Land title search and caveats in Malaysia (2026): how to check a Johor title before you buy

By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 9 November 2026

This guide is for buyers from Singapore, Indonesia, India, China and Malaysia, and MM2H applicants, who want to check a Johor title before paying for a property. The short answer: anyone can search a land title, in Johor at a land office counter or through the state’s iTanah portal. The search shows who the registered owner is, whether the land is freehold or leasehold, what it may be used for, and whether a bank charge, caveat, court order or restriction sits on it. Do a search before you pay a booking fee, and let your lawyer do the formal searches before signing and again before completion.

What a land title search is

Malaysia uses a Torrens system: the register kept by the land office is the record of who owns the land and what interests bind it. The paper title in the owner’s hands (the issue document of title) is a copy. A search shows you the register itself as it stands today, not what the seller or an old photocopy says.

The National Land Code (Act 828, the 2020 revision) provides for two kinds of search:

	Private search (carian persendirian)	Official search (carian rasmi)
Law	Section 384, National Land Code	Section 385, National Land Code
Who can apply	Anyone who pays the fee	Anyone who pays the fee; usually lawyers and banks
What you get	A printout of the register details	A search result issued by the Registrar or Land Administrator
Johor channel	Land office counter or iTanah online, with results emailed after payment	Form C2 at the counter, or iTanah after a one-time fingerprint check; the result is collected at the land office
Johor fee	Shown on iTanah before payment	RM150 per title (RM180 for a search of information no longer in force)
Typical use	A quick check before you book or make an offer	Formal checks by lawyers before signing, before completion and for loans

Which land office holds the title?

The Code separates Registry titles (section 158: the register of grants and state leases) from Land Office titles (section 159: the Mukim registers). In practice, Registry titles are kept by the state Land Registry at PTG Johor, and Land Office titles by the district land office, such as the one for Johor Bahru district. If you are unsure which applies, ask the counter or your lawyer.

Searching through iTanah

iTanah is the online portal of the Johor Land and Mines Office. Its 2026 user manual says you register as an individual or as a lawyer’s representative and verify your email. Private searches cover current titles, cancelled titles and information no longer in force, and the receipt and search record are emailed after payment. The portal also takes online consent applications, such as consent to transfer land with a restriction in interest.

You need the district, mukim, title type, title number and lot number. A seller who will not share these is a warning sign.

What the search result shows

Item on the register	What it means for you
Registered proprietor (tuan punya berdaftar)	The legal owner or co-owners and their shares. The name must match the seller’s identity document.
Tenure	Freehold (selama-lamanya) or leasehold with an expiry date. Count the years left; see freehold vs leasehold.
Category of land use (kategori kegunaan tanah)	Agriculture, building or industry (sections 52 and 121–122 of the Code).
Express conditions (syarat nyata)	What the land may be used for, such as a residential building or a commercial building. Matters for serviced apartments on commercial title.
Restrictions in interest (sekatan kepentingan)	Limits on dealing with the land, for example no transfer, lease or charge without state consent, or no transfer to non-citizens.
Charges (gadaian)	A bank loan secured on the land. In a subsale, the seller’s loan is normally redeemed from your purchase money at completion.
Caveats (kaveat)	Someone claims an interest, or the Registrar has frozen dealings. Details below.
Prohibitory orders (perintah larangan)	A court order stopping dealings, often linked to a judgment debt (sections 334–335).
Leases and tenancies	A registered lease, or a tenancy endorsed on the title, binds a new owner.
Area and lot number	Must match the land or parcel you are viewing.

Caveats explained

A caveat (kaveat) is an entry on the register warning that someone claims an interest in the land. While it stands, the land office will not register a transfer, charge or lease that the caveat covers unless the caveator consents or the caveat is removed. Part Nineteen of the National Land Code sets out four kinds:

Type	Sections	Who enters it and why
Registrar’s caveat (kaveat Pendaftar)	319–321	The Registrar, for example to prevent fraud or improper dealing, or to protect the state or another party.
Private caveat (kaveat persendirian)	322–329	A person claiming title to or an interest in the land, such as a buyer who has signed an SPA. Lodged on Form 19B.
Lien-holder’s caveat (kaveat pemegang lien)	330–331	A lender holding the title as security without a registered charge.
Trust caveat (kaveat amanah)	332–333	Protects land held on trust, for trustees or beneficiaries.

The buyer’s own private caveat

Signing an SPA does not make you the registered owner, so until the transfer is registered the seller could in theory deal with the land again. In many subsales the buyer’s lawyer therefore lodges a private caveat soon after the SPA is signed and the deposit paid. Whether one is needed depends on the deal, so ask your lawyer.

How caveats end

• Withdrawal (section 325): the caveator withdraws it, for example after the sale completes or the deal is called off.
• Removal by the Registrar (section 326): on application by the owner or another affected person, after notice to the caveator.
• Removal by the court (section 327): an application to the High Court.
• Lapse (section 328): a private caveat is valid for six years from when it takes effect, The Edge Malaysia explained in 2022.
• Wrongful caveats (section 329): someone who lodges a caveat without reasonable cause can be ordered to compensate the owner.

If a search shows an unexpected caveat, pay nothing more until your lawyer knows who lodged it and why, and make its removal a written condition in the SPA.

Illustration: reading a search result

The example below is made up and laid out as a summary, not a copy of a real printout.

Entry (illustration)	What it says	What a buyer should do
Title	Registry title, Lot 0000, Mukim of Plentong, Johor Bahru district	Check that the lot matches the house you viewed.
Tenure	Leasehold 99 years, expiring 2105	About 79 years left in 2026. Ask your bank how it treats the remaining lease.
Category and express condition	Building; one residential house	Fine for a family home. A shop or office use would breach the condition.
Restriction in interest	Not to be transferred or charged without State Authority consent	Your lawyer applies for consent; build the time into the SPA.
Registered proprietor	Two individuals, half share each	Both must sign the SPA, or one signs under a valid power of attorney.
Charge	Charged to a licensed bank	Normal. The seller’s bank issues a redemption statement and is paid at completion.
Caveat	Private caveat lodged by a company, 2024	Stop. Find out why and how it will be withdrawn before signing anything.

Here everything is routine except the caveat. Until it is withdrawn or removed, your transfer cannot be registered, whatever the seller says about it.

Subsale vs new launch: what changes

Subsale with an individual or strata title

The simple case: match the owner to the seller, note any charge and caveat, and read the restrictions. A strata title also shows the parcel, accessory parcels such as car parks, and share units. See my guides to making an offer on a subsale and the SPA.

Subsale still under the master title

If strata titles have not been issued yet, the search shows the master title in the developer’s name, not the seller’s. Ownership then runs through a chain of documents, from the first buyer’s SPA with the developer through any later assignments, which your lawyer checks. More in my strata title guide.

New launch

Here the search is about the project land: the registered owner (the developer or a joint-venture landowner), the land-use category and conditions, and any charge to the developer’s financier. Charged project land is common; the SPA and the financier’s documents deal with releasing your unit. Also check the developer’s licence and advertising permit on KPKT’s TEDUH portal; see my sales gallery checklist and how I verify projects.

Red flags on a title search

• The owner’s name does not match the seller. Unless there is a clear reason, such as an estate or a valid power of attorney, walk away. Read my property scams guide.
• A private caveat by someone other than a known buyer. It may signal a dispute or an earlier sale.
• A prohibitory order or a Registrar’s caveat. The land may be frozen by a court or by the land office.
• A restriction against transfer to non-citizens, or Malay reservation land. A foreign buyer cannot take a transfer. Malay reserve land generally cannot be sold or leased to non-Malays (Malay Mail, February 2018).
• The seller is bankrupt. Once a bankruptcy order is made, the bankrupt’s property vests in the Director General of Insolvency and the bankrupt cannot transfer it. The Malaysian Department of Insolvency (MdI) runs online status searches at RM10 each.
• Auction or arrears. A bank recovery action changes how, and whether, the seller can sell. See my guides to auction property and missed loan payments.
• Short remaining lease or the wrong land use. Both affect loans and resale.

Foreign buyers: what to check on the title

Section 433B of the National Land Code says non-citizens and foreign companies may acquire land only with State Authority approval. On top of that, Johor generally requires foreigners to pay at least RM1 million for most residential property, with some exceptions such as designated zones (New Straits Times, April 2026). So, as a foreign buyer:

• Read the restrictions in interest first; a bar on transfer to non-citizens ends the matter.
• Make state consent an SPA condition, including what happens if it is refused.
• Check the price meets the Johor minimum; my Johor foreigner minimum price guide explains the rule.
• If you sign from abroad, your lawyer may need a power of attorney or documents signed before a consulate or notary. See buying in JB without flying in.

For MM2H applicants, I coordinate with a MOTAC-licensed MM2H agent and handle the property side; approval is decided by the authorities. See my MM2H property support page.

When to search: a simple timeline

1. Before you book or make an offer. A private search to confirm the owner, tenure, restrictions and any caveat. It costs far less than a booking fee you may struggle to recover (see booking fee refunds).
2. Before signing the SPA. Your lawyer’s searches shape the SPA conditions.
3. After signing. Where appropriate, your lawyer lodges a private caveat to protect your claim.
4. Before completion. A final search before the balance is released, to catch anything new.
5. After registration. A search showing you as owner and the old charge discharged.

The full process is in my guides to the legal steps of buying in Johor and legal fees. A title search is not a physical check; pair it with a house inspection and a look at recorded transaction prices.

Where to buy if this matters to you

Every area has clean titles and tricky ones. These guides help you shortlist:

• Landed homes in JB: individual titles that are simple to search.
• Mount Austin: many completed condos and terraces.
• Iskandar Puteri: a mix of residential and commercial titles.
• JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar: city-centre high-rises near the RTS Link.
• Permas Jaya and Senibong: established east-side estates.
• Bukit Indah and Gelang Patah: family estates near the Second Link.
• New launches in JB: check the master title and permits.

Compare them on my JB property map.

More Johor living guides: Strata title explained · Freehold vs leasehold · Buying a tenanted property in JB · Quit rent and assessment tax

Frequently asked questions

How do I do a land title search in Johor?

Apply at the land office counter that holds the title (PTG Johor for Registry titles, the district land office for Land Office titles) or use iTanah, the Johor Land and Mines Office portal. You need the district, mukim, title type, title number and lot number.

What is the difference between a private search and an official search?

A private search (section 384, National Land Code) gives you the register details for your own checks. An official search (section 385) is a result issued by the land office, usually ordered by lawyers and banks before signing and completion.

How much does a land search cost in Johor?

PTG Johor’s official search form, amended in 2026, lists RM150 per title, or RM180 for information no longer in force. iTanah shows the private search charge before you pay.

What does a caveat on a land title mean?

Someone has registered a claim to an interest in the land, or the Registrar has frozen dealings. While it stands, a transfer or charge it covers cannot be registered without the caveator’s consent or its removal.

Should a buyer lodge a private caveat after signing the SPA?

Often, in subsales, the buyer’s lawyer lodges one to protect the buyer until the transfer is registered. Whether it is needed depends on the deal, so ask your lawyer.

How long does a private caveat last?

A private caveat lapses six years after it takes effect under section 328 of the National Land Code, unless it is withdrawn, removed by the Registrar or removed by the High Court earlier.

Can a foreigner buy land with a restriction in interest?

Only if the restriction allows it and the state consents. Non-citizens need State Authority approval under section 433B, and a restriction barring transfer to non-citizens rules the property out.

Found a unit and want the title checked?

Send me the project or address and, if you have it, the title or lot number. I’ll arrange a private search and walk you through what it shows before you pay a booking fee, and your lawyer then does the formal searches. You can also book an appointment to view, or a Zoom consultation if you are still abroad.

Sources: PTG Johor, Borang C2: Borang Permohonan Carian Rasmi (official search application), amendment 01/2026, published May 2026; Pejabat Tanah dan Galian Johor, Manual Pengguna iTanah Johor (public user manual), version 1.0, 2026; National Land Code (Act 828), sections 52, 104, 120–122, 158–159, 319–335, 384–385 and 433B (section headings), checked November 2026; The Edge Malaysia, “Know your stuff: the importance of private caveats”, July 2022; Malaysian Department of Insolvency (MdI), bankruptcy FAQ (search fee and vesting of property), checked November 2026; Malay Mail, “Malay reserve land cannot be leased to non-Malays, says ministry”, 17 February 2018; New Straits Times, “Foreigners hit Johor property resale wall”, 20 April 2026

Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 9 November 2026, not legal advice. Land office procedures, forms and charges change; confirm with PTG Johor or the district land office and your lawyer before you commit. The search result example is an illustration with made-up details.