RBI doubles the limit on home loans issued by UCBs to eligible borrowers

1. The role of primary (urban) co-operative banks (UCBs) in providing housing finance has been reviewed from time to time. These banks, with their vast network, occupy a very strategic position in the financial system and have an important role to play in providing credit to the housing sector. Further, housing finance to specified categories up to prescribed limits is treated as priority sector lending, and the need for UCBs providing credit to priority sector has come to be increasingly recognised consistent with the social objectives placed before the banking system.

2. Therefore, with a view to enabling the UCBs to play a more positive role in providing finance for housing schemes, particularly to the weaker sections of the community, these banks are permitted to grant loans for housing schemes up to certain limits from their own resources subject to the guidelines detailed hereunder.

3. Bigger banks that have large surplus resources may undertake larger lending for housing, as this will provide a remunerative avenue for investment of their surplus funds.

4. Wherever banks are still required to obtain special permission of the Registrar for financing housing societies, it is suggested that these banks should obtain general permission to finance housing societies subject to such terms and conditions as may be prescribed for the purpose.

UCBs may grant loans to the following categories of borrowers:

(a) Individuals and co-operative / group housing societies.

(b) Housing boards undertaking housing projects or schemes for economically weaker sections (EWS), low-income groups (LIG), and middle-income groups (MIG).

(c) Owners of houses/flats for extension and up-gradation, including major repairs.

The types of housing schemes available for finance to eligible borrowers are as hereunder:

(a) Construction/purchase of houses/flats by individuals.

(b) Repairs, alterations and additions to houses/flats by individuals.

(c) Schemes for housing and hostels for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

(d) Under slum clearance schemes – directly to the slum dwellers on the guarantee of the Government, or indirectly through Statutory Boards established for this purpose.

(e) Education, health, social, cultural or other institutions/centres which are part of a housing project and considered necessary for the development of settlements or townships.

(f) Shopping centres, markets and such other centres catering to the day-to-day needs of the residents of the housing colonies and forming part of a housing project.

The exposure of UCBs to housing, real estate and commercial real estate loans would be limited to 10 % of their total assets. This limit can be exceeded by an additional limit of 5 % of total assets for the purpose of grant of housing loans to individuals as per the eligibility limits for priority sector classification, as contained in the RBI Master Direction dated September 04, 2020, amended from time to time. The total exposure shall cover both fund and non-fund-based facilities.

Further, the total assets may be reckoned based on the audited balance sheet as on March 31 of the preceding financial year.

Tier-I UCBs are permitted to extend individual housing loans up to a maximum of Rs. 60 lakh per individual borrower and Tier II UCBs (UCBs other than Tier I) can extend individual housing loans up to a maximum of Rs. 1.40 crore per individual borrower subject to the prudential exposure limits prescribed for UCBs.

The prudential exposure limits for UCBs shall be 15 % of their tier-I capital and for a group of connected borrowers/parties, it shall be 25% of their tier-I capital.

Tier-I UCBs are categorised as under –

(a) Banks having deposits below Rs 100 crore and operating in a single district

(b) Banks with deposits below Rs 100 crore operating in more than one district will be treated as Tier I provided the branches are in contiguous districts and deposits and advances of branches in one district separately constitute at least 95% of the total deposits and advances respectively of the bank and

(c) Banks with deposits below Rs 100 crore, whose branches were originally in a single district but subsequently, became multi-district due to reorganization of the district

It is to be noted that the deposits and advances are to be reckoned as on 31st March of the immediately preceding financial year.

UCBs may secure housing loans either by –

(a) mortgage of property, or

(b) government guarantee where forthcoming, or

(c) by both

Further, where this is not feasible, banks may accept the security of adequate value in the form of LIC policies, Government Promissory Notes, shares/debentures, gold ornaments or such other security as they deem appropriate.

Housing loans may be repayable within a maximum period of 20 years, including a moratorium or repayment holiday.

Further, a moratorium or repayment holiday may be granted either at the option of the beneficiary or till the completion of constructions, or 18 months from the date of disbursement of the first instalment of a loan whichever is earlier.

UCBs will not be permitted to charge foreclosure charges/prepayment penalties in home loans extended on a floating interest rate basis with effect from June 26, 2012.

Further, the banks may with the approval of their Boards, determine the rate of interest, keeping in view the size of the accommodation, degree of risk and other relevant considerations and the banks may also formulate a transparent policy for charging penal interest rates to be levied for reasons such as default in repayment, non-submission of financial statements, etc.

(i) The instalments should be fixed on a realistic basis taking into account the repaying capacity of the borrower.

(ii) In order to make housing finance affordable, banks may consider fixing the instalments on a graduated basis, if there is reasonable expectation of growth in the income of the borrower in the coming years. Graduated basis means fixing lower repayment instalments in the initial years and gradually increasing the instalment amount in subsequent years coinciding with expected increase in income in subsequent years.

UCBs may extend additional finance to carry out alterations, additions, repairs to houses/flats already financed by them, subject to, repayment capacity of borrowers.

In the case of individuals who might have raised funds for construction/acquisition of accommodation from other sources and need supplementary finance, banks may extend credit after obtaining pari passu or second mortgage charge over the property mortgaged in favour of other lenders and/or against such other security as they may deem appropriate after due assessment of aggregate repayment capacity of borrowers.

UCBs may extend need-based credit up to a maximum of ₹10 lakh in metropolitan centres and up to ₹6 lakh in other centres for repairs/additions/alterations, irrespective of whether the house/flat is owner occupied or tenant occupied, after obtaining such security as the banks may deem appropriate. The banks shall satisfy themselves regarding the estimated cost of repairs, additions, etc. having regard to the extent of such repairs or additions, materials to be used, cost of labour and other charges and after obtaining certificate/s from qualified engineers/architects in respect thereof, considered necessary.

The terms and conditions relating to margin, interest rates, repayment period etc. in respect of additional/supplementary finance may be same as indicated in respect of loans for construction/acquisition.

UCBs may extend loans to housing boards within their States. The rate of interest to be charged on the loans to such boards may be fixed at the discretion of the banks.

While extending loans to housing boards, banks may not only keep in view the past performance of the housing boards in the matter of recovery from the beneficiaries but should also stipulate that the boards will ensure prompt and regular recovery of loan instalments from the beneficiaries.

Builders/contractors generally require huge funds, take advance payments from the prospective buyers or from those on whose behalf construction is undertaken and, therefore, may not normally require bank finance for the purpose. Any financial assistance extended to them by primary (urban) co-operative banks may result in dual financing. Banks should, therefore, normally refrain from sanctioning loans and advances to this category of borrowers.

However, where contractors undertake comparatively small construction work on their own, (i.e. when no advance payments are received by them for the purpose), banks may consider extending financial assistance to them against the hypothecation of construction materials, provided such loans and advances are in accordance with the bye laws of the bank and instructions/directives issued by the Reserve Bank from time to time.

Banks should undertake a proper scrutiny of the relevant loan applications, and satisfy themselves, among other things, about the genuineness of the purpose, the quantum of financial assistance required, the creditworthiness of the borrower, repayment capacity, etc. and also observe the usual safeguards, such as, obtaining periodic stock statements, carrying out periodic inspections, determining drawing power strictly on the basis of the stock held, maintaining a margin of not less than 40 to 50 percent, etc. They should also ensure that materials used up in the construction work are not included in the stock statements for the purpose of determining the drawing power.

Valuation of land: It has been observed that while financing builders/contractors, certain banks valued the land for the purpose of security, on the basis of the discounted value of the property after it is developed, less the cost of development. This is not in conformity with established norms. In this connection, it is clarified that UCBs should not extend fund based / non-fund based facilities to builders/contractors for acquisition of land even as a part of a housing project. Further, wherever land is accepted as collateral, valuation of such land should be at the current market price only.

UCBs may also take collateral security, wherever available. As construction work progresses, contractors will get paid and such payments should be applied to reduce the balance in the borrowal accounts. If possible, banks could perhaps enter into a tripartite agreement with the borrower and his clients, particularly when no collateral securities are available for such advances.

It has been observed that some banks have introduced certain innovative Housing Loan Schemes in association with developers/builders, e.g. upfront disbursal of sanctioned individual housing loans to builders without linking the disbursals to various stages of construction of housing project, interest/EMI on the housing loan availed of by the individual borrower being serviced by the builders during the construction period/specified period, etc. In view of the higher risks associated with such lump-sum disbursal of sanctioned housing loans and customer suitability issues, UCBs are advised that disbursal of housing loans sanctioned to individuals should be closely linked to the stages of construction of the housing project/houses and upfront disbursal should not be made in cases of incomplete/under-construction/green field housing projects.

Instructions on loans to Housing sector eligible for priority sector classification shall be as per Master Directions – Priority Sector Lending (PSL) – Targets and Classification FIDD.CO.Plan.BC.5/04.09.01/2020-21 dated September 4, 2020, as amended from time to time.

A number of cases have come to the notice of Reserve Bank, where unscrupulous persons have defrauded the banks by obtaining multiple bank finance against the same property by preparing a number of sets of the original documents and submitting the same to various banks for obtaining housing finance. Similarly, the salary certificates of employees of certain public sector undertakings were fabricated, so as to match the requirement of banks for availing higher amounts of loan. The estimates given were also on the higher side, so as to avoid contribution of margin money by the borrowers.

Such frauds could take place on account of laxity on the part of the bank officials to follow the laid down procedures for verifying the genuineness of the documents submitted by borrowers independently through their own advocates/solicitors. Banks should, therefore, take due precaution while accepting various documents.

Banks shall satisfy themselves that loans extended by them are not for unauthorized construction or for misuse of properties/encroachment on public land. For this purpose, they should ensure strict compliance with the procedure laid down in Annex 2.

In a case which came up before the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Bombay, the Hon’ble Court observed that the bank granting finance to housing/development projects should insist on disclosure of the charge / or any other liability on the plot, in the brochure, pamphlets etc., which may be published by developer/owner inviting public at large to purchase flats and properties. The Court also added that this obviously would be part of the terms and conditions on which the loan may be sanctioned by the bank. Keeping in view the above observations, while granting finance for eligible housing schemes, UCBs are advised to stipulate as part of terms and conditions that:

(a) The builder/developer shall disclose in the pamphlets/brochures etc., the name(s) of the bank(s) to which the property is mortgaged.

(b) The builder/developer would append the information relating to mortgage while advertising for a particular scheme in newspapers/magazines etc.

(c) The builder/developer would indicate in the pamphlets/brochures that he would provide a No Objection Certificate (NOC) / permission of the mortgagee bank for sale of flats/property if required. UCBs are advised to ensure compliance of the above terms and conditions. Funds should not be released unless the builder/developer fulfils the above requirements.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) formulates comprehensive building Code namely National Building Code (NBC) of India providing guidelines for regulating the building construction activities across the country. The Code, updated from time to time contains all the important aspects relevant to safe and orderly building development such as administrative regulations, development control rules and general building requirements; fire safety requirements; stipulations regarding materials, structural design and construction (including safety); and building and plumbing services. Adherence to NBC will be advisable in view of the importance of safety of buildings especially against natural disasters. Banks’ boards may consider this aspect for incorporation in their loan policies. Further information regarding the NBC can be accessed from the website of Bureau of Indian Standards (http://www.bis.gov.in/).