry said.

Previously, approval from the leasing authority was mandatory before executing a deed for a residential plot or flat. Under the new rules, no such approval will be required for deeds related to inheritance, sale, gift, or other transfers (including partition or distribution).

However, permission from the relevant authority will still be necessary in cases of land subdivision, amalgamation, or changes in land use that deviate from the approved master plan.

The government has fixed a transfer fee of 2% of the deed value for flats and 3% for plots, payable directly to the concerned sub-registry office. The fees will be collected as non-tax revenue (NTR) under the economic codes specified by the housing and public works ministry.

After a transfer, a copy of the deed and all name transfer-related documents must be submitted to the leasing authority within 90 days. Failure to submit these within the deadline will result in a daily fine of Tk50, up to a maximum of Tk10,000.

The relevant records will be sent to the buyer via registered post, email, or other electronic means, the notification added.

Automatic transfer after lease expiry

When the designated 99-year lease period expires, the transfer will be executed automatically, with no requirement to pay additional deed fees or other charges.

However, prior approval will still be necessary for plot division or any change to the master plan.

For institutional, commercial, and industrial plots, the existing approval procedures will remain in force. Similarly, for non-residential properties, the approval requirement from the leasing authority will continue as before.

The new relaxation will not apply to properties with ownership disputes, those listed as abandoned, or those allocated on a special basis between January 2009 and July 2024.

In these cases, the existing approval process will remain unchanged, though the fee payment requirement will still apply.

The government will soon publish a list of residential plots and flats that can be transferred without approval. The notification states that any errors or omissions in the published list may be corrected by the concerned authorities as necessary.

According to the ministry, the key objectives of the new regulation are to ensure greater accessibility for lessees in transferring ownership, make residential property management faster and more transparent, and eliminate corruption and irregularities in the process.

Once implemented, the directive is expected to make disputed or abandoned government properties usable more quickly, resolve long-standing issues faced by lessees, and streamline deed registration through sub-registry offices.

The ministry said the reform will also facilitate automatic digital record-keeping and online documentation, marking a significant step toward modernising the country's property transfer system.