EarlyPlot / Land buying checklist
Land purchase checklist for India.
Before you pay any advance, check six things: the seller owns the land, the title has no loans or gaps, the boundaries match the survey map, the land use allows your plan, nothing is planned over it, and you know the full cost to buy. The 12 checks below show the record to ask for and where to check it.
1. Who owns the land
- Seller's name on the land record. Ask for the current record of rights for the survey number (called RoR, pahani, patta, 7/12, RTC or khatauni depending on the state). The seller's name, the survey number and the extent must match what you are buying. Check it yourself on the state portal.
- Every owner signs. If the land is jointly held or inherited, every co-owner or legal heir must be a party to the sale. Ask for the family tree or legal heir certificate where the land came by inheritance.
2. Title and loans
- The chain of past deeds. Ask for the sale deeds and other documents that show how the land passed from owner to owner, usually for the last 30 years. A property lawyer should read them.
- Encumbrance certificate. It lists the registered transactions on the land, including mortgages. Get it for the same period as the deeds. It does not show unregistered loans, family arrangements or court cases, so check those separately.
3. The land on the ground
- Measure it. Have a licensed surveyor measure the plot against the village survey map and fix the boundary stones. Many disputes start with a plot that is smaller than the record, or that sits on a neighbour's survey number.
- Road access. Confirm the plot touches a public road or has a recorded right of way. A track across someone else's field is not access.
4. What the land can be used for
- Land use and conversion. Agricultural land often needs a conversion order before you can build on it, and some states limit who may buy agricultural land. Check the zone in the master plan of the development authority.
- Layout approval and RERA for plots. In a plotted layout, ask for the layout approval from the development or town-planning authority. Under Section 3 of the RERA Act, a project on more than 500 square metres, or with more than eight units, must be registered with the state RERA before it is sold. State rules on plots vary, so check the state RERA site.
5. What is planned around it
- Government plans and lists. Check land-acquisition notices, road-widening lines in the master plan, and the state's list of prohibited or government land. Check for lakes, tanks and their buffer zones, high-tension power lines, and quarries nearby.
- What is being built nearby. Approvals filed around the plot (environmental clearance, airport height NOC, Fire NOC, building permits) show what is coming months before it is sold. This is the check EarlyPlot is built for.
6. Court cases
- Search for cases. Search the eCourts services portal by the seller's name and ask the lawyer to check the local civil court. Look for public notices in local newspapers about the land.
7. Price and the full cost to buy
- Know the all-in number. Compare the asking price with nearby prices and with the government market value (also called guidance value or circle rate). Then add:
- stamp duty and registration fees, which vary by state;
- the lawyer's and surveyor's fees;
- TDS: under Section 194-IA of the Income Tax Act, the buyer deducts 1% when the price is ₹50 lakh or more, for property other than agricultural land.
After you buy
- Register the sale deed at the sub-registrar's office, then apply for mutation so the land record shows your name.
- Keep the land revenue or property tax receipts in your name.
- Keep watching the area: new roads, acquisition notices and projects can change what the land is worth.
Where to check, by state
Portal names change. Use the official state government site, and confirm each record with the office that issues it.
| State | Land record | Registration and encumbrance certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Telangana | Bhu Bharati (replaced Dharani in April 2025) | IGRS Telangana; Bhu Bharati also shows encumbrance details and prohibited lands |
| Andhra Pradesh | Meebhoomi | IGRS Andhra Pradesh |
| Karnataka | Bhoomi (RTC) | Kaveri Online Services |
| Tamil Nadu | e-Services (Patta and Chitta) | TNREGINET |
| Maharashtra | Mahabhumi (7/12 and 8A) | IGR Maharashtra |
| Uttar Pradesh | UP Bhulekh (khatauni) | IGRS Uttar Pradesh |
What this checklist is not
It is research, not legal advice. A local property lawyer must check the title before you pay any advance. If you are choosing between two or three plots, a land purchase report runs these checks for each plot and says which to buy and at what price.