Affidavit File vs Allotment File vs Transfer File: What’s the Difference?

In Pakistan’s housing-society market, you can buy the rights to a plot in three very different paper forms — and each one decides whose name the society records, how heavy the transfer process is, and what you actually hold after paying. This guide explains the affidavit file vs allotment file vs transfer file difference in plain terms, so you know exactly what you are buying before any money changes hands.

What Is an Affidavit File?

An affidavit file is a plot file that changes hands without the buyer’s name being entered in the society’s record. The seller is still the recorded allottee. Instead of a formal transfer at the society office, the seller signs an affidavit — a sworn written statement, usually on stamp paper — declaring that the file has been sold to the buyer and that the seller will cooperate in the formal transfer later.

The buyer’s name stays open. The society’s record keeps showing the seller’s name until a formal transfer is completed. This is the defining feature of an affidavit file: the deal is real between buyer and seller, but invisible in the society’s books.

Most files start here. Many files begin as affidavit files — a booking or membership sold onward before allotment formalities are completed. In several development authorities, an affidavit transfer is the standard first step, and files typically become allocation files only after membership formalities are done.

Traders prefer the light process. Because no formal transfer is filed at the society office at this stage, short-term traders often deal in affidavit files. The process is faster and the paperwork lighter.

The risk is real. Until the transfer is formalized, you hold a promise, not a record. If the seller disappears, dies, or refuses to cooperate when the time comes, the buyer faces a legal fight. Never buy an affidavit file without a clear, agreed transfer path and timeline.

What Is an Allotment File?

An allotment file (also called an allocation file) is a file in which the society or development authority has formally allotted the interest to a named person. The buyer’s name is fixed on the allotment letter issued by the authority.

Your name is on the paper. Unlike an affidavit file, the allotment letter carries your name — the society’s record identifies you as the allottee. There is nothing “open” about it.

Plot number can be a separate step. Allotment of the file and allocation of a specific plot number are often two different stages; balloting usually decides who gets which plot number. An allotment file can exist before any plot number is assigned.

Direct allotments skip the affidavit stage. Bookings and quota allotments start as allocation from day one — the allottee’s name is recorded from the beginning, with no affidavit step.

A full transfer procedure applies on resale. When an allotment file changes hands, the issuing authority’s formal transfer process runs — the society or authority records the change, the new buyer’s presence is usually required, and the transfer is completed like a plot transfer.

What Is a Transfer File?

A transfer file is a file that has gone through the society’s formal transfer process, so the record now shows the buyer as the allottee or member. The buyer receives a transfer letter in their own name, issued by the society or development authority.

This is the formal recorded position — no name left open, no promise pending. The file sits in the buyer’s name at the issuing office, not the seller’s.

It is usually the step buyers convert toward: moving an affidavit or allotment file into a clean, named record before possession and registry. If you want the strongest paper position short of a registered plot, a completed transfer in your name is it.

The Key Differences at a Glance

	Affidavit File	Allotment File	Transfer File
Name on society record	Seller’s name — buyer’s name stays open	Buyer’s name fixed on the allotment letter	Buyer’s name fixed after formal transfer
Transfer process	Sworn affidavit; lighter process	Issuing authority’s full transfer procedure	Issuing authority’s full transfer procedure
Buyer presence at the office	Usually not needed for the affidavit step	Usually required at transfer/allocation steps (exceptions exist)	Required for the formal transfer
Document the buyer holds	Affidavit + original file papers	Allotment letter in own name	Transfer letter in own name
Stage in the file’s life	Early — before formalities complete	Mid — allotment done, record fixed	Mid-to-late — formally transferred into buyer’s name
Suits	Short-term traders who want a light process	Buyers who want a formal allotment record	Buyers who want the cleanest recorded position

The Usual Journey of a File

Most files travel a predictable path: booking receipt → affidavit file (name open) → membership formalities → allotment/allocation (name fixed) → transfer letter (formal record) → plot-number balloting → possession → registry. Direct allotments skip the affidavit stage and start as allocation from day one.

Knowing where a plot file sits on this path tells you how much verification it needs. The earlier the stage, the more homework falls on you.

Before You Buy Any File Type: 6 Verification Checks

1. Verify at the issuing office. Confirm the file number, current status, and that no dues are pending — visit the society’s or authority’s office yourself instead of trusting screenshots. Where the project’s land is revenue land, the PLRA’s online land record portal can help you cross-check basic ownership details.
2. Match the seller to the record. The allotment or transfer letter must be in the seller’s name. With an affidavit file, the chain of affidavits must trace back to the recorded allottee without gaps.
3. Ask about plot allocation. Has a plot number been assigned, or is this a file only? Balloting rules and timelines differ by project.
4. Check for stays and disputes. Ask whether any stay order or court case touches the file, and learn how to check a property for court cases before you pay.
5. Ask about dues. Pending development charges or installments travel with the file — confirm the account is clear before you commit.
6. Document everything. Keep receipts, CNIC copies, and written agreements; make payments through traceable channels. Rules around file transfers keep changing, so confirm the current requirements at the issuing office before committing.

3 Mistakes Buyers Keep Making

1. Buying an affidavit file and never completing the transfer. The paper stays in the seller’s name for years, and disputes surface at resale — sometimes when the seller is no longer reachable.

2. Buying from social-media listings without office verification. Files sold through WhatsApp or Facebook, without society-office verification, are one of the most common ways buyers lose money.

3. Assuming a transfer receipt proves the land itself is clear. It shows the society recognizes your interest — not that the underlying land title or approvals are clean. That distinction is also why reading whether buying a plot file is safe matters before you pay.

Bottom Line

An affidavit file keeps your name open; an allotment file fixes it on the allotment letter; a transfer file fixes it through a formal transfer. The further along that path your file sits, the stronger your recorded position — and whatever stage you buy at, verify it at the issuing office first.

This article is for general information only and is not legal or financial advice. File-transfer rules differ between housing societies and development authorities and change over time. For your specific case, consult a qualified lawyer or the issuing office.

Considering a plot file in Pakistan? Talk to Saeed Property Advisors before you pay — call or WhatsApp 0321 5491754, or visit our contact page.