Frequently asked questions

At minimum: the Lalpurja (ownership certificate) verified against the Malpot register, the Napi Naksa (survey map) checked against the boundary you walk on site, the land revenue receipt showing tax cleared for the current fiscal year, and a search for any mortgage, cooperative lien or court injunction registered against the parcel. For built property, add the approved building drawing and the completion certificate. If the title is held jointly — very common where land has passed through inheritance — you need written consent from every registered owner, not just the one showing you around.

A straightforward cash purchase with clean documents typically completes in two to four weeks: a token agreement, document verification, then a Malpot appointment where the Rajinama (sale deed) is executed and the new Lalpurja issued the same day. Add four to ten weeks if you are financing, since the bank runs its own valuation and sanction process. Add considerably more if the parcel needs kitta katta, a boundary correction, or heirs who live abroad and must send a registered power of attorney.

They belong to two different systems. Hill and mountain districts — including Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara and Dhulikhel — measure in Ropani, Aana, Paisa and Daam, where 1 Ropani = 16 Aana = 5,476 sq. ft. Terai districts such as Chitwan, Rupandehi, Morang and Jhapa measure in Bigha, Katha and Dhur, where 1 Bigha = 20 Katha = 72,900 sq. ft. The system follows the district the land sits in, not your preference. Our land unit converter will translate between both and into square feet or square metres.

Kitta katta is the official subdivision of one registered parcel into two or more, each receiving its own Lalpurja. It matters because plenty of land in Nepal is marketed as an individual plot while still legally forming part of a larger undivided holding. If the kitta katta has not been done, you are buying a share of somebody else's parcel rather than a plot of your own, and completing the split afterwards depends on cooperation you may no longer have. Always ask whether the kitta katta is complete and ask to see the resulting Lalpurja.

The Lalpurja — literally "red paper" — is the land ownership certificate issued by the Malpot (Land Revenue) Office. It records the owner's name, the parcel (kitta) number, the area, the land-use classification and the ward. It is the primary proof of ownership in Nepal. A photocopy proves nothing on its own: the document must be checked against the Malpot register, because the register is what actually governs, and a certificate can be outdated, altered or superseded.

As a general rule, foreign individuals cannot own land in Nepal. Non-Resident Nepalis holding an NRN identity card have limited rights to acquire property, subject to area ceilings and conditions under the Non-Resident Nepali Act. Foreign companies and joint ventures may hold land for approved industrial or business purposes under Department of Industry approval. Rules in this area change and the detail matters enormously, so treat this as general information and take advice from a Nepali advocate for your specific situation.

Napi Naksa is the cadastral survey map held by the Survey (Napi) Office, showing the shape, dimensions and position of the parcel relative to its neighbours. We insist on it because the Lalpurja tells you how much area you own but not where the boundary runs. Discrepancies between the map and the fence on the ground are one of the most common — and most expensive — disputes in Nepali property, and they surface far more often than sellers volunteer.

Land is registered with a use classification, and building approval generally follows that classification. Constructing a house on land registered as agricultural requires a land-use conversion, which is granted by the local government and is neither automatic nor quick. Plots are frequently advertised as building land when the conversion has not actually been applied for, let alone approved. Ask to see the conversion certificate; if it does not exist, price the risk and the delay into your offer.

The buyer normally pays the registration fee at the Malpot office, calculated as a percentage of the transaction value — commonly around 4% to 5% inside metropolitan and sub-metropolitan areas and lower in rural municipalities, with concessions in some categories. The seller normally bears capital gains tax, deducted at registration. There may also be a municipal service charge and the cost of document preparation. Rates are set by the annual Finance Act and by each local government, so confirm the current figure for your specific municipality before you budget.

Listing a property with us is free. On a completed sale our commission is agreed in writing before the property goes live, and it is charged only when the transfer completes. For rentals we typically charge the equivalent of one month's rent, split as agreed between owner and tenant. Legal verification and valuation are fixed-fee services, quoted up front, and valuation is free for properties listed for sale with us. You will never receive an invoice for a figure you have not already seen in writing.

Most commercial banks lend up to 60% to 70% of the valuation for a residential purchase, so plan on funding 30% to 40% yourself plus the registration costs on top. The figure the bank lends against is its own valuator's number, which is frequently lower than the price you negotiated — that gap is the single most common reason a sanction falls short of expectations. Ratios are subject to Nepal Rastra Bank directives and change from time to time.

Two to three months' rent as a refundable deposit is standard, with a minimum term of one year, and it is normal for the agreement to be registered at the ward office. Tenants pay electricity and water on meter unless stated otherwise. Annual escalation of around 10% is common and is usually written into the agreement. Get the meter readings recorded in writing at handover — the great majority of deposit disputes we see come down to utility readings nobody wrote down.

Yes — a large part of our rental management book belongs to owners in the Gulf, Australia, the UK and the US. We source and screen the tenant, register the agreement at the ward office, collect the rent and remit it with a monthly statement, handle maintenance up to a limit you set, and send quarterly inspection photographs. You will need to give a registered power of attorney to whoever signs on your behalf, and we can guide you through arranging that through the Nepali embassy in your country.

Every listing published here has had its Lalpurja checked against the Malpot register, its Napi Naksa compared against the boundary on site, and its land revenue status confirmed for the current fiscal year before it goes live. That is what the "Verified" badge on a listing means. It is not a guarantee of value, condition or future price, and it does not replace your own inspection or your own advocate's advice on a specific transaction.

Yes, and we would encourage it. Legal verification is a standalone fixed-fee service and it can be commissioned on any property in the districts we cover, whether or not it was listed with us and whether or not you use us for anything else. Send us the Lalpurja details through the contact form or on WhatsApp and we will quote before starting.

We list across more than fifty districts, with staffed offices in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Pokhara and Bharatpur and active agent coverage through Butwal, Biratnagar, Dharan, Birtamod, Hetauda and Dhangadhi. If you are looking somewhere we do not routinely cover, tell us anyway — we will either take it on or refer you to a broker in that district we would use ourselves.