How to conduct an online land search ( or title search ) in Malaysia?
Most people's first assumption when buying real estate is always to put down a deposit, get a mortgage, and sign a Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA), but they don’t realize that Land Title or Property Title is one of the most important documents that is frequently overlooked.
According to The Land Act of 1965, a land title is a legal document issued by the Malaysian government through a land office that assists in identifying the owner of a piece of land or property. This essentially indicates that the property is theirs and that they are free to utilize it as they see fit. Landowners have the option of transferring their title to whoever they want. In layman’s terms, you can treat “land title” like an IC for a property, and it contains all the info you need to know about the specific land or property.
Malaysia's land office or land registry is based on the Torrens system, with a central land registry (the Land and Mines Office) that keeps records of each land and its owners. So when the ownership of land or property changes, it's indeed necessary to update the exchange ownership in the land office & related documents. The land title of a sub-sale property is transferred from the existing owner (seller) to the new owner when you buy it (buyer).
The developer retains the master title in new developments. The master title is divided into individual or subtitles, which are then transferred to the new owner.
Let's learn about land search in Malaysia now.
What is a land search? What information can a land search result provide?
A land title search is an act of finding the details of a property or land, whether it's an individual or master title, and it's generally done by any related parties interested in the sale or acquisition of the land.
What information can a land search provide?
- Owner's details:
- The current landowner's full information, including name, IC number, and last registered address.
- The Master Title will only show the owner either the developer or the management office.
- The Strata Title will contain the owners of the specific parcel details.
- The current landowner's full information, including name, IC number, and last registered address.
- Title Type:
- This follows the land office, where the title type will not necessarily show whether it’s a Master title or Strata title. The title type simply indicates which title types must be submitted to which land office.
- There are plenty of title types in Malaysia where some are old title types and will be given new title types by the land office over time.
- Example of title type: Geran (GRN), Pajakan Negeri (PN), Hakmilik Sementara Daftar (HSD), and etc
- Size and location:
- The size of the land will normally be shown in the land search as a reference.
- The location information of the property/land includes the state, district, town, and lot number. But it will not include the address of the property/land.
- Kindly note that title details are completely different than the normal address we always refer to (as shipping address)
- If you only have an address and you wish to know the title details of the land, you may engage EasyLaw’s services to Extract Land Title Information.
- Purpose of the land:
- This refers to how land is used, such as for agriculture, industry, commerce, or housing.
- Status of the land:
- Freehold: The owner is the permanent and absolute tenure of land or property with freedom to dispose of it at will.
- Leasehold: The owner is purchasing a lease from the freeholder for the right to live in the property for a set number of years. The owner won't technically own the property outright, the freeholder (or landlord) will continue to own the property and the ground it sits on.
- Land tenancy (for leasehold only):
- The land search will show the period of the lease. The buyer must check the remaining lease period before purchasing any property/land.
- Restriction of Interest:
- This refers to any limitation imposed by the State Government on the powers of the registered property/land proprietor on his land to subdivide, partition or amalgamate it, as well as the limitation on his powers to deal with it by way of transfer or the creation of a lease, charge, easement and etc.
- Encumbrance(s):
- It will reveal if there is any private caveat or charge on the property/land and if it is still valid.
- The outdated encumbrances will not be shown in the normal land search
- If you wish to know who entered the specific caveat or other encumbrances of the property or land, you may engage EasyLaw to help you Extract the CTC ( Certified-True-Copy) of the Caveat, so that you can get more information
- Previous Title Details:
- The former title number is stored in this field as a confirmation that the title has changed. However, not all land searches will provide earlier title information, as this is dependent on the land office.
Read: Guidelines On How To Read Land Search
What types of land title searches are there in Malaysia?
There are three types of land search:
- Private Land Search (Carian Persendirian):
- A black & white printout issued by the respective land office with the full title information of the property/land.
- Official Land Search (Carian Rasmi):
- A black & white printout issued by the respective land office with Land Registrar stamp and officer’s signature on the last page which is used as part of supporting documents for government agency submission containing the full information of the property/land.
- Certified True Copy of Title (CTC Title):
- A copy of the original title and pelan tanah which is duly certified true copy by the Land Registrar. Not to be used in place of Original Title for Presentation.
You may find out more about the Types of Land Search HERE.
Why is land search important for you?
Even a grocery store is generally inspected for contaminants before being purchased. So, before you spend hundreds or thousands of ringgit on a property, why not double-check the details? You want to know who is the legal owner with the legal capacity to deal with anything related to the property you want to purchase. Also, it’s important to know that property information displayed on the property platform you engage with, may not have the most accurate information about the property.
Thus, it is important to conduct a land search in a land office prior to your SPA dealing. A land title search can help you understand more and determine land ownership, and check if there are other encumbrances where the property could be under a private caveat or being charged to a bank, making it difficult to be transacted.
Before doing business related to real estate, you need to know if the property/land is currently charged to the bank or if there’s any caveat or restriction of interest on the property/land. Usually, after signing the Sales and Purchase Agreement (S&P or SPA), the buyer of the property will enter a private caveat to the property/land to prevent the owner from selling the property to another party during the transfer process.
More importantly, you cannot sell or transfer property/land without the original land title. Any registered caveat, private caveat, and restriction of interest will also prevent the process of transfer for a property/land.
If a land search is so important, why didn’t I do any land search in my previous purchase of property?
Usually, if you are a purchaser or seller of a property, your conveyancing lawyers ( lawyers who specialize in property or real estate dealings) will do the land search in the land office in Malaysia on your behalf.
It’s mandatory for the lawyers or bankers to do the land search so that they can determine if the property being transacted is a rightful one and if the seller is the rightful owner and has the legal capacity to transact the property.
Also, usually banks will conduct the land search on behalf when they are dealing with any charge of issuing a loan.
It’s not mandatory but recommended for the real estate negotiator or property agents in Malaysia to conduct a land search prior to listing the property info on numerous platform
Thus throughout the whole process of property sale & purchase, usually the purchaser or seller will not conduct the land search on their own, but the lawyers or bankers have already conducted the land search on behalf of Online Land Search Specialists like EasyLaw in Malaysia.
How to conduct a land search in Malaysia
Conducting a land search in Malaysia may look difficult & troublesome but in fact, it isn’t as there are several ways to do it.
- Visit The Land Office
You may require the full title details before traveling to the land office to conduct the search. The land officer will not assist with the land search unless you have all of the title details. The Quit Rent, Land Search, Original Title, Proclamation of Sales, and other documents provide all of the title information.
In each state, there are various land offices to choose from, so make sure you go to the right one to prevent conducting the erroneous property search. Even though the property/land you're looking for is close by, it's possible that the land search will need to be done at a different land office.
Each type of land search will have its own set of costs that must be paid to the land office, and the turnaround time may not be immediate.
- Engaging Law Firms
Most law firms offer this service when you engage with their other service. You will be required to pay a fee in addition to the cost that needs to be paid to the land office for this service. If you already have a lawyer representing you in your property/land purchase, doing a land search might be one of the services.
- Online Portal
EasyLaw is a company where we offer services to conduct land searches over Malaysia on your behalf of you. EasyLaw is helping the public to conduct all types of land searches around Malaysia in each land office regardless of how rural the land office is.
The benefit of using EasyLaw is that you can avoid the trouble of traveling to the land office, especially if it is in another state. As land searches are not always immediate, you may need to visit the land office numerous times to get or follow up on the search. In fact, EasyLaw will handle all of the follow-ups for you and keep you informed about your search.
How much does it cost to conduct a land search in Malaysia?
You may refer to the Land Office Disbursement of Each State to know how much you
If you are engaging EasyLaw to conduct a land search for you, You may refer to the EasyLaw Service Charges in order to understand more about the service.
Documents and Details That are Required to do a Land Search in Malaysia
Documents that normally will contain the full title details:
- Original title
- Land search
- Quit Rent (Cukai tanah)
- Proclamation of Sales (POS)
- Any legal documents
Details that the land office needs for a land search which is Master/Individual title:
- Title type
- Title number
- Lot number
- Bandar/Pekan/Mukim
- District
- State
Details that the land office needs for a land search which is the Strata title:
- Title type
- Title number
- Lot number
- Bandar/Pekan/Mukim
- No. of Building
- No. of Floor
- No. of Unit
- District
- State
How long does it take to conduct a land search?
For each type of land search, each land office will have a different turnaround time. Various land offices in the state may have different turnaround times.
The estimated Turnaround Time for EasyLaw’s land search services are as below:
- Private Land Search: 2-4 working days
- Official Land Search: 14 working days
- Certified True Copy title(CTC): More than 14 working days
EasyLaw can guarantee that you will receive the land search within the specified time frame.
Tips for buyers who are looking to ease the land search process
Performing a land search on your own may appear challenging. Because you might unable to identify the precise details of the property/land or went to the incorrect land office then ended up with an incorrect land search. Not to mention the fact that the property/land is located in a different state.
By engaging EasyLaw service you may cut down all the trouble and all you need to do is just go to EasyLaw’s online portal to fill up the details. If you are unsure of the details simply call or WhatsApp EasyLaw’s customer service to enquire.
If you merely have the address, EasyLaw may also assist you in conducting a search which will assist you to find out the full title details. You may refer to the Extraction of Title Information service in order to know more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Office Disbursement in Each State When Conducting Land Search
| Kuala Lumpur Land Office Disbursement | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 30 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 50 |
| CTC | RM 50 |
| Selangor Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 30 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 50 |
| CTC | RM 50 |
| Perak Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 40 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 80 |
| CTC | RM 80 |
| Pahang Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 50 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 100 |
| CTC | RM 50 |
| Perlis Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 30 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 50 |
| CTC | RM 30 |
| Terengganu Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 10 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 20 |
| CTC | RM 50 |
| Kelantan Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 40 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 120 |
| CTC | RM 80 |
| Kedah Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 30 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 75 |
| CTC | RM 75 |
| Johor Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 40 / RM 60 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 120 / RM150 |
| CTC | RM 100 |
| Melaka Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 30 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 50 |
| CTC | RM 50 |
| Negeri Sembilan Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 20 |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 40 |
| CTC | RM 20 |
| Penang Land Office Disbursements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Land Search (Private) | RM 30 | |
| Land Search (Official) | RM 100 | |
| CTC | RM 100 | |
| Sabah Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Xerox Copy | RM 20 |
| Land Search | RM 20 |
| Labuan Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Private land search | RM 30 |
| Official Land Search | RM 30 |
| Sarawak Land Office Disbursements | |
|---|---|
| Simple Print Out |
|
| Land Search |
|
How to Conduct Online Land Search in Malaysia - Fast & Easy Way
Step 1 : Register as a user in EasyLaw website here
Step 2 : Click "Conduct New Land Search" Button
Step 3 : Pick the land search "search type" and fill in the necessary information which includes - Title Number, Title type, Lot No & etc
Step 4 : Fill in your billing address to check the price of the land search
Step 5 : Top Up your credit and click "Pay Now" to make payment for your online land search in EasyLaw
Step 6 : Wait for your online land search results delivered to your via email in PDF format.
Want to Conduct Land Search Without Going to Land Office?
Click the button below to conduct land search online