Glossary
Every valuation and land-document term used across the site, defined in plain English, in one index.
- Guideline Value
- The government-notified minimum value of a property in a given area, set by the Registration Department and used to calculate stamp duty. Revised periodically — not the same as fair market value. Called "Jantri" in Gujarat, "Ready Reckoner Rate" in Maharashtra, and "Circle Rate" or "Fair Value" in some other states — same underlying concept, different local name.
- Fair Market Value
- The price a property would realistically fetch in an open-market sale between a willing buyer and seller. Can be higher or lower than the guideline value.
- Patta
- A Revenue Department record listing a person as the registered holder of a specific piece of land — the standard document used to establish possession in day-to-day practice. Indian courts have consistently held that Patta alone is not conclusive proof of ownership title; it's strong evidence of possession, not a substitute for a registered sale deed. Often checked together with Chitta and referenced by Survey Number. Other states use a different core land record for the same purpose — see RTC (Karnataka), Thandaper (Kerala), or 7/12 Extract (Maharashtra, Gujarat).
- Chitta
- A revenue record showing land classification (wet/dry) and extent, maintained alongside Patta. The two together are commonly referred to as "Patta Chitta."
- A-Register (Adangal)
- A village-level revenue register recording crop, cultivation, and tenancy details for a survey number, maintained by the Village Administrative Officer. Also called Adangal.
- FMB (Field Measurement Book)
- The official survey record showing a plot's exact boundaries, dimensions, and sub-division numbers, maintained by the Survey Department. Used for land inside village/rural survey limits. Often called "Bhu Naksha" (Gujarat, Maharashtra and others) or a similar local name for the same kind of survey-sketch record.
- RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy & Crops)
- Karnataka's core land record — showing possession, tenancy, and crop details for a survey number, serving the same role Patta and Chitta serve together in Tamil Nadu. Like Patta, it's strong evidence of possession in practice but not conclusive proof of title on its own. Issued and looked up through the state's Bhoomi land-records system.
- Thandaper
- The ownership and tenancy account under which a landholder's parcels are grouped in Kerala's revenue records — the closest equivalent to Patta in states that use that term. Kerala's actual title deed is a related but separate document called "Pattayam," issued by the Revenue Department.
- 7/12 Extract (Satbara)
- The core rural land record in Maharashtra and Gujarat — named after the two land-register forms (Village Form 7 and 12) it's compiled from, and commonly called "Satbara" in Maharashtra. Like Patta, Indian case law treats it as presumptive evidence of possession, not conclusive proof of title. Covers agricultural land; urban land uses a separate Property Card instead.
- Property Card
- The urban counterpart to the 7/12 Extract in Maharashtra and Gujarat — the ownership record for land inside city/town limits rather than agricultural village land.
- TSLR (Town Survey Land Register)
- The urban equivalent of Patta/Chitta/FMB, used for properties inside town or city survey limits instead of village revenue records. Checked at the local Survey or Sub-Registrar office rather than the Taluk/Village office used for rural land.
- Encumbrance Certificate (EC)
- A document confirming whether a property is free of registered legal or financial liabilities — mortgages, loans, prior transactions — over a specified period. Issued by the Sub-Registrar's office.
- FSI / FAR
- Floor Space Index (also called FAR, Floor Area Ratio) — the ratio of a building's total permissible built-up area to the plot area, fixed by local building rules. Determines how much can legally be constructed on a plot.
- Setback
- The mandatory open space required between a building and its plot boundary, prescribed by building control rules for light, ventilation, and access.
- Plinth Area
- The total covered built-up area of a building measured at floor level, including walls. Used as the base unit for construction-cost and rate calculations.
- CRZ
- Coastal Regulation Zone — a designated zone along the coastline, extending inland by a notified distance, where construction and development are restricted or regulated to protect the coastal environment. Check the approved CZMP map for a specific plot rather than assuming distance from the shore alone.
- Land Classification (Wet / Dry)
- The categorization of agricultural land as "wet" (irrigated, typically paddy-suitable) or "dry" in revenue records, recorded in the Chitta. Can affect permissible use and, in some states, the conversion process required before non-agricultural construction.
- DTCP
- Directorate of Town and Country Planning — the state authority regulating building and layout approvals across Tamil Nadu, outside the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
- CMDA
- Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority — responsible for planning, development control, and building approvals within the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
- Schedule of Rates
- An official list of standardized unit rates for construction items (masonry, concrete, finishing, etc.), published periodically by PWD or CPWD, and used as the basis for cost estimation.
- Plinth Area Rate
- A simplified, per-square-foot construction or rental valuation rate derived from the Schedule of Rates, used for quick estimation without itemizing every component like cement, steel, or labour separately.
- Sub-Registrar Office
- The local government office where property sale deeds and other documents are registered, and where the applicable guideline value is applied.
- Survey Number
- A unique identification number assigned to a specific parcel of land within a village, used to locate and reference it across all revenue and survey records.
- Stamp Duty
- A state government tax levied on registering a property transaction, calculated as a percentage of the guideline value or the transaction value, whichever is higher.
- Cent / Decimal
- A fixed 1/100th of an acre (435.6 sq ft) — called "Cent" in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, and "Decimal" in Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Jharkhand. Unlike most regional land units, it's a mathematical subdivision of the acre, so it doesn't vary by state.
- Guntha (Gunta)
- A land unit equal to 1/40 acre (1,089 sq ft), used in Maharashtra's 7/12 (Satbara), Karnataka's RTC (Bhoomi), Telangana's Dharani/Bhu Bharati, and Gujarat's 7/12 records. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha do not use it, despite AP and Telangana having been one state until 2014.
- Kanal / Marla
- Land units used in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh — 1 kanal = 1/8 acre (5,445 sq ft) = 20 marla. Punjab's figure is known to vary by district due to historical measuring-rod ("karam") differences; Haryana and HP use it more consistently.
- Bigha
- A land unit with no single national size — it's fixed by historical local settlement and varies by state, and in several states by district. West Bengal and Assam each use one consistent statewide figure (14,400 sq ft); Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan split into "Pucca" and "Kachha" Bigha; Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have no single verifiable statewide figure.
- Ground
- Equal to 2,400 sq ft, used universally in Chennai real-estate practice and sale deeds — but not defined in any Tamil Nadu government Act, GO, or Registration Department document. An industry convention, not a statutory unit.
Frequently asked
Is Patta the same as Chitta?
No. Patta is the Revenue Department's record of who holds the land — strong evidence of possession, though not conclusive proof of ownership title on its own. Chitta shows its classification (wet or dry) and extent. In Tamil Nadu the two are usually issued and checked together as "Patta Chitta," but they are separate documents.
Is Guideline Value the same as Market Value?
No. Guideline Value is a government-notified minimum used to calculate stamp duty. Fair Market Value is what a property would actually sell for in the open market, and can be higher or lower than the guideline value.
What's the difference between FMB and TSLR?
FMB (Field Measurement Book) covers rural and village survey land. TSLR (Town Survey Land Register) is the equivalent record for land inside a town or city's survey limits, maintained separately from village revenue records.
What is FSI / FAR used for?
FSI (Floor Space Index, also called FAR — Floor Area Ratio) is the ratio that determines how much built-up area is legally permitted on a plot, based on plot size, road width, and the local building control rules.
Do I need an Encumbrance Certificate before buying property?
It's the standard document used to confirm a property has no registered mortgages, loans, or legal claims against it over a given period, before a sale is registered at the Sub-Registrar's office.
What is a Survey Number used for?
It's the unique identifier assigned to a specific land parcel within a village. It's used to look up that parcel's FMB, Patta, Chitta, and other revenue and survey records.
Is CRZ relevant if my plot isn't right on the beach?
Often yes. CRZ zones extend inland by a notified distance from the coastline, not just the shoreline itself — check the approved CZMP map for the plot rather than assuming distance alone clears it.
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