Things to Check Before Buying a Flat in Ahmedabad: The Complete Checklist

Before buying a flat in Ahmedabad, check six things in this order: the project on GujRERA, the land title, the building’s BU permission, the flat itself, the society’s papers if it is a resale, and the full cost including stamp duty and TDS. The costly problems sit in the first three, so do those before you pay any token.

This is the master list. Two checks get their own full posts, linked below, and our buyer and seller guide collects the rest.

What is the complete checklist before buying a flat?

What should you check on GujRERA before booking a new flat?

Unless a project sits on 500 sq m of land or less, or has eight flats or fewer, the promoter must register it with GujRERA before advertising or booking. Search the number, then open the project profile. Download the approved building plan, the NA order, the commencement certificate and the draft agreement for sale, and read the quarterly progress filings.

Two rules protect you at booking. The builder cannot take more than 10% of the price before a registered agreement for sale. And 70% of what buyers pay must go into the project’s separate bank account, which the portal names. Our step by step guide to checking RERA registration in Gujarat shows each screen.

How do you check the title of a flat in Ahmedabad?

Ask an advocate to trace the title back about 30 years, which is standard practice in Indian title diligence. For a flat that means the chain of sale deeds for the flat and, for a new project, the land documents behind the builder.

The documents we expect to see:

• Index II for each earlier sale, which lists the property, the parties and the document number. Certified copies can be ordered online through iORA.
• An encumbrance certificate, to see whether the property is mortgaged. GARVI lists an online certified EC through iORA as well.
• The 7/12 extract and NA order for the land under a new project. Check whether the land is marked new tenure, which needs permission and usually a premium before it can be sold or used for non agricultural purposes.
• The TP scheme and final plot (FP) number. GujRERA addresses carry both, such as “TP 51, FP 58”, and the sale deed should match.

One Ahmedabad specific check catches people out. Under section 5 of the Gujarat Disturbed Areas Act, 1991, property in a notified disturbed area cannot be transferred without the Collector’s previous sanction, as the Gujarat High Court has set out. The Act applies in parts of Ahmedabad, and since the 2020 amendments, registration in those areas needs that sanction. Check whether the address falls in a notified area before you pay a token.

Has the building got BU permission?

For a ready or resale flat, this is the check we would never skip. BU permission is Gujarat’s occupancy certificate. Without it, using the building is treated as unauthorised, and AMC’s FAQ says drainage, water supply and electricity are obtained only after it is granted.

For a RERA project, the BU number and date appear in the project end section on GujRERA. For an older building, ask for the BU copy and the plan it refers to. Our guide to BU permission in Ahmedabad covers how to read it and what to do if it is missing.

What should you check inside the flat?

Paperwork first, then the walk through:

1. Measure the main rooms and compare them with the RERA carpet area in your agreement, not the super built up figure on the price sheet. In the Shantigram towers we track, the price sheet area runs 80% to 92% above the carpet area.
2. Check that the parking you are paying for is shown as parking on the approved plan or the BU smart card.
3. Look for seepage around bathrooms, the kitchen and, on top floors, the ceiling. Visit once after rain if you can.
4. Run the taps in the evening, when pressure drops, and check the lift and the generator backup.
5. For a new flat, note the possession date in writing. Under the RERA Act, defects reported within five years of possession must be fixed free.

What should you check with the housing society?

For a resale flat, the society is half the transaction. Ask for:

• the share certificate in the seller’s name, and the society’s consent or no objection letter for the transfer
• a written statement of maintenance, sinking fund and any pending special charges
• the transfer fee the society will charge you, in writing
• the latest paid property tax bill and the electricity bill, so you can take over both in your name

Any society that will not give dues in writing before registration is a warning in itself.

How much will the flat really cost?

Stamp duty in Gujarat is 4.9% under the Gujarat Stamp Act, charged on the agreed price or the jantri based market value, whichever is higher. A registration fee of 1% comes on top. The registration fee is waived when a woman is the sole buyer. On a ₹75 L flat bought by a man or a couple:

You also withhold 1% TDS from the seller’s payment when the price is ₹50 L or more, ₹75,000 here, and deposit it with the Income Tax Department. That is not an extra cost, but forgetting it is. If you buy from an NRI seller, the TDS rules are different and you need a chartered accountant before you pay anything.

Under construction flats bought from the builder add 5% GST, which on this flat would be ₹3,75,000.

What is the procedure for buying a flat in Ahmedabad?

1. Shortlist, then run the GujRERA, title and BU checks above.
2. Agree the price and payment plan in writing. Pay any token by bank transfer, never in cash.
3. For a new flat, sign and register the agreement for sale before paying more than 10%.
4. Get your loan sanction letter before you commit to a possession date.
5. Pay stamp duty and the registration fee online through GARVI, which routes payments through Cyber Treasury, and book an appointment slot.
6. Register the sale deed at the sub registrar’s office within four months of signing, with two witnesses, photographs, thumb impressions, and PAN cards for both parties when the value is over ₹10 L.
7. Collect the Index II, then transfer the society membership, property tax and electricity connection into your name.

Your next step

Print the checklist table above and tick it off flat by flat; a blank in any of the first five rows means stop and ask, not negotiate. Our residential team works through this list with buyers. If you are choosing between new projects in Ahmedabad or a resale flat and want the papers read before you pay a token, send us what the seller has shared so far and we will tell you which rows are still blank.