Consultation

Select Location

Components of a Sale Deed and How to Draft one in India

Sale Deed is one of the numerous legal documents that come into play when one is engaging in buying or selling the property. Learn about what Sale Deed is, how to make its draft, documents required to make the draft and clauses governing it.

Written by:
Prachi Darji

Published on
27-Aug-19

A Sale Deed is a legal document that records the transfer of ownership from the seller to the buyer. While preparing a Sale Deed, all the clauses of the Transfer of Property Act should be carefully examined and drafted to lessen the risks involved. The clauses should be drafted after understanding your requirements and liabilities.

Everywhere we hear phrases like renting out an apartment to a tenant, mortgaging land for purposes of loan, leasing out shops, buying real estate, etc. This demonstrates the various ways with which transactions revolve around the land. For doing such transactions, individuals/ companies/ government authorities may engage in transactions of buying or selling land and come across a legal transaction called a Sale Deed. It holds substantial value to buyers as well as sellers. Before we move on to understand the contents of the sale deed, let us first discuss what a sale deed is.

Table of Content:

What is a Sale Deed?
How to draft a Sale Deed
Documents required for Sale Deed Registration
Format of Sale Deed
Clauses in a Sale Deed
Mandatory Disclosures to be obtained from Seller of Property for Sale Deed
How to get a certified copy of a lost sale deed?
Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Sale Deed?

It is one of the most important legal documents required to be executed between the seller and the purchaser to complete the transaction at the time of purchasing a property. These parties are also referred to as the ‘grantor' and ‘grantee' in legal parlance. A sale deed indicates that the title of ownership has been transferred from the seller in favor of the buyer; or in simpler words, the ownership has been changed from the seller to the buyer.

So, a Sale Deed is essentially a document that there’s proof of such a transfer. Not only does it describe the property in detail, but it also outlines the rights and obligations of each party.

The sale deed is made on a non-legal stamp paper of a value prescribed by the state government. Any person who is dealing with the property will come across a sale deed. Therefore, a precaution must be taken to not use a model or draft sale deed which is available at the first instance. This is because you may want certain clauses to be added, modified or deleted depending on the situation.

How to draft a Sale Deed

Steps involved in the transfer of property by way of Sale Deed are:

STEP 1: Understanding your requirement: Hire a lawyer and discuss your requirements with him/ her.

STEP 2: Drafting: Based on your responses, the lawyer will draft the Sale Deed within 3 working days for your review and approval.

STEP 3: Printing of Sale Deed: After you’ve approved the draft of the sale deed, the Sale Deed will be printed on a non-judicial stamp paper.

STEP 4: Fixing an appointment with the sub-registrar: The lawyer will make an appointment with the sub-registrar’s office under whose jurisdiction the property is situated.

STEP 5: Registration of Sale Deed: You along with two witnesses and the lawyer will visit the office of the sub-registrar to sign the document and get it registered by paying the registration fees.

STEP 6: Registered Sale Deed: Once the deed is signed and registration charges are paid, the registered sale deed shall be issued by the sub-registrar's office.

Documents Required for Sale Deed Registration

Draft of Sale Deed
Power of Attorney, if any
Building Plan sanctioned by the Statutory Authority
Allotment Letter from the Builder/Co-Operative Society/Housing Board
All title documents of the property owner
A Copy of all registered previous agreements (in case of resale property)
Latest tax paid receipts
Latest electricity bill & receipt for the said property (in case of resale property)
NOC from Apartment Association (in case of resale property)

Format of Sale Deed

Download Sale Deed Format

Click here to download Sale Deed Format.

Clauses in a Sale Deed

1. Parties Involved in the Sale Deed -

This clause contains the description of the parties to the sale deed. It mentions the details of the buyer and seller like their names, addresses, ages, contact details, occupations and the date of execution of the deed.

Vendor and vendee are another set of terms used to refer for a seller and a buyer.
Even though there is no requirement of an ‘affidavit’ for the information provided by the parties, the details must be bonafide i.e. the information provided in the sale deed must be true and accurate. Ensure that the name of the seller in the sale deed is precisely the same as it occurred in the documents through which he acquired the property in the first place.
If one of the parties wishes to execute the deal in his absence by conferring a Power of Attorney, then those details will be recorded too.
When one is intending to engage in a transaction for buying or selling a piece of land, they must verify whether the parties fulfill certain conditions.
If you are buying a property from an individual, make sure that the person is legally competent to transfer a property i.e. an adult of over 18 years and of sound mind.
If you are buying it from a company/partnership/trust, ensure that the person you are transacting with has received the required authorization to conduct such a deal.

As mentioned above - any individual, a company or any other form of organization can transfer land to someone else. Under the law, an individual is referred to as a natural person. It means that individuals are separate legal entities recognized by law. On the other hand, organizations like companies are referred to as a juristic person. This is because a company is not a real person with any physical form. It is artificial in nature and the creation of law. Even then, it enjoys some privileges that a natural person enjoys, for example, buying a property in its own name. Also, the vendee or buyer being a natural person does not have to be a major of a sound mind.

2. Description of the Property -

In the sale deed, there is a clause that informs the parties specifically about the dimensions of the property being transferred, i.e. the details of the property like the measures of the plot in yards or meters, the length of the property extending in which directions, the carpet area in case of apartments, registration number of the land if one wants to verify details in official records, construction details of the building including the year in which it was built, exact location, and the surroundings of the property like an adjacent bus depot or garden are mentioned in the sale deed.

In addition to this clause, a schedule is attached to the deed which describes these precise details. A graphical representation of the same may be added for the convenience of the parties.

3. The Sale Consideration -

As a buyer or seller of a property, one of the most important and primary factors is the price at which the property is bought or sold. Invariably price at which the deal is closed is called 'Consideration'. The clause reads out the price at which the land is being transferred and that it is agreed upon by the parties to the deed. The price is mentioned in both numbers and figures to avoid any sort of confusion.

4. The clause regarding Payment method -

It is best that we draft the sale deed in very clear terms and mention all the aspects which can be written down to avoid any future disputes. One such aspect is the payment method used by the buyer to pay the seller. As agreed between the two parties the payment can be made in cash, cheque, demand draft or transfer of funds using internet banking. Whatever payment method the parties are comfortable with and decide upon finally, should be mentioned in the sale deed along with the amount of payment.

5. Advance payment and Installments -

In case one has made such an advance payment to the seller while buying a piece of land, then that must be mentioned in the sale deed. The sale deed would mention the amount received previously as an advance or part payment. This also serves as an acknowledgment from the seller of the receipt of the same and helps calculate the balance amount.

Sometimes the price is paid by the buyer over a period in small parts. This method of payment is called payment in installments. A fixed sum is paid monthly or any other period agreed on by both parties instead of a one-time complete payment. Interest is charged on the amount in the lieu of the extended time period of payment.

6. ‘Transfer of Title’ clause -

The main goal of buying property is to become a property owner. In a sale deed, the phrase 'transfer of title' is used in this connection. It simply means the transfer of ownership. Every sale deed has a clause which specifies when the title in the property is transferred to the buyer from the vendor. This is also known as 'words of conveyance'. It expresses the intention of the seller to transfer the ownership in favor of the buyer. It can either happen immediately or after a specified time period. It intends to transfer all the rights of ownership from the seller to the buyer and make him the absolute owner.

7. Delivery of the Deed and Possession of the property -

The deed also specifically mentions on what date the property will come into the possession of the buyer. The sale deed must also be delivered to the buyer. The sale deed and sale agreement are only two of the numerous documents that are transferred by the seller to the buyer.

Other documents include - a letter of allotment and sanction from the housing society or any other relevant authority in charge of that property. If it’s a flat or building, the occupation certificate issued once the construction of that property is complete and the building plans, an encumbrance certificate which will indicate that there are no existing dues remaining to be paid by the previous owner, a no-objection certificate from the housing society; and in case the builder has obtained a mortgage on the building the same certificate from the bank.

8. Indemnity Clause and the Encumbrance clause -

This clause is added in a sale deed to make sure that when the property is sold to the buyer, it is free from any encumbrances i.e. the seller has paid any kind of existing charges on the property prior to the sale. This includes taxes, charges, dues, demands, arrears, electricity charges, water charges, outstanding bills, house tax, development charges, and prior assignments of sale or leasehold. If any such charges are left, then the buyer who pays them off can rightfully ask the seller to indemnify him.

The seller will have to compensate the buyer for it. Once the property is sold to the buyer, the future charges will be respectively paid by him. This clause may also contain that the seller must ensure that the property is free from any nature of litigation.

The clause may be worded as follows-

“That the property is not subjected to any encumbrances, mortgages, charges, lien, attachments, claim, demand, acquisition proceedings by Government or any kind whatsoever and should thereby and to the date of execution of this sale deed and the VENDEE shall bear and pay the same hereafter. The VENDOR shall discharge the same from and out of his own funds and keep the VENDEE indemnified. If any arrears are found due to the earlier period, the same shall be discharged by the VENDOR.”

On the other hand, if it is agreeable to the buyer, the property could be sold subject to certain liabilities. For example, if the buyer is ready to take over the mortgage of the seller, rather than taking another to purchase the property then the lien on the property due to the mortgage loan will continue. This is called an encumbrance clause.

9. The clause regarding Payment method -

As agreed between the two parties the payment can be made in cash, cheque, demand draft or transfer of funds using internet banking. Whatever payment method the parties are comfortable with and decide upon, is mentioned in the sale deed in this clause along with the amount of payment.

10. Advance payment and Instalments -

While buying land, the seller or vendor often asks the buyer to pay a certain part of the total amount before the sale deed is made, while the rest of the amount can be paid later. This practice is usually followed by sellers to ensure that the buyer party does not back out of the deal later on. The buyer is compelled to close the deal since he has already invested certain money in the form of an advance payment. In case one has made such an advance payment to the seller while buying a piece of land, then that must be mentioned in the sale deed. The sale deed would mention the amount received previously as an advance or part payment. This also serves as an acknowledgment from the seller of the receipt of the same and helps calculate the balance amount.

11. ‘Transfer of Title’ clause -

The main goal of buying property is to become a property owner. In a sale deed, the phrase 'transfer of title' is used in this connection. It simply means the transfer of ownership. Every sale deed has a clause which specifies when the title in the property is transferred to the buyer from the vendor. This is also known as 'words of conveyance'. It expresses the intention of the seller to transfer the ownership in favor of the buyer. It can either happen immediately or after a specified time period. It intends to transfer all the rights of ownership from the seller to the buyer and make him the absolute owner.

12. Delivery of the Deed and Possession of property -

The sale deed must also be delivered to the buyer with the date of possession of the property. The sale deed and sale agreement are only two documents that are transferred by the seller to the buyer.

13. Indemnity Clause and the Encumbrance clause -

14. Liability in case of a default -

If either of the parties of the sale deed is at fault, then that party is responsible to make good for the loss caused to no-at fault party so that the execution of sale deed is not affected. This could be in the form of a penalty fee.

15. Witnesses and Registration

Once the sale deed is prepared, along with the signatures of the vendor and the vendee giving their assent, at least two witnesses must attest to that document. One witness from either side is required along with their details such as name, age, address. This is also known as the testimonium clause.

“The registration of the property in the name of the new owner (buyer), is compulsory along with registration of the sale deed. The Registration Act, 1908 is the governing statute that specifies the stamp duty to be paid. It must be done within four months from the date of execution of the sale deed. These were the general clauses found in almost any sale deed. Apart from these, there are other clauses that parties may wish to add in their sale deed according to their agreement,” says Advocate Tanuj Aggarwal

16. Right to quiet enjoyment of property -

This covenant of right to quiet enjoyment is used frequently in dealings of real estate related to sale or tenancy. Here, the party in possession of the property is assured by the seller or landlord that the use of the land may be done by the former peacefully and enjoyment without any interference by the later parties. This covenant may be added to a sale deed by the buyer to be enforced against the seller. It can be framed as follows:

“The Vendor hereby covenants with the Vendee as follows: The said property shall be quietly entered into and upon by the Vendee who shall hold and enjoy the same as absolute owner without any interruption from the Vendor or any persons claiming through the Vendor.”

17. Reddendum clause -

A reddendum clause or a reservation clause may be added by a seller. The function of this clause is to reserve some rights of the seller in the property, even though the title is transferred to the buyer. It could also be added to add restrictions on how the property may be used by the buyer. It usually stipulates what kind of structures may be erected on that land or restrict the size of such structures.

18. Tenendum clause -

Property for sale may be an empty land or a land wherein structures like a house, warehouse, and offices may be built on. This clause is inculcated in the sale deed to indicate that the improvements are being sold together with the land.

19. Warranty clause (Ownership) -

Some of the sale deeds include a session clause which means ‘to seize’ or to own. By this clause, the vendor warrants or assures the buyer that he is the rightful owner of the property and has the legal right to convey the property to the vendee.

20. Time is of Essence clause -

Several times negotiating a purchase or sale of the property can become a tedious and lengthy process. All the processes include several documents to be exchanged, records to be checked, physically going to the land and examining the plot of land or flat, negotiating the price and payment method, hiring an agent or a lawyer to assist in the process, etc. Hence, some people may want to ensure that all aspects of the property transfer deal happen on time and delay is avoided. This is where the time is of essence clause comes in.

“The sale deed has a provision for making the parties abide by time constraints for performing their respective obligations. It lays down an agreement between the parties that they promise to perform their obligations like payment or handing over possession on the pre-decided time. If they fail to abide by this promise the other party may take some kind of action,” says Advocate Mohd Faris

This provision essentially reinforces the idea that parties to a transaction can face losses due to a delay in completing the transaction. In the future, if the property gets involved in litigation, the Courts will give importance to this provision while deciding the party at fault.

21. Right to call off the deal –

In a sale deed, one can include a clause that will allow them to ‘back out’ of the business transaction if certain situations arise. It gives them the right to not continue and perform any future obligations towards completing the deal in specified circumstances. This type of provision is called the right to call off clause.

People involved in dealings of land don’t easily or frequently discontinue the transaction because both parties invest a significant amount of time and money in it. It is only in very pressing circumstances that they may exercise this right. Usually, parties decide calling off the deal if the other party refuses to hand over any kind of documents or withhold them, or there is a delay in payment or giving possession to the property, etc. You can add such a condition which affects yourself to an extent that you are ready to stop the transaction.

22. Dispute Resolution -

We all are aware of how long it takes for cases to be resolved in court and the majority of us dread engaging in litigation. Even then, there is a possibility that when one engages in a transaction to buy or sell land, some form of disagreement may arise and either of the individuals approach the Court of law for its resolution.

To avoid this situation and seek alternative measures, people seek to add a dispute resolution clause in their sale deed. It lays down a procedure agreed upon by the parties of how to go about in case a dispute arises. It may consist of several steps. First is the mediation of the dispute mutually by discussion i.e. parties agree to try and resolve the issue amongst themselves. The second step involves parties agreeing for arbitration. If any of the parties is still unhappy with the decision they can move to the Court for deciding the dispute.

Mandatory Disclosures To Be Obtained From Seller of Property For Sale Deed

The Transfer of Property Act, 1882 mandates the seller of a property to make certain disclosure, representations and execute certain acts for the purpose of selling immovable property. One of the most relevant provisions in this regard is Section 55 of the Act. Section 55 deals with the ‘Rights and liabilities of buyer and seller’. Under this provision, subsection (1) deals with certain obligations that the seller is bound to undertake. These, therefore are mandatory disclosures and representations.

These include-

full disclose to the buyer any material defect in the property or in the seller's title, or third-party claims, and disputes of which the seller is, and the buyer is not, aware, and which the buyer could not with ordinary care discover;
to produce to the buyer on his request for examination all documents of title relating to the property which are in the seller’s possession or power;
to answer to the best of his information all relevant questions put to him by the buyer in respect to the property or the title thereto
on payment or tender of the amount due in respect of the price, to execute a proper conveyance of the property when the buyer tenders it to him for execution at a proper time and place;
to take as much care of the property and all documents of title relating thereto which are in his possession between the date of the contract of sale and the delivery of the property;
to give, on being so required, the buyer, or such person as he directs, such possession of the property as its nature admits;
payment and clearance of all government charges and rent accrued due in respect of the property up to the date of the sale
Nil encumbrance or lien on the property.

How to get a certified copy of a lost sale deed?

The sale deed is an extremely important legal document that records the transfer of ownership from the seller to the buyer. Therefore, it is important to store such a document safely. However, if the original sale deed is lost, a certified copy or a duplicate sale deed can be obtained from the jurisdictional sub-registrar’s office. It is imperative that such a person who has lost the sale deed must genuinely make attempts to retrieve or find the original sale deed. The following steps are to be followed to obtain a certified copy of a lost sale deed-

STEP 1: Lodge an FIR When any important document or property is lost, the first step is to file an FIR in the local police station. It is important that the FIR is valid. Therefore, it is advised that one must check for the signature of the complainant in the complaint, the stamp of the Police Station, the signature of the Duty Officer and the FIR number. If the document is not found by the Police, a non-traceable certificate is issued.

STEP 2: Advertise in a Newspaper To prove to the sub-registrar that you have tried your best efforts to locate the document, it is essential that you advertise your loss in a prominent newspaper. The advertisement must contain all the necessary details. Even after such an advertisement, if the sale deed is not found, you may file an affidavit.

STEP 3: Application to the Sub-registrar Since reasonable effort has been taken by you to recover the sale deed, you may now file an application at the Sub-registrar’s office. For this purpose, you must submit a notarized affidavit with the following details:

All details of the property.
Attach a copy of the FIR.
Attach a copy of the non-traceable certificate.
Attach a copy of the advertisement.
Include an undertaking that the information presented by you is genuine and true.

Submit the affidavit with an application for a certified copy of the sale deed along with the prescribed fee to the sub-registrar. In 2-4 weeks, the Sub-registrar will issue a certified copy of the sale deed.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a sale deed?

A sale deed is a document through which the Seller transfers his rights and interest in a property to the purchaser/ buyer, who in turn acquires absolute ownership over the property. A sale deed includes the following details:

Name and address of the buyer and seller
Detailed description of the property
Total payment to be made, mode of payment, date when the payment is to be made
Date of handing over of property documents
Other terms and conditions of the sale

Who pays the stamp duty and registration charges – buyer or the seller?

As per law, the buyer has to pay the stamp duty and registration charges. However, any other arrangement with regard to the sharing of stamp duty and registration charges between the buyer and seller can also be incorporated in the Sale Deed.

How much stamp duty is to be paid in case of purchase of property?

In India, stamp duty varies between 4-10 percent of the sale value of the property, depending on the state in which such property is situated. Here is the detail of stamp duty charges per state:

Delhi - 4% if the vendee is a woman and 6% if the vendee is a man

Hyderabad - 4%

Chennai - 7%

Bengaluru - 5%

Ahmedabad - 4.9%

Kolkata - 6%

Mumbai - 6%

Pune - 6%

What are the advantages of a sale deed?

Following are the advantages of a Sale Deed:

- It provides legal recognition for your sale transaction.

- It clearly lays down the description of the property, the parties, and their rights and obligations.

Registered sale deed can be used as evidence in case of any legal dispute.

Is it mandatory to get a sale deed registered in the sub-registrar office?

Yes, according to the Registration Act, 1908, it is mandatory to get a sale deed registered in relation to immovable properties whose value is more than Rs. 100/-.

What if I don't register the sale deed

In case you do not register the sale deed, you are taking a huge risk. An unregistered sale deed cannot be submitted as evidence in Court. In case any dispute arises with regard to the property ownership, rights, liabilities or obligations, sale deed would not be allowed to be presented as evidence. As a consequence, the court may not recognize you as the rightful owner of the property.

Why is the sale deed required?

Sale deed contains details of the transfer of property ownership from a seller (vendor) to a Buyer (Purchaser). Sale deed essentially renders the sale complete. In other words, through sale deed, the seller transfers the rights of ownership of the property to the buyer. Once the document is drafted, signed and registered, the ownership rights completely get transferred to the buyer in the deal.

Can a sale deed be canceled?

Once the document has been registered it can't be canceled unless through an order of the court.

What if a sale deed is not registered?

If the seller is not traceable then his legal heirs should be issued a legal notice to execute the sale deed in their favor. So, without a registered sale deed, you cannot obtain an absolute marketable title over the property.

Who can execute sale deed?

A sale deed is executed after the execution of the agreement to sell and after compliance of various terms and conditions detailed in the agreement to sell as agreed upon between the buyer and seller. It can only be executed by a person who has a legal and marketable title over the property that is to be transferred under the sale deed. (Refer to section 53A of Transfer of Property Act)

Who will prepare the deed of the sale?

Whoever has their name on the deed is the rightful owner of the home, so it's one of the most important documents in buying or selling a home. The seller typically prepares the real estate deed, usually with the help of a title company or an attorney to ensure the property transfers successfully.

What is the difference between a sale deed and sale agreement?

Many times people face confusion between a sale agreement and a sale deed. However, a 'sale agreement' differs from a 'sale deed', in that it needs to be executed on a non-legal stamp paper as per the applicable rates prescribed by the state. We can break it down in a tabular form to understand it better.

Sale Agreement	Sale Deed
It lays down the proposed terms and conditions of the sale or purchase of land	It concretizes the terms of buying or selling of land which can’t be changed any further
This agreement is made before a sale deed	A sale deed is executed after a sale agreement
It is not a compulsory requirement	A sale deed is compulsory under the law for transferring ownership

It must also be noted that a sale agreement is extremely important since the contents of the sale deed are decided by a sale agreement. Once a sale deed is made, the sale agreement ceases to exist. This means that neither party can go back to the sale agreement to enforce any terms therein.

What is a Freehold Property?

Freehold Property is not very popularly used in India, it means the holder of the property holds it free of any liabilities i.e. the person is an absolute owner of the land and the buildings that may be built upon it. The owner may use it for whatever purposes. He/ She holds it forever until he/she decides to transfer it to anyone else. This is distinguished from leasehold property. This concept is frequently used by homeowners of apartments in buildings or bungalows. What happens in this type of transfer is that the transferee owns a certain building like an apartment or a shop but not the land upon which it is built.

These property holders pay the owner a certain amount as rent annually to use the place. Once the lease period expires the land reverts to the transferor. Hence, this kind of ownership is limited by the time period agreed beforehand between the parties.

Can I get a home loan if the original sale deed is missing?

Banks provide loans only on the basis of original documents. It is nearly impossible to obtain loans without original legal documents. So banks would not provide a home loan on the basis of a photocopy of the original sale deed. However, once you realize that the sale deed is lost, you can get a certified copy issued by the jurisdictional sub-registrar. Some banks, however, might want to scrutinize the FIR copy, the non-traceable certificate, the advertisements and the affidavit presented to the sub-registrar. Therefore, it is advised that all these documents be preserved for obtaining a home loan.

Can anyone apply for a copy of the Sale Deed?

A sale deed is a public document. Therefore a copy of the sale deed can be obtained by anyone. However, to obtain a copy, one must know significant details such as the property schedule information, the name of the property owner and the document number. The option of getting such copies issued is available through online service in certain states such as Tamil Nadu and the Andhra Pradesh.

What is the title deed?

There is no defined term such as ‘title deed’. Title deed, unlike a sale deed, is not a specific document. Title deed is any conclusive proof of title. The title is nothing but the legal basis of ownership. It signifies various rights and obligations of the owner, including tangible and intangible interests that flow from such ownership of the property. Therefore, the legal evidence of such rights of ownership is understood to be the title deed. In other words, a registered sale deed that provides evidence of ownership could be construed as a title deed.

What is the difference between the sale deed and title deed?

Every property has a title and every valid property owner must have title to that particular property. Title deed is any document that provides proof of title. In other words, a title deed is a legal statement of ownership of a particular property. It is not a single defined document. On the other hand, a sale deed is an important document that records the sale of a property. It is, therefore, a definitive document that comes into existence when there is a transfer of property from the seller to the buyer. A sale deed must be legally registered for it to be a valid document. Unlike a title deed, a sale deed is not just a legal concept or a statement. It is a legal agreement between two or more parties. A registered sale deed can be used as a definitive proof of title. Therefore a registered sale deed can be used as a title deed, but not all proof of title is a valid sale deed.

Reviewed by: Antim Amlan

Associate - Legal, MyAdvo Techserve Pvt. Ltd.

Antim Amlan is the in-house corporate counsel for MyAdvo and has been associated since the inception of the legal team.

Antim is a graduate from National Law University Odisha and has the expertise of consulting several corporates on litigation strategies, due diligence projects, regulatory compliance & licensing. He also advises corporates on structuring of the work processes based on subject matter and curating suitable legal solutions that benefit the corporate clients. He is an avid blogger and has interest in Corporate, Banking and Finance laws.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antimamlan

Email: antim@myadvo.in