Encumbrance Certificate: Check a Property Is Loan-Free Before You Buy

An EC lists every registered transaction on a property — sales, mortgages, gifts — for a date range you choose.

Form 15 means transactions exist; Form 16 (Nil EC) means the record is clean for that period.

Pull a 13-30 year EC, not just a few years, to trace the full ownership chain.

An EC only shows REGISTERED documents — it misses tax dues, court cases and oral mortgages.

Apply online via Kaveri (Karnataka), TNREGINET (TN) or IGRS (AP/Telangana); fees are usually ₹100-500.