Maharashtra government has initiated the process of granting individual property cards to flat-owners in multi-storey buildings across the state. The long-awaited move aims to correct decades of ambiguity in property records that have so far recognised only landowners while leaving apartment owners unacknowledged in official land registers.
To advance the initiative, the state has set up an eight-member committee tasked with framing Vertical Property Rules that would enable inclusion of individual flat-owners’ names in official land and property documents such as the 7/12 extracts and property cards. These records currently list only the primary landholder, excluding the millions of residents who own apartments on that land. According to officials, the committee will be chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) and include representatives from the Cooperation, Urban Development, Law and Judiciary, and Rural Development departments, along with the Settlement Commissioner, Director of Land Records, and Inspector General of Registration and Stamps. The Joint Secretary of Land Survey will act as the committee’s member-secretary.
The committee’s mandate includes studying similar legislation from other states, such as Karnataka and Gujarat, and drafting rules that could pave the way for Maharashtra’s own version of vertical property ownership. It has been directed to submit a report within one month. Officials said that the rules will also define the process for integrating details of individual flat owners, co-operative housing societies, and developers within a unified digital framework. The decision is seen as a critical reform for cities such as Mumbai, Pune, and Thane, where vertical housing dominates the skyline and most citizens live in apartments. Legal experts note that the absence of property card entries for flat owners has often complicated ownership verification, resale, mortgage approvals, and redevelopment projects.
The committee will also review an earlier proposal submitted by the Settlement Commissioner that sought to establish a system for recognising multi-level ownership in urban areas. Once implemented, the policy could make Maharashtra one of the first states in India to systematically digitise and individualise urban property ownership. Urban policy experts believe the move could democratise access to property rights and support more transparent governance of shared land and common spaces. “This could bring long-term clarity to ownership patterns in high-density cities and reduce disputes in housing societies,” said an official involved in the project.
For a state battling the challenges of unplanned urban growth, the introduction of vertical property recognition represents a significant step towards fair, inclusive, and transparent land administration. It also aligns with the broader vision of developing sustainable, citizen-centred urban ecosystems that acknowledge the realities of vertical living in modern Indian cities.
Maharashtra Government Forms Panel To Grant Individual Property Cards For Flat Owners
