Home / Guides / Land buying checklist

Land buying checklist for Chennai

Twenty concrete verifications to complete before you transfer an advance.

Most disputes about land in Tamil Nadu could have been avoided with two or three more days of due diligence before the advance cheque was written. Once money has changed hands, the negotiating power shifts. Use this checklist to structure the verifications that should happen before you commit.

Documents (8 items)

  1. Parent deeds for 30 years. Ask for the chain of sale deeds or succession documents going back at least 30 years. Breaks in the chain are red flags.
  2. Current sale deed. Read it end-to-end. Check the property description, survey number, boundaries, area, and that the seller's name matches every government document.
  3. Encumbrance Certificate (EC) — 15 to 30 years. Pull a fresh EC yourself from the Registration Department. Look for mortgages, attachments, and outstanding transactions.
  4. Patta / Chitta. Download the latest online extract. Confirm the owner's name and the extent exactly match the sale deed.
  5. FMB sketch. For rural land, obtain the Field Measurement Book sketch. The geometry must match the physical boundaries on site.
  6. Layout approval (DTCP or CMDA). For layout plots, confirm the approval with the authority's online register. See our DTCP vs CMDA guide for how to verify.
  7. Property tax receipts. Last three years of kist/property tax paid, with the owner's name.
  8. Electricity bill. If the land has an EB service connection, verify it is paid up and in the seller's name.

Legal (4 items)

  1. Legal opinion from an advocate. Pay an independent advocate to read the full document set and issue a written opinion. This is usually ₹ 5,000–₹ 15,000 and prevents much larger losses.
  2. Title search at the sub-registrar office. Verify that the recorded owner is the person you are buying from, not an heir, a power-of-attorney holder, or a nominee.
  3. Co-owner consent. If the property is jointly owned (spouse, siblings, co-heirs), every co-owner must be a party to the sale. Missing consent can void the transaction.
  4. No court attachment or stay. Ask the advocate to check pending civil disputes involving the seller, the previous owner, or the property itself.

Site verification (4 items)

  1. Measure the plot physically. Use a licensed surveyor or a reliable assistant with a measuring tape. Do not rely on the seller's markings — encroachments and shifted boundary stones are common.
  2. Road access. Confirm there is a legally usable access road to the plot, recorded in the layout or revenue records. Plots without documented access cannot be built on legally.
  3. Neighbour check. Walk to the adjacent properties, if possible, and ask neighbours how long the seller has held the land. This often surfaces undisclosed disputes.
  4. Flood and drainage. In the Chennai region, visit the plot during or after heavy rain if you can. Check the elevation relative to surrounding land, and ask about historic flooding.

Regulatory (3 items)

  1. Zoning. Confirm the plot is in a residential zone under the CMDA or DTCP master plan (for house construction). Plots in agricultural, industrial, or restricted zones cannot be freely built on.
  2. Special zone restrictions. Check for coastal regulation zone (CRZ), airport height restrictions, defence proximity, or reserved forest / tank classifications.
  3. No OSR or community reserve encroachment. Confirm on the approved layout drawing that the plot is not marked as Open Space Reservation, park, road, or community land.

Financial (1 item — but with several components)

  1. Budget with a buffer. Beyond the purchase price, budget for:
    • 11% stamp duty + registration (on the higher of sale price and guideline value — see our stamp duty guide)
    • 1% TDS if the property is ₹ 50 lakh or above
    • Advocate, document writer, and registration office charges
    • Site clearing and boundary fencing post-purchase (see our vacant land maintenance guide)
    • Any patta transfer fees and revenue record update charges

Practical advice

We recommend spreading this checklist over at least 10–14 days, not compressing it into a weekend. Real estate sellers sometimes insist that another buyer is ready — this pressure tactic is used precisely because it prevents due diligence. A genuine seller with clean documents will wait two weeks. One who will not is telling you something important.

For buyers new to Tamil Nadu who want a second set of eyes on documents, we offer a document-review service where we walk through each item on this list, flag issues, and coordinate with an advocate if needed. Reach out to discuss.