Buying property in Kerala: stamp duty, registration and land records
Stamp duty on a sale deed in Kerala is recorded at 8%, whether the buyer is a man or a woman. Source: Registration Department, Government of Kerala, last checked 23 September 2026; we could not confirm it is the currently notified figure, so check before you budget. Registration: 2% of value. Duty is charged on the higher of the agreed price and the official value, which Kerala calls the fair value. Fixed per land category by the Revenue Department. It is paid through the Kerala Registration Department portal.
Updated 23 September 2026, the date the stamp duty figures were last checked.
Stamp duty and registration in Kerala
Stamp duty is a state tax on the sale deed; the registration fee is a separate charge paid to the sub-registrar when the deed is registered.
Source: Registration Department, Government of Kerala. Last checked 23 September 2026.
Official property value
Kerala calls the government’s own value for a property the fair value. Fixed per land category by the Revenue Department.
It matters because stamp duty (and the registration fee where it is a percentage) is charged on the higher of the price in your agreement and this value. If you agree a price below it, you still pay duty on the official value.
Land records
Land records in Kerala are kept by the state revenue department. Ask the department or the tehsil office for the record of rights for the survey number, and read it alongside the chain of sale deeds and an encumbrance certificate; an online record shows the revenue entry and possession, not ownership.
RERA
Projects above the RERA threshold must be registered with the state’s real estate regulatory authority, and the number is printed on every advertisement. We have not recorded Kerala’s authority here; ask the builder for the number and look it up on the authority’s own site.
Land units used
Areas in Kerala are commonly quoted in square feet, cent, acre, hectare. Each of these has one fixed size:
Revenue records also use the are (100 square metres).
Buying and registering in Kerala, step by step
- Agree the price and sign an agreement to sellThe agreement records the price, the payment schedule, the date by which the sale deed will be registered and what happens to the token if either side walks away. Ownership does not pass yet.
- Check the title and the land recordHave a lawyer read the chain of sale deeds and ask the sub-registrar's office for an encumbrance certificate. For land, check the record of rights with the Kerala revenue department.
- For a new project, check the RERA registrationAsk for the project's RERA number and look it up on the Kerala authority's own register before you pay a booking amount.
- Look up the fair valueStamp duty is charged on the higher of the agreed price and the fair value for that property, so find the figure for the exact locality before you budget.
- Pay the stamp dutyThrough the Kerala Registration Department portal, before or at the time of registration. Carry the receipt to the appointment.
- Register the sale deed at the sub-registrarBuyer, seller and two witnesses attend with originals and identity proof. The registration fee is paid here: 2% of value. The deal is not complete until the deed is on the sub-registrar's record.
- Get the records changed to your nameApply for mutation in the municipal and, for land, the revenue record, so property tax bills and the record of rights show you as the owner. It is a separate step from registration and easy to forget.
What to confirm before you pay
- No gender concession on the sale deed rate.
- We could not confirm that the figure above is the currently notified rate. Treat it as a starting point and confirm with the department before you budget.
- If the agreed price is below the official value, duty is still worked out on the official value. Understating the price does not lower it.
Cities in Kerala with live listings
Busiest first, by live listings as this page loaded.
Common questions
What is the stamp duty in Kerala?
Stamp duty on a sale deed in Kerala is recorded at 8%, whether the buyer is a man or a woman. Registration: 2% of value. Recorded from Registration Department, Government of Kerala, last checked 23 September 2026.
What is the circle rate called in Kerala?
Kerala calls the official value the fair value. Fixed per land category by the Revenue Department. Stamp duty is charged on the higher of this value and the agreed price.
Which land units are used in Kerala?
Listings and records commonly use square feet, cent, acre, hectare.
General information from the sources named on this page, not legal advice. Confirm current rates with the department before you pay.