Education · Pillar Guide📘 Updated 29 Oct 2026 · ⏱ 12 min read
Indian Property Terms Decoded: Banakhat, MOFA, Khata, Patta, Fard and 25+ More
The same document has a different name in almost every state. 30 terms by buying stage: meaning, state, why it matters, one watch-out.
Quick Answer
Banakhat is Gujarat's agreement to sell. MOFA is Maharashtra's 1963 flat-ownership law. A khata and B khata are Bengaluru property records. Patta and chitta are Tamil Nadu land records, and a Fard is a copy of the Punjab or Haryana Jamabandi. None of these transfers ownership: only a registered sale deed does.
Terms are the vocabulary. The law is the grammar.
RERACertified™ Professional (RCP) teaches the RERA Act plus your state's documents and practice. RERACertified sells this course. RCP is a private certification and does not replace state RERA agent registration (or Maharashtra's CoC or UP's mandatory training).
The project's number from the state authority; Section 11(2) requires it in ads.
Why: Proves the project may legally be sold.
Watch out: Check it opens the same project and phase on the portal.
Carpet Area
All states (RERA)
Usable area inside the flat (Section 2(k)): excludes external walls, shafts, exclusive balcony and terrace; includes internal walls.
Why: RERA prices must be quoted on it.
Watch out: Super built-up area adds common areas. It is not a RERA unit of sale.
Sanctioned Plan and Commencement Certificate
All states
The approved drawing, and permission to start building.
Why: Deviations risk action and loan refusal.
Watch out: "CC" can mean commencement or completion. Ask which.
Title Search and Link Documents
All states
A lawyer's check of ownership history; link documents are the chain of earlier deeds.
Why: The real answer to "does the seller own this?"
Watch out: A missing deed breaks the chain. Fix it before payment.
Token Amount / Bayana
Bayana: north India
A payment to block a unit, or an advance on agreeing the sale.
Why: Refund fights over it are common.
Watch out: Get refund terms in writing; RERA caps advances at 10% before a registered agreement.
2. Agreement Stage: before ownership passes
Most mis-selling happens here: clients who sign and pay assume they own the property.
Allotment Letter
All states
The developer's letter allotting a unit after booking.
Why: Fixes unit, price and payment plan.
Watch out: It is not the agreement for sale.
Agreement for Sale (BBA)
All states (RERA)
The promoter-allottee contract in the state's prescribed format.
Why: Delay interest and refunds are enforced from it.
Watch out: Compare its clauses with the state model agreement.
Agreement to Sell (ATS)
All states
A promise to sell later. It does not, of itself, create any interest in the property (Section 54, TP Act).
Why: Clients who sign and pay often think they own it. They do not.
Watch out: Section 53A protection needs a registered agreement.
Banakhat
Gujarat
Gujarati for agreement to sell; often registered, and stamp duty paid on it can be adjusted against the sale deed.
Why: A seller who "has a banakhat" holds a promise, not ownership.
Watch out: Ask for the registered sale deed in the seller's name.
MOFA
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act, 1963. Since a 2025 amendment it does not apply to RERA-registered projects except a few sections, chiefly deemed conveyance.
Why: It still governs older and small non-RERA buildings.
Watch out: Check which law applies before quoting rights.
General Power of Attorney (GPA)
All states
Broad authority to act for an owner.
Why: Common in old north Indian resales.
Watch out: GPA sales do not transfer ownership (Suraj Lamp, Supreme Court, 2011).
3. Registration: the day ownership moves
Sale Deed (Registry)
All states
The registered document that transfers ownership (Section 54). "Registry" in north India.
Why: This, not the agreement, makes the buyer owner.
Watch out: Match area and boundaries with the land record first.
Changing the owner's name in revenue records after a sale.
Why: Needed for tax, loans and resale.
Watch out: It does not give title, but a missing one is a red flag.
Need all 1,000+ terms, not just these 30?
Our free online India Real Estate Dictionary explains 1,000+ terms with legal basis, examples and agent tips. The Professional Edition PDF adds a state RERA directory, conversion charts, checklists and an A–Z index, offline on your phone. ₹499; free for course students.
Watch out: A seller missing from it is a stop sign.
Fard
Punjab, Haryana
Certified copy of a Jamabandi entry. See Fard in Punjab.
Why: Banks want a fresh one.
Watch out: It is a record extract, not proof of title.
Patta and Chitta
Tamil Nadu
Patta: holder, extent and class of a survey number. Chitta: village tax register. Now issued together (reported).
Why: No Tamil Nadu land deal moves without a patta.
Watch out: Check the adangal (A-register) for who cultivates.
Khata (A, B, e-Khata)
Karnataka (Bengaluru)
Municipal tax record. A khata: approved; B khata: irregular. Bengaluru now issues e-khata.
Why: Banks generally do not lend on B khata.
Watch out: A conversion scheme opened November 2025; fees have changed (reported).
RTC (Pahani)
Karnataka; Telangana, AP
Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops for farm land.
Why: Needed in farm land deals.
Watch out: Farm land needs conversion before sale as a plot.
Khatian
West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand
Record of rights: holder, dag numbers, area.
Why: Base ownership check in the east.
Watch out: Read the latest settlement's khatian.
Khatauni
Uttar Pradesh
Record of holdings, with khata and gata numbers.
Why: First check in UP land deals.
Watch out: Pair it with dakhil kharij history.
5. Possession and Society: what closes the deal
Completion Certificate (CC)
All states
Building complete as per plan (Section 2(q), RERA).
Why: Confirms it matches the approval.
Watch out: Some places issue CC and OC as one.
Occupancy Certificate (OC)
All states
Permission to occupy (Section 2(zf), RERA).
Why: Without it, utilities, loans and resale stall.
Watch out: Ask for the OC, not a promise of one.
Possession Letter
All states
The developer's handover letter.
Why: Five-year defect liability runs from possession (Section 14(3)).
Watch out: List defects in writing first.
Conveyance Deed
All states
Transfers land and building to the owners' body; Section 17, RERA: within three months of OC unless local law says otherwise.
Why: Without it, the society cannot redevelop.
Watch out: Ask resale sellers if it is done.
Deemed Conveyance
Maharashtra
A competent authority order when the promoter will not convey; extended to RERA projects in 2025.
Why: Many older societies lack conveyance.
Watch out: Flag it before resale talks.
Same Document, Different Names: The State Table
For agents working across borders, such as Mohali and Panchkula, or serving out-of-state buyers. Portals change; confirm on the state site.
State
Record of rights
Mutation called
Circle rate called
Online record
Maharashtra
7/12 (rural), 8A, Property Card (urban)
Ferfar
Ready reckoner rate
Mahabhulekh
Gujarat
7/12 and 8A
Mutation entry
Jantri
AnyRoR
Punjab
Jamabandi; Fard (copy)
Intkal
Collector rate
Punjab Jamabandi portal
Haryana
Jamabandi; Fard (copy)
Intkal
Collector rate
Haryana Jamabandi portal
Himachal Pradesh
Jamabandi
Mutation
Circle rate
State land records portal
Rajasthan
Jamabandi, Khasra
Mutation
DLC rate (reported)
Apna Khata
Uttar Pradesh
Khatauni
Dakhil kharij
Circle rate
UP Bhulekh
Bihar, Jharkhand
Khatian
Dakhil kharij
Circle rate / MVR (reported)
State land records portal
West Bengal, Odisha
Khatian
Mutation
Market value (set by state)
Odisha Bhulekh; state portal
Karnataka
RTC (farm land); Khata (urban)
Khata transfer / mutation
Guidance value
Bhoomi; Kaveri (registration)
Tamil Nadu
Patta and Chitta; A-register
Patta transfer
Guideline value
TN eServices
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
Adangal and 1-B (AP); Pahani (Telangana)
Mutation
Market value (set by state)
Meebhoomi (AP); state portal
Worked Example: One Resale Flat in Pune
A buyer is purchasing a 15-year-old flat in a Pune co-operative society. The file an agent should assemble:
Document
What the agent checks
Original builder agreement
Drawn under MOFA. Registered? Index II available?
Later resale agreements
Every transfer since, each with an Index II, unbroken to the seller.
Share certificate
Original, in the seller's name; society NOC and no-dues.
Property card
Does it show the society (conveyance done) or still the builder or landowner?
OC and completion
The building's OC. Lenders usually ask for it.
Search report
Lawyer's search of registered entries for mortgages; loan closure letter if any.
The finding: the property card still shows the original landowner, so conveyance was never done. The deal can proceed, but the buyer should know the society may need deemed conveyance before redevelopment. Telling them upfront is Section 10(d) in practice: helping the allottee get the information they are entitled to.
Why Does Knowing These Terms Make You a Better Agent?
You avoid accidental mis-selling
Calling a banakhat "ownership" or super area "flat size" is a false representation. Section 10(c) bars unfair trade practices; Section 62 penalties run at ₹10,000 a day, up to 5% of the cost of the plot, apartment or building. See common agent violations.
Deals close instead of collapsing at the bank
Spotting a missing OC, a B khata or an un-mutated Fard early saves weeks, and commission depends on the deal registering.
Buyers trust agents who explain
"This agreement fixes your price; you own the flat only after the sale deed is registered." Clarity like that earns referrals.
You can work across state lines
Each state needs its own registration and vocabulary. Our state tracks cover both.
What we could and could not confirm
The MOFA 2025 amendment is described from the Bill text and law-firm commentary, not the Gazette. Bengaluru khata conversion terms are reported and have changed more than once. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is banakhat in English?
Banakhat is the Gujarati term for an agreement to sell. It fixes the price and terms for a future sale deed. Even registered, it does not transfer ownership; only a registered sale deed does (Section 54, Transfer of Property Act, 1882).
What is the full form of MOFA, and does it still apply after RERA?
Maharashtra Ownership Flats (Regulation of the Promotion of Construction, Sale, Management and Transfer) Act, 1963. RERA did not repeal it. Since a 2025 amendment it does not apply to RERA-registered projects except a few sections, chiefly deemed conveyance. It still governs flats outside RERA.
What is the difference between A khata and B khata?
In Bengaluru, A khata is the municipal record for a property in an approved layout; B khata was for properties with irregularities. Banks generally lend only on A khata. Bengaluru now issues e-khata, and a B-to-A conversion scheme opened in November 2025 (reported).
What is patta chitta?
Tamil Nadu land records: the patta shows who holds a survey number, its extent and class; the chitta is the village register of holdings and land tax. They are issued as one extract on the state eServices portal, and neither replaces the title deeds.
What does Fard mean in property?
In Punjab and Haryana, a Fard is a certified copy of a Jamabandi entry: owner, khewat and khasra numbers, area and recorded mortgages. It is a record extract, not proof of title.
What is Index II (Index 2) in Maharashtra?
A one-page Sub-Registrar summary of a registered document: parties, property, price and stamp duty paid. Banks ask for it in loan files. It can be searched on the IGR Maharashtra e-search service.
What is the difference between a sale deed and an agreement to sell?
An agreement to sell is a promise to sell later and does not, of itself, create any interest in the property (Section 54, Transfer of Property Act). The registered sale deed transfers ownership. Until then, the buyer is not the owner.
What are OC and CC in property?
CC usually means Completion Certificate (Section 2(q), RERA Act): the building matches the sanctioned plan. OC is the Occupancy Certificate (Section 2(zf)): permission to occupy. CC can also mean Commencement Certificate, so ask which is meant.