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Many Delhi flat owners have waited months to turn leasehold into freehold. The High Court has now set a two-month limit and protected the rates they paid.
Key points
- The Delhi High Court has told the DDA to decide all pending leasehold-to-freehold conversion applications within two months, as reported on 2-3 October 2026.
- Each application is to be decided under the policy in force on the day it was filed, so later rate rises should not apply to it, according to the reports.
- Reports say 1,373 applications filed between 2020 and 2026 are pending, and the DDA has already collected Rs 155.06 crore.
- Another 308 applications were approved, but the conveyance deeds (the papers that transfer freehold title) were not signed, say the reports.
- For future applicants, the Centre and the DDA must frame a new policy. The next hearing is on 11 December 2026.
What did the Delhi High Court order?
The Delhi High Court has told the DDA to decide all pending conversion applications within two months. This is for turning leasehold property (land you hold on a long lease) into freehold (full ownership).
Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Vikas Mahajan passed the order, according to LiveLaw, ThePrint and ETV Bharat.
The bench also said each application must be decided under the policy in force on the day it was filed.
Why was the matter in court?
Reports say the DDA’s online conversion portal has not worked since early 2026. Owners could not file new applications.
Old applications also stayed stuck. The reports say 1,373 applications from 2020 to 2026 are pending. The DDA has already collected Rs 155.06 crore from applicants.
A further 308 applications were approved, but the conveyance deed (the signed paper that transfers freehold title) was still not executed.
Also read | Rs 927 Crore Homebuyer Fraud: Builder's Chief Held by ED. What Can Flat Buyers Do?
What did the judges say about the delay?
The judges were unhappy. ThePrint reports they said the policy was not looked at for at least six months.
According to the reports, the court had earlier asked the Centre and the DDA to place a clear policy before it. Verdictum reports it found ‘no clarity’ on documents or conversion charges.
The court is also reported to have said that many citizens cannot be made to wait like this.
Which rates will apply to my application?
The reports say the rates and rules of the filing date will apply. If you applied and paid under the old policy, a later rise in charges should not hit you just because the DDA was slow.
This protects people whose files were pending. It does not set rates for new applicants. The reports say the Centre and the DDA must frame a fresh policy for them.
What does the order mean in plain words?
It gives owners with pending files a deadline to point to. It also gives some comfort on cost.
Sections involved
What if I have not applied yet?
The order is about pending files. For new applications, the court has asked for a fresh policy. The next hearing is on 11 December 2026, and officers of the Ministry and the DDA are to attend, as reported.
Until a new policy is in place, check the DDA’s notices before you pay anything. Keep your lease papers ready.
How does a conversion usually move?
The steps below are the general path. The DDA’s own rules and portal decide the exact papers.
What happens next
- 1ApplyThe owner files the conversion application with the DDA and pays the charges.
- 2ScrutinyThe DDA checks the lease papers, dues and documents.
- 3ApprovalThe DDA approves the conversion.
- 4Conveyance deedThe conveyance deed (title paper) is signed. Reports say 308 files are stuck here.
- 5RegistrationThe deed is registered, and the property becomes freehold.
- 6If delayedThe owner may write to the DDA and then go to the High Court.
What are an owner's rights?
You have a right to a decision on your application in reasonable time. If the DDA sits on it, you may ask the High Court for an order (a writ petition) to decide it.
If you paid, you have a right to proof of what you paid and when. Keep it safe, because the filing date now matters more than before.
Checklist for a pending conversion file
- Keep your application number and filing date
- Keep the payment receipts and challan
- Save every email and letter from the DDA
- Write to the DDA to ask for the status in writing
- Take legal advice if two months pass with no decision
If this happens to you
- Find your filing date and receipts. The court’s filing-date rule makes them your key proof.
- Ask the DDA for the status in writing. Keep a copy of your letter and the reply.
- If your file is stuck after two months, a writ petition may help. Read how the Delhi High Court hears such cases.
- Before you buy or sell a leasehold flat, check the lease and the conversion status. See our DDA matters page and the property disputes page.
- Do not pay agents or middlemen who promise a quick conversion. Pay only through the DDA’s own channels.
Case at a glance
- Court
- Delhi High Court, Division Bench
- Judges
- Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Vikas Mahajan
- Order date
- 28 September 2026 (as reported by ETV Bharat and ThePrint)
- Case
- DDA v. Mala Sahni Seth and connected matters (as reported)
- Pending
- 1,373 applications (2020-2026); 308 approved, deeds not signed
- Money collected
- Rs 155.06 crore
- Next hearing
- 11 December 2026
Related news
Sources
- Delhi High Court: Order, DDA v. Mala Sahni Seth, CONT.APP.(C) 15/2026, 28 September 2026
- Delhi High Court: Order, DDA v. Mala Sahni Seth, CONT.APP.(C) 15/2026, 7 September 2026
- LiveLaw: Delhi High Court Directs DDA To Process Pending Freehold Conversion Applications Within Two Months (2 October 2026)
- ThePrint: Delhi HC directs DDA to process within 2 months property conversion applications (3 October 2026)
- ETV Bharat: Delhi HC Directs DDA To Process Within 2 Months Property Conversion Applications (3 October 2026)
- Verdictum: Scores Of Citizens Cannot Be Made To Wait For Conversion Of Their Properties From Leasehold To Freehold: Delhi High Court Tells MoHUA & DDA (10 September 2026)
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This explainer is general legal information based on news reports and the text of the law. It is not legal advice on any particular case, and it does not say that any person has committed an offence; allegations are decided by the courts.