1070+ property terms explained in plain words: RERA, land records (Fard, Jamabandi, 7/12, Patta), documents, law, tax, finance and state-specific vocabulary. Each term has its legal basis, an Indian example and a tip for agents.
Reviewed 16 October 2026 · 1073 terms · 14 topics
A village-level revenue official in Maharashtra and Gujarat (spelled Talati in Gujarat) who maintains village land records and collects revenue. Maharashtra has begun calling the post Gram Mahsul Adhikari.
Example: For a mutation in Maharashtra, the talathi enters the change in the record.
Agent tip: Know the talathi's role if your buyer asks who updates the 7/12.
Related: Satbara Utara (7/12) Ferfar Tehsildar
Also called: Gift of Property Tax
Property received from specified close relatives is not taxed in the receiver's hands. When the receiver later sells it, capital gains are worked out using the original owner's cost and counting the original owner's holding period.
Legal basis: Section 56(2)(x) provides the exemption for relatives, and Sections 49 and 2(42A) of the 1961 Act deal with cost and holding period. The 2025 Act renumbers them.
Example: Shobha receives a flat as a gift from her father. When she sells it, her cost is her father's cost and the holding period includes his.
Agent tip: A gift deed needs proper stamping and registration. Keep the donor's purchase records for the future capital gains calculation.
Related: Gift Deed Section 56(2)(x) Difference Tax Cost of Acquisition
Also called: Inheritance Tax, Estate Duty
India has no inheritance tax. Receiving property by will or succession is not taxed, but a later sale is. The heir uses the previous owner's cost and holding period to compute capital gains.
Example: After her father's death, Usha inherits a Panchkula house under his will and pays no tax on receiving it, only on any gain when she sells.
Agent tip: Collect the previous owner's purchase papers early. They are needed for the cost of acquisition.
Related: Will Succession Certificate Capital Gains
Tax deducted at source by a payer, such as a developer, when paying commission to an agent above the limit set in the income tax rules. The agent claims credit for it while filing the return. Rates and limits can change, so check the current rules.
Example: A developer pays an agent ₹95,000 after deducting TDS and gives a TDS certificate later.
Agent tip: Ask for your TDS certificate and check it against your tax statement so that credit is not lost.
Related: Brokerage Commission Invoice Channel Partner
Also called: Section 194-IA, 194IA TDS
A tax deducted by the buyer at 1% when buying immovable property (other than rural agricultural land) if the consideration or the stamp duty value is ₹50 lakh or more. The buyer pays it to the government and gives the seller a certificate. PAN of both parties is required.
Legal basis: Section 194-IA of the Income-tax Act, 1961. The Income-tax Act, 2025 (in force from 1 April 2026) carries the rule into its consolidated TDS provisions, so check the current section and form.
Example: A buyer pays ₹80 lakh for a flat. He deducts 1%, or ₹80,000, from the seller's payment and deposits it with the tax department.
Agent tip: Remind buyers to deduct and pay the TDS within the time limit. Late payment attracts interest and fees.
Related: Stamp Duty Value Capital Gains
Also called: Section 194-IB
Tax deducted by an individual or HUF tenant who pays rent above ₹50,000 per month. The rate is 2% from 1 October 2024.
Legal basis: Section 194-IB of the Income-tax Act, 1961, carried into the consolidated TDS provisions of the Income-tax Act, 2025.
Example: A tenant paying ₹70,000 a month deducts 2% on the rent.
Agent tip: Remind tenants and landlords of the TDS rule when they agree on rent.
Related: Rent Agreement Income from House Property
A buyer purchasing property from a non-resident Indian must deduct tax on the seller's gain at the rates applicable to non-residents. The rate depends on the type of gain and the holding period, and the buyer follows a separate process from the 1% TDS.
Legal basis: Section 195 of the Income-tax Act, 1961. Rates and procedures change, so check the current rules.
Example: A buyer in Chandigarh buys a flat from an NRI who is moving abroad and must deduct tax at the non-resident rate.
Agent tip: This area is easy to get wrong. Tell clients to take a chartered accountant's help before payment.
Related: NRI (Non-Resident Indian) Capital Gains
An administrative sub-division of a district. Land records such as Jamabandi, Fard and Intkal are maintained at tehsil level.
Example: A Mohali buyer visits the tehsil office to check that an intkal was sanctioned.
Agent tip: Learn which tehsil covers the property, because the revenue office depends on the village.
Related: Tehsildar Jamabandi Sub-Registrar
The chief revenue officer of a tehsil. The tehsildar attests mutations, issues certificates and manages land records at tehsil level.
Example: A tehsildar signs the mutation order after the objection period ends.
Agent tip: For revenue certificates and disputes about records, the tehsil is the first office.
Related: Tehsil Patwari Sub-Registrar
Also called: Month-to-Month Tenancy
A tenancy with no fixed term that either side can end, usually by notice. It often arises where a tenant stays after a lease ends or with the owner's consent but without any agreed period.
Example: A tenant in Ludhiana continues in a shop after his lease expired, paying rent monthly. The landlord can end the arrangement by giving notice.
Agent tip: Do not leave a tenancy undefined. Put the term and notice period in writing, and renew the lease on time.
Related: Tenant Landlord Notice to Quit Rent Agreement
A person who occupies property under a lease or rental agreement and pays rent. Rights depend on the agreement and the state's rent law.
Example: A tenant pays rent monthly and must vacate when the agreed period ends.
Agent tip: Tenant rights vary by state. Check the rent law.
Related: Landlord Rent Agreement Rent Control Act
The period over which a loan is repaid. Longer tenure lowers the EMI but increases total interest.
Example: Choosing 25 years instead of 15 cuts the EMI but adds lakhs in interest.
Agent tip: Suggest that buyers prepay when they have spare cash.
The Chairperson and Members of the Authority serve up to five years or until age 65, whichever is earlier, and cannot be re-appointed. The government can remove them for reasons such as insolvency, conviction involving moral turpitude, incapacity, acquiring a financial or other interest that affects their functions, or abuse of position. A High Court judge's inquiry is needed for the last two grounds.
Legal basis: Sections 23 and 26 of the RERA Act, 2016.
Example: A Member reaches age 65 in the fourth year of a term, so the seat falls vacant and the state must fill it within the time the Act allows.
Agent tip: Vacancies can slow hearings. If a hearing date keeps slipping, check whether the Authority has a full bench.
Related: Composition of RERA Authority (Sections 20-22) RERA Authority Section 34 (RERA)
The open roof area of a flat or building. A terrace attached to a top-floor flat for exclusive use is excluded from carpet area. A common terrace belongs to all owners.
Example: A penthouse buyer pays extra for an exclusive 400 sq ft terrace, which is shown separately from carpet area.
Agent tip: Clarify in writing whether the terrace is exclusive or common before the booking amount is paid.
Related: Penthouse Carpet Area Common Area
The Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority, which covers Hyderabad and the rest of Telangana. It was earlier written TSRERA when the state abbreviation was TS.
Example: A Hyderabad buyer checks a project on the Telangana RERA portal.
Agent tip: You may see both TSRERA and TGRERA in older and newer documents.
Related: RERA Authority HMDA
Also called: Thandaper Account, Thandaper Register
A Kerala village record that lists a landholder's holdings, with survey numbers and area, and is linked to the land tax roll. It sits at the village office and is used with the basic tax register when title or area is checked.
Example: In Kottayam, a buyer asks for the thandaper entry and finds that the seller holds the land only in one of two survey numbers mentioned in the sale agreement.
Agent tip: Match the thandaper and the tax receipt against the deed. In Kerala, ask also for the possession and location certificates.
Related: Revenue Record Survey Number Possession Certificate Mutation
A city in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region north-east of Mumbai, with many high-rise residential projects along Ghodbunder Road, Majiwada and Kolshet and redevelopment of older societies in the main town.
Example: An engineer commuting to Airoli prefers a Thane flat near the station over a cheaper one farther inside.
Agent tip: Check whether the project is on a sanctioned plan under the municipal corporation and has a MahaRERA number. Thane also has many older societies in redevelopment.
Related: MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) MahaRERA Redevelopment Municipal Corporation
Also called: Time-Linked Plan
A payment plan in which instalments fall due on fixed dates or months after booking, whatever the stage of construction. The buyer must pay on time even if the building is behind schedule.
Example: Under a time-linked plan, Dinesh must pay an instalment every six months from booking, whether the builder has reached the next floor or not.
Agent tip: Buyers should avoid this plan when the builder has a record of delay. Prefer a plan tied to construction stages.
Related: Construction-Linked Plan Payment Plan Delay Interest
Legal ownership of a property and the right to deal with it. A clear title is free of defects and disputes, and a marketable title is one that a reasonable buyer would accept without fear of a claim.
Example: A seller shows a registered sale deed, but a cousin claims a share in the ancestral land. The title is not clear until the claim is resolved.
Agent tip: Insist on a title search before booking. Title is the root of every property deal.
Related: Title Deed Link Documents Legal Title Report
Also called: Ownership Document
The document that establishes ownership of a property, such as a registered sale deed, gift deed, partition deed or will. A chain of such documents shows the history of ownership.
Example: A buyer checks that every transfer in the last 30 years is documented by a title deed.
Agent tip: Ask for the full chain of title, not only the latest document.
Related: Link Documents Sale Deed Title
Insurance that protects against loss from a defect in title. The RERA Act provides for title insurance for projects, but it is little used by individual buyers in India.
Legal basis: Section 16 of the RERA Act, 2016.
Example: A buyer takes title insurance on a high-value plot as extra protection.
Agent tip: Do not treat insurance as a substitute for a title search.
Related: Section 16 (RERA) Title
Also called: Title Verification, Search Report
An inquiry into the history of a property, going through registers at the sub-registrar office, revenue records and court records to see who owned it and whether there are loans or disputes. A lawyer usually summarises the result in a title report.
Example: Before buying a house in Mohali, Rohan has a lawyer search the registrar's index for 30 years and the court records for pending cases.
Agent tip: Order a title search before the booking amount goes beyond a small token. It costs little compared to a lost property.
Related: Legal Title Report Link Documents Litigation Check Encumbrance Certificate (EC)
Also called: Thermo-Mechanically Treated Bar, Saria
A thermo-mechanically treated steel bar with ribs, used as the reinforcement inside concrete. It has a hard outer layer and a softer core, so it is strong yet bends without snapping. Bars come in standard grades and diameters.
Example: A site engineer in Panchkula rejected a truck of bars because the mill test certificate did not match the stamp rolled onto the bars.
Agent tip: Buyers cannot test steel, but you can ask whether mill certificates and third-party tests are maintained for each lot.
Related: RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) Column Beam
The Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority, the regulator for Chennai, Coimbatore and the rest of Tamil Nadu.
Example: A Chennai buyer verifies a project on the TNRERA portal.
Agent tip: Tamil Nadu terms such as patta and ground are part of everyday deals.
Related: RERA Authority Patta Ground (Tamil Nadu)
A small payment made to block a unit for a short time before a formal booking. It is usually refundable if the deal does not proceed, if agreed in writing.
Example: A buyer pays ₹51,000 as a token to hold a flat for a week.
Agent tip: Take a written receipt that states whether the token is refundable.
Related: Booking Amount Earnest Money
A survey that records the shape of land: slopes, levels, trees, roads, water bodies and existing structures. Designers use it to plan roads, drainage and building positions, and it is often needed for layout approval.
Example: A developer in Kharar commissioned a topographical survey of a plot to plan stormwater drains before submitting the layout.
Agent tip: Ask for the survey drawing before buying a large plot. Low-lying areas drain poorly and can raise development cost.
Related: Contour Line Layout Plan Demarcation
An extra loan from the same lender on top of an existing home loan, for personal or home improvement use.
Example: A borrower takes a ₹5 lakh top-up for renovation.
Agent tip: Top-up loans have different rates and tax treatment from the main loan.
Related: Home Loan Loan Against Property (LAP)
Also called: ETS Survey
A survey using an electronic instrument that measures angles and distances very precisely to map points on land. Results go straight to a computer to draw plans, and it is common for large plots, roads and layouts.
Example: The surveyor used a total station to mark the corner points of a 20-acre layout near Rajpura.
Agent tip: Ask for coordinates of corner points in your survey report. They make later disputes easier to resolve.
The Centre's technical body for urban and regional planning, under the housing ministry. It advises on planning policy and model laws, while approvals of individual layouts remain with the state departments.
Example: A state refers to TCPO guidelines while preparing a new master plan for an expanding town.
Agent tip: TCPO guidance is advice. For approvals, go to the state town planning department or local authority.
Related: MoHUA DTCP Master Plan
A large planned development with housing, retail, schools, hospitals and open spaces under a single master plan. State policies set minimum area and approvals.
Example: A 120 acre integrated township contains plots, apartments, a school and a market.
Agent tip: Check the phase-wise RERA registrations. Each phase usually has its own number and timeline.
Related: Mixed-Use Development Master Plan Real Estate Project
The central law on how immovable property is transferred in India through sale, mortgage, lease, exchange and gift.
Example: Section 54 defines a sale and requires a registered deed for property worth ₹100 or more.
Agent tip: Know the key sections: 52 (lis pendens), 53A (part performance), 54 (sale), 58 (mortgage), 105 (lease), 122 (gift).
Related: Sale Deed Mortgage Lease Deed
A right that allows a landowner to use or sell the unused building potential of land, usually given as compensation for giving land for roads or public use. It lets a developer build more on another plot.
Example: An owner who surrenders land for a road receives TDR certificates, which a developer buys to add floors elsewhere.
Agent tip: Check that TDR used in a project is documented and within the authority's cap.
Related: Floor Space Index (FSI) Master Plan
Also called: TOD
A planning approach that allows denser, mixed-use buildings near metro, rail or bus corridors to encourage public transport use. Authorities may give extra FAR or lower parking requirements within a set distance of stations.
Example: A developer in Noida planned a high-rise near a metro station using the extra FAR the TOD policy allowed.
Agent tip: TOD benefits are policy specific and may change. Confirm the current notification and station distance.
Related: Floor Area Ratio (FAR) Master Plan Mixed-Use Development
Permission from the forest or horticulture department or municipality to cut or transplant trees on a plot. Many states require it and may demand compensatory planting. Cutting trees without it can attract penalties.
Example: A builder in Chandigarh had to get permission and plant replacement saplings before clearing a few trees on his site.
Agent tip: Ask whether the site had trees and whether permission was obtained. Missing it can stall a project.
Related: Environmental Clearance Green Belt Commencement Certificate
The Tripura Real Estate Regulatory Authority, which regulates projects and agents in Tripura.
Example: A buyer in Agartala checks the project on the Tripura RERA portal.
Agent tip: Check the official portal for current forms and fees.
Related: RERA Authority
Also called: Adivasi Land Transfer, Fifth Schedule Land, CNT Act Land
Laws in several states that bar or limit the sale of land held by Scheduled Tribe members to non-tribals, to protect tribal ownership. A sale without the required permission can be void and the land may be restored.
Example: A buyer in Jharkhand finds the seller belongs to a notified tribe, and the land is under the state's tenancy law. The deed is void without the deputy commissioner's permission.
Agent tip: When the seller or the village falls under a tribal law, ask a local lawyer before paying. These transfers are examined closely.
Related: Agricultural Land Land Reforms Revenue Record Title
The urban area made up of Chandigarh (a Union Territory), Mohali (Punjab) and Panchkula (Haryana), together with fringe towns such as Zirakpur and Kharar. Each part has different authorities and rules.
Example: A buyer comparing flats in Panchkula and Mohali is dealing with two states, two RERA authorities and different stamp duty.
Agent tip: Always state the state and authority when you quote a Tricity property.
Related: Mohali (SAS Nagar) Panchkula Zirakpur Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB)
An agreement among the buyer, the builder and the bank for loans on under-construction property. It sets how the bank pays the builder and what happens on default or cancellation.
Example: In a subvention scheme the tripartite agreement lets the builder pay pre-EMI to the bank.
Agent tip: Read the clauses on cancellation and refund before the buyer signs.
Related: Home Loan Subvention Scheme Disbursement
Also called: Declaration of Trust, Deed of Trust
A document that creates a trust, naming who gives the property, who manages it as trustee, who benefits and what the rules are. Property can be held in a trust for family, charity or a project, and land in a trust is dealt with by the trustees.
Example: A temple trust in Nashik owns a hall and wants to sell part of it. The trust deed shows the trustees can sell only with the charity commissioner's approval.
Agent tip: If a seller is a trust, read the trust deed first. Check who may sign and whether outside permission is needed.
Related: Title Legal Title Report Registration (Property) Gift Deed
A project or fit-out delivered ready for use, so the buyer can move in without further work.
Example: A turnkey office comes with furniture and wiring.
Agent tip: Compare what is included, as turnkey offers differ.
Related: Bare Shell Specifications
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