By Kavita Mistry 
For years and years, flat owners in Maharashtra have been struggling with one glaring problem – the unclear ownership of the land that lies beneath their buildings. The papers that one gets, look official, but the most crucial detail—your rightful share of the land—remains buried in confusion.
Vertical Property Card—A Game-Changing Move
Fast forward to now, in what seems like a game-changing and redefining move in the urban property ownership scenario, the Maharashtra government has formed a High-Level Committee to create the new “Vertical Property Card”, a breakthrough set to wipe out ambiguity and bring flat owners the clarity they’ve been waiting for.
This “Vertical Property Card” will serve as a legal document clearly citing the details the flat owner’s share of the land beneath the building along with the total land area of the building. When you look at the issue, the flat ownership is complex because the flats are built vertically on one plot of land, with multiple owners but no clear division of land rights. This issue leads to difficulties in buying or selling flats, getting bank loans, and resolving disputes in societies.
Clearing the Confusion in Flat Ownership
In contrast to land ownership documents like the 7/12 extract, which clearly show who owns specific land, the existing system for flats has no standard process to register individual land shares. This creates issues when flat owners want to sell their property, as the unclear land ownership complicates bank loans, registration, and transactions.
On the other hand, home buyers are also in a fix since the they more often than not struggle to get loans because banks are hesitant to lend on unclear land shares, while registration can be delayed as officials confirm land details. Additionally, redevelopment projects often lead to boundary disputes due to this lack of clarity.
With the aim to simplify transactions, improve bank trust, and prevent disputes, this Vertical Property Card shall resolve these problems by making ownership clear.
Not just that, it shall also help make the process of passing the property onto the heirs much smoother. Once the card is fully implemented, flat owners will see benefits like higher property value, easier inheritance, and faster property deals.
The committee, led by the Additional Chief Secretary, is working to standardize property records across Maharashtra. This step will bring transparency and security to the real estate market, making property ownership clearer and more reliable.
Summary
The Maharashtra government is tackling long-standing confusion over land ownership beneath flats by introducing a “Vertical Property Card”. This new document will clearly define each flat owner’s land share, easing sales, bank loans, registrations, and redevelopment disputes. Led by a High-Level Committee, the initiative aims to standardize records, boost transparency, raise property value, and make inheritance and transactions far smoother across the state.