In this guide 6 sections
List the papers by loan type before the customer walks in, since every case needs identity proof, address proof and income papers, with property papers added for secured loans. Give each paper one status. Hand over only when every line reads checked.
Why a case bounces back from the lender
Most returns are small. A blurred photocopy, an expired electricity bill, a mismatched signature or a bank statement missing its last page is enough, and the credit desk will not chase you. It simply parks the file.
The customer blames the agent, not the lender. A checklist replaces the vague question of whether the file feels complete with a plain count of lines that anyone in the office can verify in two minutes. Count them.
Lenders differ on small matters. One wants the statement stamped by the branch, while another accepts a downloaded file carrying its digital seal, and your checklist should record each habit under that lender’s name. Dull work. It saves a week.
The identity and address papers every case needs
Start with the basics. They suit a salaried employee, a shopkeeper and a company director alike, and the lender’s identity verification and bureau pull run on them before anything else is read.
Check each page, not the pile. Match every name. The address proof must carry a date inside the lender’s accepted window, and any mismatch should be noted on the day you see it.
- Photo identity proof, both sides where printed
- Address proof dated within the lender’s window
- Tax identity card
- Recent passport-size photographs
- Signed application form, every page initialled
- Cancelled cheque or bank mandate form
Income papers change with the borrower
Salaried cases need salary slips and statements. A self-employed borrower needs filed returns with computation sheets, a profit and loss statement, and a bank statement covering a longer period than any salaried case needs.
A company borrower adds registration papers and either a partnership deed or an incorporation certificate, so ask early which of the two applies. Never accept a screenshot of a statement. Lenders reject pictures of screens.
One quick test helps. The closing balance on the last page must equal next month’s opening balance, and a mismatch means a page is missing or the file was edited. Ask for a fresh download. Do it today.
Property and collateral papers for secured loans
A home loan brings the heaviest folder. The chain of ownership matters, so every earlier sale deed must be filed, not just the latest, because gaps in that chain are where legal opinions stop.
Ask early for the approved plan, the tax receipt and the encumbrance certificate, because these take the owner longest to fetch from the municipal office and the sub-registrar. Send them on day one. Owners often discover a missing tax receipt only at this stage, so ask for every year’s receipt from the start and check the plan’s stamp as well.
Never send originals. Send certified copies unless the lender asks for originals in writing, and keep a receipt showing what left your office, on what date and with which courier.
- Sale deed and earlier deeds in the chain
- Approved building plan and occupancy papers
- Latest property tax receipt
- Encumbrance certificate for the lender’s period
- Builder agreement and allotment letter for a new flat
Give each paper a status and close the file with a count
Plain ticks tell you little. Use four statuses: asked, received, checked, sent. A paper can sit at received for a week while the customer’s name is misspelt on it, and the status keeps that gap visible to the whole office.
Before handover, count. Twelve papers required, twelve checked. Scan the file in the lender’s order and name each scan by paper and page, so the credit officer never hunts for a missing bank page.
Many cases at once? A case tracker earns its keep, because it shows the missing lines of every open file on one screen, sorted by the lender waiting on you. Nothing hides in a pile. Anyone covering for a sick colleague can pick up a case and see its gaps within a minute, without phoning the customer.
DSA loan file checklist
One printed page lists every paper. Lines sit in four blocks, identity and address, income, property and collateral, and lender forms, and a header carries the customer name, loan type, lender and handover date. Four status boxes sit beside every line, labelled asked, received, checked and sent, so a glance at the sheet shows where each paper stands today. A footer counts papers required against papers checked.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Does the paper list differ by lender?
Yes, in small ways. Each lender sets its own accepted address proofs and statement periods, so keep one checklist per loan type and add a note beneath it for each lender’s quirks.
Who checks the papers, the agent or the lender?
Both, but the agent goes first. A file that arrives checked and properly named moves faster through the credit desk, and lenders remember the agents whose files rarely come back with queries.
How long should the agent keep customer papers?
Follow the lender’s agreement. Store scans in a protected folder and limit who can open it, then delete whatever the agreement and local rules no longer require you to hold.
Can software track each paper’s status?
Yes. A case tracker holds one row per paper with its status, flags what is missing and shows every open file at once. A folder of scans cannot.