Skip to main content

Release of Documents on Closure of Personal Loans

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued directions for release of movable / immovable property documents on repayment / settlement of personal loans.

What is personal loan?

Personal loan refers to a loan given to individual and consists of –

  • Consumer credit
  • Education loan
  • Loan given for creation / enhancement of immovable assets (e.g., housing, etc.)
  • Loan given for investment in financial assets (shares, debentures, etc.)

What are the direction on release of movable / immovable property documents?

  • The Regulated Entities (REs) shall release all the original movable / immovable property documents and remove charges registered with any registry within 30 days after full repayment / settlement of the loan account.
  • The borrower shall be given the option of collecting the original movable / immovable property documents either from the banking outlet / branch where the loan account was serviced or any other office of the RE where the documents are available, as per her / his preference.
  • The timeline and place of return of original movable / immovable property documents shall be mentioned in the loan sanction letters issued on or after December 01, 2023.
  • The REs shall have a well laid out procedure for return of original movable / immovable property documents to the legal heirs in the event of demise of the sole borrower or joint borrowers. 

What if documents are not retuned within specified timelines?

  • In case of delay in releasing of original movable / immovable property documents or failing to file charge satisfaction form with relevant registry beyond 30 days after full repayment / settlement of loan, the RE shall communicate to the borrower reasons for such delay. 
  • In case the delay is attributable to the RE, it shall compensate the borrower at the rate of ₹5,000/- for each day of delay.

What if original documents are lost / damaged? 

  • In case of loss / damage to original movable / immovable property documents, the REs shall assist the borrower in obtaining duplicate / certified copies of the movable / immovable property documents and shall bear the associated costs.
  • In such cases, an additional time of 30 days will be available to the REs to complete this procedure (i.e. total period of 60 days).
  • The RE shall also compensate the borrower at the rate of ₹5,000/- for each day of delay.

From when are the directions applicable?

The directions shall be applicable to all cases where release of original movable / immovable property documents falls due on or after December 01, 2023.


References

Reserve Bank of India. (2018, January 04). 'XBRL Returns - Harmonization of Banking Statistics'. Retrieved from https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=11199&Mode=0

Reserve Bank of India. (2023, September 13). 'Responsible Lending Conduct – Release of Movable / Immovable Property Documents on Repayment/ Settlement of Personal Loans'. Retrieved from https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12535&Mode=0


Follow at - Telegram   Instagram   LinkedIn   Twitter   Facebook

Comments

Popular Posts

Highlights of RBI Annual Report 2025-26 – Chapter 1 to 3

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has published its annual report for the financial year 2025-26. In a series of articles, we will go through the highlights of the report. This is the first article in the series.  Legal framework for publication of Annual Report by the RBI Report of the Central Board of Directors on the working of RBI for the year is submitted to the Central Government in terms of Section 53(2) of the RBI Act, 1934. The letter of transmittal is signed by the RBI Governor and addressed to the Finance Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Documents submitted by the RBI to the Central Government In pursuance of Section 53(2) of the RBI Act, 1934, the following documents have been submitted to the Central Government – A copy of the Annual Accounts for the year ended March 31, 2026 certified by the RBI’s Auditors and signed by Chief General Manager-in-charge, all the Deputy Governors and Governor. 2 copies of the Annual Report of the Central Board on the workin...

Credit Facilities – Lending against Gold and Silver Collateral

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued directions on credit facilities offered by various regulated entities. This article summarises the directions applicable to lending against gold and silver collateral. To whom are the directions applicable? The directions are applicable to the following Regulated Entities (REs) – Commercial Banks  Small Finance Banks (SFBs) Local Area Banks (LABs) Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs) Rural Co-operative Banks – State Co-operative Banks (StCBs) Central Co-operative Banks (CCBs) Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) for all layers – Deposit taking NBFC (NBFC-D) NBFC-Investment and Credit Companies (NBFC-ICC) NBFC-Factor  NBFC-Micro Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFI)  NBFC-Infrastructure Finance Company (NBFC-IFC)  Infrastructure Debt Fund-NBFC (IDF-NBFC)  Housing Finance Company (HFC)  To whom are the directions partially applicable? The prudential regulations are not applicable to ‘NBFCs-B...

Credit Facilities – Digital Lending Guidelines

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued directions on credit facilities offered by various regulated entities. This article summarises the directions applicable to digital lending. To whom are the directions applicable? The directions are applicable to the following Regulated Entities (REs) – Commercial Banks  Small Finance Banks (SFBs) Local Area Banks (LABs) Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs) Rural Co-operative Banks – State Co-operative Banks (StCBs) Central Co-operative Banks (CCBs) All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs) regulated by RBI – Export Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) National Housing Bank (NHB) Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) for all layers – Deposit taking NBFC (NBFC-D) NBFC-Investment and Credit Companies (NBFC-ICC) NBFC-Factor  NBFC-Micro...

Highlights of RBI Annual Report 2025-26 – Chapter 4 & 5

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has published its annual report for the financial year 2025-26. In a series of articles, we will go through the highlights of the report. This is the second article in the series.  Chapter 4 – Credit Delivery and Financial Inclusion The limit for collateral free loans to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) was enhanced from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh. The RBI was involved with the nationwide campaign, ‘Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar’ (Your Money, Your Right), conducted during October-December 2025 to facilitate the return of unclaimed deposits and timely settlement of eligible claims from the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund. During the campaign, ₹2,876 crore of unclaimed deposits were settled by public sector banks and regional rural banks. Expanding and Deepening of Digital Payments Ecosystem (EDDPE) programme  The programme aims to provide every eligible individual in the identified districts at least one mode of digital payment, viz., debit / ...

Credit Facilities – Finance to Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued directions on credit facilities offered by various regulated entities. This article summarises the directions applicable in respect of finance to Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). To whom are the directions applicable? The directions are applicable to the following Regulated Entities (REs) – Commercial Banks  Small Finance Banks (SFBs) Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs) All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs) regulated by RBI – Export Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) National Housing Bank (NHB) Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) What are the conditions on finance to NBFCs? Commercial Banks and SFBs The bank shall extend need based working capital facilities as well as term loans to NBFCs registered with the RBI and engaged in infrastructure financing, equipment leasing, hire-purchase, l...