Kerala flat owners get individual land ownership rights

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Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant move, Kerala’s Revenue Department has issued an order allowing individual flat and apartment owners to carry out mutation (pokkuvaravu) of their respective land shares under the building complex in their own names. From now on, each flat owner can also pay land tax separately. The decision is expected to benefit nearly two lakh flat owners across the state.
Currently, land tax for all flats in a complex is paid collectively under a single title deed (thandaper)—usually in the name of the builder or residents’ association. The new order will help avoid legal issues when pledging individual flats for loans or selling attached properties. Flat owners can now produce separate land tax receipts for banking and legal purposes.
During a flat sale, pokkuvaravu (ownership change) will be permitted only after the buyer's share of the land is transferred in the title deed. Revenue officials will verify this before issuing a sub-number under the main thandaper.
For instance, if Rajan and Vijayan purchase flats in a building with thandaper number 100, they will be assigned 100/1 and 100/2 respectively. All survey numbers listed in the original title deed (mathru thandaper) will also be reflected in the new deeds.
As new deeds are created, the original deed’s land area will reduce proportionally. Once the entire land is transferred, the original title deed will show zero land and become inactive.
Where the share of land has not yet been transferred to flat owners, the builder will continue to pay land tax. However, individual owners can still pay their portion via the backlog entry system, even if others haven't paid. This system also applies to flats built under tsunami rehabilitation schemes.
In complexes where the exact land share isn’t recorded in sale deeds, land tax receipts will be marked as “Undivided Share (UD)”. In such cases, the land area will be divided equally among the flats. The land tax will be charged at the applicable municipal/panchayat rate, or the minimum amount for one are (2.47 cents), whichever is higher. Ownership certificates may also be issued, referring to the thandaper and noting the undivided status.