Real Estate Terms for Bangalore Home Buyers: A Plain Glossary
A brochure, a cost sheet and a sale agreement use words that most people meet only when they buy a home. This glossary explains the terms a buyer in Bangalore will come across, in the order they usually appear. Each entry says what the term means, where it is defined, and why it matters before money is paid.
Area Terms on a Brochure and Cost Sheet
The size of a flat is quoted in more than one way, and the price depends on which figure is used. These six terms cover what appears on most cost sheets.
Carpet area
Carpet area is the net usable floor area of an apartment. The RERA Act defines it in section 2(k). The area of the internal partition walls is included. External walls, service shafts, the exclusive balcony or verandah and the exclusive open terrace are left out.
Built-up area
Built-up area is a trade term with no definition in the RERA Act. In common use it means the carpet area plus the thickness of the outer walls and the balcony. The figure varies from one developer to the next, so it is a weak basis for comparing two flats.
Super built-up area
Super built-up area, also called saleable area, adds a share of the common areas to the flat. Lobbies, staircases, lift wells, corridors and the clubhouse are typical additions. Most Bangalore price lists quote a rate per sq ft on this figure.
Loading
Loading is the gap between the super built-up area and the carpet area, expressed as a percentage. A flat sold as 1,500 sq ft with a carpet area of 1,050 sq ft has 450 sq ft of loading. Two flats with the same saleable area can differ widely in the space that is actually usable.
Undivided share of land (UDS)
UDS is the flat owner's share in the land on which the building is built. It has no marked boundary and is held jointly with the other owners. The share is written into the sale deed and matters most when a building is redeveloped.
Floor area ratio (FAR or FSI)
FAR is the total floor area permitted on a plot divided by the area of the plot. The planning rules fix it by plot size and road width. It decides how much a developer may build on a site, and so how dense a project is.
Approval and Certificate Terms
Every stage of a project needs a paper from an authority. A buyer should know which certificate belongs to which stage, since each one answers a different question.
RERA registration number
This is the number the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority gives a project on registration. The Act exempts a project only where the land is 500 square metres or less, or the apartments number eight or fewer. Every other project needs the number before it is advertised or sold. The number leads to the project's entry on the Karnataka RERA portal, with its approvals, timeline and quarterly progress.
Sanctioned plan
The sanctioned plan is the set of drawings approved by the competent authority before work begins. Under the RERA Act it covers the site plan, building plan, layout plan, parking plan and related permissions. After a flat is booked, the promoter needs the buyer's consent to alter the plan of that flat.
Commencement certificate (CC)
The commencement certificate is the permit that allows the promoter to begin development work as per the sanctioned plan. The Act treats a building permit or construction permit, whatever its name, as the same thing.
Occupancy certificate (OC)
The occupancy certificate is the competent authority's permission to occupy a building. Section 2(zf) of the Act ties it to civic infrastructure such as water, sanitation and electricity. Possession of a new flat and its khata follow from it.
Completion certificate
The completion certificate confirms that a project has been developed as per the sanctioned plan, layout plan and specifications. It is defined in section 2(q) of the Act. It speaks to the whole project, where the occupancy certificate speaks to a building.
NOC (no objection certificate)
An NOC is a letter from a body stating that it has no objection to a stated act. Projects collect them from agencies such as the fire, water, power and airport authorities. A buyer also meets the term when a lender who has financed the project releases a particular flat for sale.
Ownership and Record Terms
These terms appear in the legal papers of a purchase. They decide who owns the property and what is on the public record.
Agreement for sale
The agreement for sale is the contract in which the promoter promises to sell and the buyer promises to pay. It fixes the price, the payment schedule and the possession date. Under section 13 of the RERA Act, a promoter may take up to 10% of the cost before this agreement is signed and registered.
Sale deed (conveyance deed)
The sale deed is the registered document that transfers ownership to the buyer. The RERA Act calls it a conveyance deed. Where local law sets no period, the Act asks the promoter to execute it within three months of the occupancy certificate.
Encumbrance certificate (EC)
The EC is an extract of the registered transactions on a property for a chosen period. In Karnataka it is issued by the Department of Stamps and Registration. Form 15 lists the transactions found, and Form 16 is the nil certificate. Sales, mortgages and releases appear on it, while unregistered dealings and court cases stay outside it.
Khata and e-khata
The khata is the civic body's record of a property for tax purposes, with the owner's name, size and location. It supports ownership and is separate from the title deed. The e-khata is its digital form, and a sale within the city corporations is registered against it.
Cost Terms at Registration
Three terms decide the government charges on a purchase. The figures below are the Karnataka rates in October 2026.
Stamp duty
Stamp duty is the state tax on the sale deed. Karnataka charges 2% on a property up to Rs. 20 Lakhs, 3% above that up to Rs. 45 Lakhs, and 5% above Rs. 45 Lakhs. A 10% cess and a 2% surcharge are added on the duty, so the 5% slab works out to 5.6%.
Registration fee
The registration fee is charged for recording the deed at the sub-registrar's office. It is 2% of the property value in Karnataka, raised from 1% on 31 August 2025. Our EMI calculator adds both charges to the upfront cash a purchase needs.
Guidance value
Guidance value is the minimum value the state fixes for property in each area. Stamp duty and the registration fee are charged on the sale price or the guidance value, whichever is higher. A sale below the guidance value is still stamped on the guidance value.
Green Building Terms
Many new projects quote a green rating in their brochures. One rating system appears more often than the others.
IGBC certification
The Indian Green Building Council rates residential buildings under its Green Homes system. Points are awarded for site planning, water conservation, energy efficiency, materials and indoor environmental quality. The four levels are Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Each level also needs the mandatory requirements of the system to be met.
How to Use These Terms Before Booking
A few of these terms should be turned into written answers before a booking amount is paid.
- The carpet area of the flat in sq ft, and the loading on it
- The RERA registration number and the completion date given to the authority
- The date of the sanctioned plan and the commencement certificate
- For a ready flat, the occupancy certificate and the khata
- An encumbrance certificate for the land, and an NOC from any project lender
- Stamp duty and the registration fee worked out on the full price
Answers in writing make two projects easy to compare on the same terms. They also give a lawyer what is needed for a title opinion. We are glad to help buyers request these details for a project on our site through our contact page.
