Checking a property title in Singapore in 2026: S$16 for SLA's title record, S$64.45 to lodge a caveat — and the checks to run before you pay

Summary

Before you pay for a private home in Singapore, you can check who legally owns it. The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) sells title and ownership records through its Integrated Land Information Service (INLIS), with no subscription fee. SLA's fee schedule, last updated in September 2025, prices land and ownership information at S$5.25 and an electronic printout of a title's folio, its record in the land register, at S$16, including GST.

Once you have paid a deposit, a caveat protects your claim until the purchase completes. Lodging one costs S$64.45 on the same schedule, and SLA then usually sends a caveat notice to the owner. Owners of private homes and HDB flats can view their own title and plan information at no charge with Singpass, SLA says.

What this means for Singapore buyers and owners

What INLIS sells

SLA lists four Land Titles products on INLIS: Property Title Information, Property Title Information with Survey Map, Property Ownership Information, and Land Information – Lot Particulars. For a private property, Property Ownership Information shows the registered owner. You can search by address, building or development name, postal code, land lot number, strata lot number or title number, SLA says.

Two limits matter. The Land Titles Registry does not maintain address records, so SLA asks users to check that an address matches the lot number before searching. And the ownership product leaves out instruments still pending registration that may affect ownership; SLA sells pending instrument details as a separate record.

INLIS also carries information from other agencies, including the Land Transport Authority's road line plans and railway protection plans. Fees are paid by debit or credit card or NETS GIRO.

What the records cost

Source: SLA, Fees for Property Registration Services (last updated 17 Sep 2025).

The same schedule lists an official search at S$54.25 per certificate and a final official search at S$69.55.

What to check on the title

• The owners. The names on the title should match the people you are dealing with. If more than one owner is registered, make sure every one of them is party to the sale.
• Caveats. A caveat lodged by another purchaser means someone else is claiming an interest in the home. Ask your lawyer to explain any caveat before you pay.
• Mortgages and CPF charges. These are common on homes bought with a loan or CPF savings. Ask how they will be discharged at completion; SLA charges S$45.30 to register a discharge.
• Pending instruments. Because the ownership product leaves them out, ask for pending instrument details closer to completion.

How a caveat protects a buyer

A caveat is a legal document lodged at SLA by someone who claims an interest in a property, and the Registrar of Titles notifies it against that property, SLA says. In a typical purchase, three parties may lodge one: the buyer, as purchaser, after paying a deposit; the bank, as mortgagee, after releasing a loan; and the CPF Board, as chargee, after releasing CPF funds. SLA describes it as "a precautionary step taken by the caveator pending completion of his transaction".

Once SLA accepts a caveat, it serves a caveat notice under Section 117 of the Land Titles Act, usually on the owner, and on the buyer as well when the bank or the CPF Board lodged it. An owner who has agreed to sell, taken a loan or used CPF funds need not act. An owner who has done none of these should consult a lawyer, SLA advises.

The Registrar has no power to remove a caveat on his own motion. An owner who disputes one needs a court order or must lodge an Application to Cancel Vexatious Caveat under Section 127 of the Act, SLA says. A caveatee's application under that section costs S$145, and a caveator can withdraw a caveat for S$49.15.

Two land registers

Singapore keeps two registers: the Register of Deeds for common law land, under the Registration of Deeds Act, and the Land Titles Register for titles land, under the Land Titles Act, introduced in 1960. Under the Land Titles system, registration is mandatory to transfer an estate or interest in land. For unregistered land, SLA's Lot Particulars search gives the references in its Index to Land Books and Index to Caveat Books, from which images of the index entries can be ordered.

FAQ

Can I find out who owns a private property? Yes. INLIS's Property Ownership Information shows the registered owner of a private property, searchable by address, postal code or lot number.

Can owners check their own title without paying? Yes. Owners with two-factor Singpass can view title and plan information for their own private property or HDB flat at no charge, SLA says.

Does a title search replace my lawyer's work? No. A search shows what the register holds on the day you run it. Your caveat and your lawyer's checks cover the purchase through to completion.

Education only — not legal advice. Confirm the title position of the specific property with your lawyer before you commit.

What to do next

• Before you pay an option fee, buy an ownership or title record on INLIS and check the owners, caveats and mortgages.
• Ask your lawyer when they will lodge your caveat after the deposit is paid.
• If you own a home, check your title with Singpass, and keep any caveat notice SLA sends you.
• Compare verified homes for sale: https://proprkey.com/en/properties
• Find a verified legal or finance professional for your purchase: https://proprkey.com/en/pros?segment=legalFinance