08/04/2026
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08/04/2026
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Head of the Real Estate Brokers Union Imad Haidar
KUWAIT CITY, April 8: Head of the Real Estate Brokers Union Imad Haidar says banks’ practice of withholding property description certificates for mortgaged properties is one of the biggest obstacles facing the real estate market, reports Al-Seyassah daily. He explained that the documents are held as collateral by the banks, preventing owners or brokers from obtaining the certificate, even though it is unrelated to transferring ownership. The property description certificate simply presents the property's specifications, regulatory status, and any recorded violations, and has no impact on the transfer of ownership.
Obtaining the certificate involves two stages: first, issuing the description certificate, and second, recording the property details in the document. The Real Estate Brokers Union has been advocating since the 1990s for separating the property description certificate from mortgages, as this linkage is not practiced in other Gulf countries, except Kuwait, despite the practical problems it creates.
This procedure could expose the buyer to significant risks, as they might pay the mortgage amount only to later discover violations on the property that prevent the transfer of ownership, resulting in financial and legal damage. Haidar stressed the importance of reconsidering these requirements, emphasizing that property transfers should only require a “demarcation certificate,” not a description certificate, to streamline procedures and protect market participants.
Haidar called on the relevant authorities in the State Ministry for Municipal Affairs to intensify field inspections to uncover real estate violations on a regular basis, similar to the actions taken by the Kuwait Fire Force (KFF) following the Al-Mangaf fire, which would contribute to raising compliance levels and reducing risks.
