The Guangzhou Land Resources and Urban Planning Committee abolished 44 application documents and further reduced processing times for 18 registration transactions Real estate registration becomes faster and more convenient
Real estate registration becomes faster and more convenient
In order to further improve the efficiency of real estate registration, enhance public satisfaction with real estate registration services, and implement requirements pertaining tostreamlining application documents and reducing processing times for real estate registration transactions contained in the Action Plan to Comprehensively Enhance Real Estate Registration Capabilities and Practices (2018 – 2019) issued by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Land and Resources, since July 9, 2018, the Guangzhou Land Resources and Urban Planning Committee has streamlined the list of documents required for real estate and further reduced processing times, allowing real estate registrations to become more efficient and convenient.
The Guangzhou Land Resources and Urban planning Committee reduced the number of verification documents needed for real estate registration by means of information sharing. Applicants will no longer be required to submit verification documents such as various certificates, review documents, records, approvals, verification of approvals, and official seals, that may be obtained through shared databases. In addition, these documents will no longer be preconditions for real estate registration. By comprehensively reviewing and streamlining the list of application documents, the committee has abolished 44 required items, such as photocopies of second-generation ID cards, for 19 registration transactions, including advance registration of pre-sale commercial residential housing, registration of transfer of new properties, registration of transfer of resale properties, registration of gift deeds, registration of inheritance, and mortgage registration for properties under construction.
By streamlining application materials, improving registration and verification processes and enhancing the sharing of information, the Guangzhou Land Resources and Urban Planning Committee further reduced the time allotted to agencies to process 18 registration transactions. These include transactions such asadvance registration, registration of reform housing transfers, registration of property acquisition compensation, registration of changes to property rights, and mortgage registration. After reducing the time needed to process such applications, the maximum time allotted to agencies to process real estate registration transactions was reduced as much as 27 days compared to the maximum time of 30 days allowed by law. Compared to pre-reduction levels, processing times for real estate registration have been reduced by 2 – 15 days, or up to 75%.
The present streamlining exercise and reduction in maximum time allotted to registration agencies have been comprehensively implemented and synchronously expanded across real estate registration agencies in Guangzhou, covering a wide range of registration transactions and creating a profound impact. These measures are a wide-ranging, deep reform of registration services since the implementation of unified real estate registration in Guangzhou, as well as an important initiative to enhance real estate registration capabilities andpractices, reflecting the mission of registration agencies to bring greater convenience to members of the public by dedicating themselves to providing better services, allowing Guangzhou residents to increase their sense of gain and happiness.
Appendix 1: Streamlined List of Documents Required for Real Estate Registration
Transaction Type | Before Abolishment | After Abolishment |
All transactions | Personal identification | Photocopies are not required for second-generation IDs. |
Other required documents as specified in laws, regulations, rules and normative documents | Abolished |
Other documents determined to be required by relevant authorities after pre-verification | Abolished |
Offer procedures and list of cases (batch cases) | Abolished |
First-time registration of the granted or allocated land-use rights for state-owned construction land and or the conversion of the status of such land from allocation to grant | Verification of payment of land-use grant fees and land-use limitations (including photocopies of official land-grant fee receipts) (Validity of 30 days for land-grants) | Abolished. Such information will be retrieved from internal government databases. |
Construction project completion and acceptance report (required for new large or medium-scale development projects) | Abolished |
Registration of the transfer of land-use rights for state-owned construction land | Construction Land Planning Permit (and relevant attached diagrams) | Abolished |
Letter of Approval for Construction Land (and relevant attached diagrams) | Abolished |
Letter of authorization for public transfers of land-use rights | Abolished |
Transfer notices and relevant appendices (including publicly available sample contracts for the transfer of land-use rights pertaining to construction land) | Abolished |
Bidding applications and other relevant materials | Abolished |
Verification of payment of land-grant fees and land-use limitations | Abolished. Such information will be retrieved from internal government databases. |
Proof that other co-owners have agreed to the transfer of their shares of land-use rights. | Abolished |
Mortgage registration for properties under construction | An affidavit that the part to be mortgaged does not fall within the scope of housing demolition, relocation and compensation. | Abolished |
Documents certifying that the development project has been funded to a level of 25% or more, which must also clearly state construction progress and completion date. (if the project has not yet been awarded a pre-sale permit, these documents should bear the official seals of both parties to the mortgage) | Abolished |
Pre-sale permits for commercial residential housing (for projects which have already received such permits) | Abolished |
Proposed floor plan | Abolished |
Financial documents proving that land-use grant fees have been paid | Abolished. Such information will be retrieved from internal government databases. |
Advance registration of pre-sale commercial residential housing | A detailed description of the residential unit is required for projects that have not been recorded in the management system for new residential housing. | Abolished |
Advance mortgage registration for pre-sale commercial residential housing | Purchase/sale agreement for commercial residential housing units or proof of real estate title
(1) For pre-sale residential commercial housing projects where advance notice has been filed: a purchase/sale agreement for commercial residential housing units, and proof of mortgage registration: a Real Estate Registration Certificate or a Guangzhou Pre-sale Commercial Residential Housing Advance Registration Certificate or a Guangzhou Real Estate Proof of Advance Registration | Abolished |
Advance registration of intention to divide property for pre-sale residential commercial housing | Proof of divorce (for property division due to dissolution of marriage) | Abolished |
First-time registration of housing built by a juridical entity or some other organization | Proof of property transfer (those required to be submitted to authorities overseeing residential housing or authorities overseeing demolition and relocation, as stipulated in land-grant agreements) (originals): (1) For the transfer of municipal housing, certificates issued by the Guangzhou Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Committee and the Guangzhou Road Expansion Engineering Office are required. (2) For the transfer of housing provided by education departments, certificates issued by the municipal or district education authorities and departments overseeing state-owned assets are required.
(3) For transfers of residential units in other residential communities or buildings, documentary proof from the relevant receiving entity are required.
(4) For transfer of directly-managed public housing, documentary proof issued by relevant departments are required.
(5) Description of publicly-allocated or public parts of the property.
(6) For transfers of residential property allocated by the PLA, letters or approvals of transfer are required. | Abolished |
Construction site approvals and boundary plans, or notice of consent to land-use | Abolished |
Construction site planning permits and plans | Abolished |
Construction project planning permits and opinions after reviewing construction proposals | Abolished |
Real Estate Title Certificate or Immovable Property Title Certificate (For joint developments or development of self-owned real estate) | Abolished |
First-time registration of self-built housing by natural persons | Property management documents (for non-conventional buildings) (owner’s household registration documents, lease accounts, proof of tax payment) | Abolished |
Construction project planning permits and opinions after reviewing construction proposals | Abolished |
Registration of transfer of first-hand (new) housing | Personal identification | Abolished (personal identification is no longer required if advance notice has been registered) |
Documents proving the transfer of real estate property rights: sale/purchase agreement for commercial residential housing | Abolished (sale/purchase agreements for commercial residential housing are no longer required if advance notice has been registered) |
Underlying contract and mortgage agreement | Abolished (underlying contracts and mortgage agreements are not required if mortgage notice has been registered in advance) |
Registration of reform housing transfers | Property alteration documents: Application forms and market price approval forms for Guangzhou district-level cadres, employees purchasing public-owned residential properties. | Abolished |
Registration of transfer of second-hand (existing) residential housing | For sale of reform housing, married couples must make joint applications and submit details of payment for publicly-owned housing | Abolished |
Registration of housing acquisition and compensation | Proof of relocation | Abolished |
Agreement of property division (for relevant cases) | Abolished |
Certification of unit number issued by public security authorities (where there have been changes to unit number, list both old and new addresses on a form stamped with the official seal of the relevant branch of the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau) | Abolished |
Registration of inheritance | For those who have not submitted notarized documentary proof of legal inheritance or inheritance by will or bequest: Agreements regarding inheritance of property. For reform housing, detailed schedule of payments for publicly-owned housing is also required. | Abolished. Schedule of payments for publicly-owned housing will be obtained from internal government databases. |
Registration of bequest | Property division agreement (where bequests involve division of property) | Abolished |
For bequests of reform housing units: detailed schedule of payments for publicly-owned housing is also required | Abolished |
Registration of other transfers | Certification of unit number issued by public security authorities (where there have been changes to unit number, list both old and new addresses on a form stamped with the official seal of the relevant branch of the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau) | Abolished |
For property divisions during a marriage or divorce: Marriage certificate (for property divisions during a marriage); certificate of divorce or other effective legal document issued by a court (property division during divorce) | Abolished |
Registration of a change in name | For corporate reform or restructuring that involves real estate renaming, proof of tax payment (exemption) issued by the taxation collection and management division of the Municipal Finance Bureau and the taxation bureau of the administrative district bearing jurisdiction over that parcel of land. | Amended: Proof of tax payment (exemption) issued by tax authorities |
Registration of property division or merger | Property merger or division agreements | Abolished |
First-time registration of real estate mortgages | Also required for gifts of reform housing: details of relevant payments for public-owned housing | Abolished |
Appendix 2: Reduction in Processing Times for Real Estate Registration
Transaction | Maximum time limit by law (working days) | Current limit | After reducing processing time | Reduction rate |
Registration of transfer of new housing without prior advance notice | 30 | 10 | 5 | 50% |
Registration of transfer of new housing for units not in the management system for new residential housing | 30 | 15 | 5 | 67% |
Registration of transfer of reform housing | 30 | 15 | 5 | 67% |
Registration of housing acquisition and compensation | 30 | 20 | 5 | 75% |
Registration of transfers arising from administrative allocation or conversion of work unit | 30 | 20 | 5 | 75% |
Registration of change in name | 30 | 20 | 5 | 75% |
Registration of changes in floor area, use, and structure | 30 | 20 | 5 | 75% |
Registration of transfer of mortgage rights | 30 | 7 | 3 | 57% |
Registration of change in mortgage rights | 30 | 7 | 3 | 57% |
Registration of advance notice for change in land-use rights for state-owned construction land | 30 | 20 | 5 | 75% |
Advance registration of transfer of pre-sale commercial residential housing | 30 | 9 | 5 | 44% |
Advance registration of intention to divide property for pre-sale residential commercial housing | 30 | 9 | 5 | 44% |
Advance registration of inheritance of pre-sale commercial residential housing | 30 | 9 | 5 | 44% |
Advance registration of mortgage rights for pre-sale commercial residential housing | 30 | 5 | 3 | 40% |
Withdrawal of advance registration of pre-sale purchase of commercial residential housing | 30 | 8 | 5 | 38% |
Registration of establishment of easement rights | 30 | 20 | 5 | 75% |
Registration of change in easement rights | 30 | 20 | 5 | 75% |
Registration of voided easement rights | 30 | 20 | 5 | 75% |
