The State Bank of Pakistan has revised property-document requirements for housing finance, introducing a standardised checklist and a signed acknowledgement for documents received by lenders.
The change appears in SH&SFD Circular No. 06 of 2026, dated 9 October. It amends PR HF-7, which addresses title documents and security arrangements. Other instructions remain unchanged.
What changes for housing-finance applicants?
Banks and development finance institutions must obtain only the title and ownership-related property documents specified in Annexure B. They must also give borrowers a signed acknowledgement identifying the documents collected.
The circular retains mortgage requirements for the financed house, apartment or plot. For housing finance up to PKR5 million, it permits lenders to use a lien recorded with the relevant land-record authority. The wording gives lenders that option; it does not guarantee approval of an application.
Different properties have different checklists
SBP’s Annexure B separates open plots intended for house construction, properties under construction and completed homes. It also distinguishes development-authority property, private schemes, revenue land, DHA property, cantonment leasehold and other categories.
For example, the DHA checklist for a completed unit includes an allotment, transfer or lease document, permission to mortgage, a lien-marking letter, an approved building plan, a site plan and a completion certificate where applicable. Applicants should use the category and construction stage that match their property.
Green Property Certificate provision
The annexure also allows housing finance against a Punjab government Green Property Certificate, or an equivalent certificate from a competent authority in another province. For such certified properties, it says additional ancestral historical or separate ownership documents are not required because the certificate verifies title, ownership and possession.
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The practical benefit is a clearer basis for discussing property paperwork with a lender. Borrowers can compare the requested documents with the relevant checklist and retain the signed receipt when handing over originals.
This is a documentation and security update. It does not announce a new interest rate, universal eligibility or automatic disbursement. Property-specific questions should be confirmed with the lender against the official circular and annexure.
Sources checked on 11 October 2026. The regulatory announcement is dated 9 October 2026.