Land Records
What is a Property Card?
The document Mumbai flat buyers actually need — and are almost never told about, because everyone is busy telling them to check the 7/12.
The short answer
The Property Card is Maharashtra's land record for URBAN land — land within a City Survey area, recorded against a CTS number rather than a survey or gat number.
If you are buying in Mumbai, Pune, Thane or Navi Mumbai, this is the record that matters. The 7/12 extract, which everyone tells you to check, is an agricultural record.
What a Property Card contains
- The CTS number — City Survey number, the urban equivalent of a survey number
- The holder's name
- The area of the plot
- The tenure — freehold, leasehold, occupancy class
- Encumbrances — mortgages, charges, government dues
- Mutation entries — the history of transfers
- Any government or collector's restrictions on the land
Property Card vs 7/12
| 7/12 Extract (Satbara) | Property Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies to | Agricultural land | Urban land, in a City Survey area |
| Identified by | Survey number / Gat number | CTS number |
| Includes crops? | Yes — Form XII is a crop register | No |
| Who needs it | Buyers of agricultural or peri-urban land | Buyers of urban property — including flats |
| Where | Mahabhulekh · Digital Satbara | e-Maha Bhumi · City Survey Office |
This is the distinction that catches out almost every first-time Mumbai buyer. If someone tells you to 'check the 7/12' on a Bandra flat, they are sending you to an agricultural land record.
What the Property Card tells you about your society
This is where the Property Card becomes genuinely powerful for a flat buyer.
If the card names the SOCIETY — conveyance has been done. The society owns the land. It can redevelop. Good.
If the card still names the BUILDER — conveyance has not been done. The builder still owns the land under your building. The society cannot redevelop without them, and they may still hold unused FSI on your plot.
One document. One name. It tells you something no brochure ever will.
This is, in practice, the single most useful thing a Mumbai flat buyer can check — and it is free, and it takes two minutes.
How to get a Property Card
- e-Maha Bhumi — the Maharashtra land records portal — or the City Survey Office.
- Enter the district, division, village and the CTS number.
- Pay a small fee for a digitally signed copy.
- Verify the digital signature. A screenshot is not a record.
If you don't know the CTS number, it will be on the sale deed, or the society will have it.
What to check
- Whose name is on it — the society, or still the builder?
- The CTS number matches the sale deed and the agreement.
- The area matches.
- The encumbrances — any mortgage or charge on the land?
- The tenure — freehold or leasehold? A leasehold plot with a lease running out is a genuine issue.
- Any collector's restrictions — some Mumbai land carries conditions that limit transfer or require permission.
- The mutation history, against the chain of title.
A significant amount of Mumbai land is leasehold, not freehold — held from the collector, MHADA, or another authority, on a long lease.
The Property Card will say which. If it is leasehold, find out how long is left, and what the renewal terms are.
A lease with 20 years to run is a very different asset from one with 80. It affects the value, the loan, and the redevelopment prospects — and it is not something a broker will volunteer.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Property Card in Maharashtra?
The land record for urban land within a City Survey area, recorded against a CTS number. It shows the holder, the area, the tenure, any encumbrances, and the mutation history. For urban property — including flats in Mumbai and Pune — this, not the 7/12, is the record you need.
Do I need a Property Card or a 7/12 for a Mumbai flat?
A Property Card. The 7/12 extract is an agricultural land record, identified by survey or gat number. Urban land in a City Survey area is recorded on a Property Card against a CTS number. Almost every first-time Mumbai buyer is sent to the wrong document.
How do I know if my society owns the land?
Look at the Property Card. If it names the SOCIETY, conveyance has been done and the society owns the land. If it still names the BUILDER, conveyance has not happened — the builder still owns the land under your building, the society cannot redevelop without them, and they may still hold unused FSI on your plot. One document, one name.
Where can I get a Property Card?
Through e-Maha Bhumi, the Maharashtra land records portal, or the City Survey Office. Enter the district, division, village and CTS number. Pay a small fee for a digitally signed copy — and verify the signature, because a screenshot is not a record.
What is leasehold land on a Property Card?
A significant amount of Mumbai land is held on long lease from the collector, MHADA or another authority, rather than freehold. The Property Card will say which. If it is leasehold, find out how long is left and what the renewal terms are — a lease with 20 years to run is a very different asset from one with 80, and it affects value, loans and redevelopment.