Punjab garbage tax: no property transfer without it, Rs 300 to Rs 5,000 a month

Punjab will not issue the no objection certificate (NOC) needed to buy or sell a property until the owner has paid both property tax and the new monthly garbage tax (sanitation fee) under the Suthra Punjab Programme, the province's Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has decided, as first reported by 24 News on 5 October 2026. Until now, only property tax had to be cleared before a transfer.

The first garbage tax bills, covering July to September 2026, are being delivered in October and must be paid by 31 October, The Express Tribune reported.

Garbage tax rates in Punjab (urban areas, per month)

Homes

Shops and businesses

The quarterly column is simply three months of the monthly fee; your bill may differ if your property was assessed differently. Not sure which band your plot falls in? Convert it with the marla to square feet converter.

What changes for buyers and sellers

• Before you sign: a buyer should ask the seller for paid property tax and garbage tax receipts. Without both, the Excise office will not issue the NOC and the transfer will stall.
• Sellers with arrears will have to clear the full outstanding fee first, on top of any property tax due. Work out your property tax with our property tax calculator.
• Transfer costs: the garbage fee is small next to stamp duty and capital gains tax, which you can estimate with the stamp duty calculator and the capital gains tax calculator.

How to pay

The Excise department is sending consolidated bills for July to September. The Express Tribune reported on 2 October that an online payment facility is due by 15 October 2026; until then, pay through the bill at a bank branch. The fee started on 1 July 2026, so the October bill carries three months.

Why it is being done

The department took over collection of the sanitation fee from local bodies and is targeting more than Rs 82 billion from over 5 million properties this year: about Rs 40 billion in garbage tax and Rs 42 billion in property tax, according to 24 News. It has also announced a crackdown on token tax and property tax defaulters.

The rates above are for urban properties. If your bill shows a different figure, or you live in a rural area, check it with your district Excise office before the 31 October deadline.