Real Estate Legal Terms Glossary — Must-Know for Buyers

Quick Reference: 25+ essential real estate legal terms every plot buyer in Tirupati must know. Bookmark this glossary for your property buying journey.

🏛️ Government & Regulatory Terms

TUDA — Tirupati Urban Development Authority. Local body approving residential layouts in Tirupati region. Full TUDA guide.

RERA — Real Estate Regulatory Authority. Central law protecting buyers under 2016 Act. RERA vs TUDA explained.

DPMS — Development Permission Management System. The TUDA approval issuing system.

L.P. Number — Layout Permission Number issued by TUDA (e.g., 10/2025/1166/TUDA/DPMS for SR Divya Green City).

Patta / Pahani / 1B — Revenue records showing land classification and ownership. Get from meebhoomi.ap.gov.in.

IGRS — Inspector General of Registration & Stamps. Andhra Pradesh portal for registration: registration.ap.gov.in

📜 Title & Ownership Documents

Mother Deed — The earliest title deed showing how the original owner acquired the land. Trace back 30-50 years.

Sale Deed — Final legal document transferring property ownership from seller to buyer. Registered at Sub-Registrar.

Title Deed — Document proving current ownership of property.

Encumbrance Certificate (EC) — Shows all financial transactions/charges on a property. Critical to verify (30+ years).

Mutation — Transferring property records to new owner's name in revenue/municipal records after purchase.

Conversion Certificate — If agricultural land is converted to residential, this certificate is mandatory.

NOC — No Objection Certificate from relevant authorities (society, electricity, water dept).

Power of Attorney (POA) — Legal authorization for someone to act on your behalf in property matters (common for NRI transactions).

🗺️ Layout & Survey Terms

Survey Number — Government identification number for a specific land parcel.

FMB Sketch — Field Measurement Book sketch showing exact plot boundaries.

Layout Plan — Approved map showing roads, plots, amenities in a residential development.

Plot Number — Specific identifier within a layout (e.g., Plot No. 45).

Ankanam — Traditional unit (1 Ankanam = 36 sq yards = 324 sq ft).

Cents — Land unit (1 cent = 435.6 sq ft).

💰 Financial Terms

Stamp Duty — Government tax on property transactions. In AP: ~5%.

Registration Fee — Charge to officially register sale deed. In AP: 1%.

Transfer Duty — Additional government fee. In AP: 1.5%.

Guidance Value — Government-set minimum property value for tax calculation.

Booking Amount — Initial payment to reserve a plot, typically 5-10%.

LTV (Loan-to-Value) — % of property value bank will loan. Plot loans: 70-80%.

EMI — Equated Monthly Installment for loan repayment.

🏗️ Construction & Building Terms

FAR (Floor Area Ratio) — Maximum buildable area per plot size. Controls building height.

Setback — Mandatory space between building and plot boundary.

FSI (Floor Space Index) — Same as FAR. Determines built-up area allowed.

Building Plan Approval — Mandatory before construction starts.

Occupancy Certificate (OC) — Issued after construction completion, allows legal occupation.

Completion Certificate (CC) — Certifies building was constructed per approved plan.

🧭 Vaastu Terms

Vaastu Shastra — Ancient Indian architecture science.

Ishan Kona — Northeast corner (most auspicious).

Brahma Sthana — Center of the property (sacred).

Pitru Direction — Southwest (ancestral, less preferred).

Gaumukhi Plot — Front narrow, back wide (auspicious for residential).

Shermukhi Plot — Front wide, back narrow (avoid for residential).

🏘️ Project & Amenity Terms

Gated Community — Layout with controlled entry, security.

Common Areas — Shared spaces in residential project.

Maintenance Fees — Periodic charges for upkeep of common areas.

Free Hold — Permanent ownership of land + structure.

Lease Hold — Time-limited ownership (rare in residential).

📊 Investment Terms

ROI — Return on Investment.

Capital Gains — Profit from property sale (short-term: <2 yrs, long-term: >2 yrs).

Indexation — Adjusting property cost for inflation when calculating LTCG.

Appreciation — Increase in property value over time.

Section 80C/24 — Income Tax sections offering deductions on home loan principal/interest.

🌐 NRI-Specific Terms

NRO Account — Non-Resident Ordinary account for Indian income.

NRE Account — Non-Resident External account for foreign earnings (repatriable, tax-free).

FCNR — Foreign Currency Non-Resident deposit.

FEMA — Foreign Exchange Management Act governing NRI transactions.

Repatriation — Transferring funds from India to home country (USD 1M/year limit via NRO).

Final Tip

Don't be intimidated by legal jargon. SR IND Prime Properties simplifies everything for you — from contract review to registration. Save this glossary and refer back anytime!