Verify seller authority and encumbrances before the big transfer — a pretty listing is not diligence.
Property diligence in China centres on title certificates, land-use type/term, mortgages/seizures, planning compliance, co-owners and litigation. Leasing DD emphasises landlord authority. This wiki is the DD checklist orientation. Title and land-use explain what you are reading. Buying/selling consume the output. Cross-border buyers of non-China assets should not confuse this with UK property DD guides on the site.
4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
Title and owner ID match?
Core.
TitleEncumbrances cleared?
Liens.
LiensLand-use term/use OK?
LUR.
LURLitigation/co-owner issues?
Conflicts.
ConflictsWorking rule: Map the regulated role before marketing or launch in China.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Is a notary visit enough DD?
Helpful for identity/signing; still read title and encumbrances.
Where is title literacy?
Open /china-property-title.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.