Legal Description of Property: Meaning, Format, Examples (2026)
Understand what legal description of property means in India and Karnataka what it includes, sample formats, types (metes and bounds, plat), and how to read property description on a deed.
Quick Summary: (TL; DR)
A legal description of property is the formal, official written description of a piece of real estate that precisely identifies its boundaries, dimensions, location, and physical characteristics in a legally accepted format that leaves no ambiguity about which exact piece of land or flat is being transferred. In Karnataka and India, the legal property description appears in the Schedule of Property section of every registered deed sale deed, gift deed, mortgage deed, partition deed, or lease deed. It typically includes: survey number, plot/flat number, extent of area, boundaries (North, South, East, West), building details, and PID/Khata reference. A wrong or vague legal description is one of the most common causes of property disputes in Karnataka courts.
What Is a Legal Description of Property?
While buying or selling flats or plots in Bengaluru, the property to be sold needs to be precisely identified by its legal description in the document. And not merely by its address. A legal description – an officially sanctioned, detailed description that clearly pinpoints that particular piece of immovable property.
Legal description of property means that a property's borders, location, measurement, features and characteristics need to be defined in such a way that it satisfies the standards of Sub-Registrar's Office, judicial system, banks and all government departments.
It attempts to answer this basic legal question: Which plot or which flat are we speaking of here?
An address such as "Flat 304, 3rd floor, Sunrise Apartments, Koramangala, Bengaluru" helps one locate the place using Google Maps. But it is inadequate to describe the property in a legal document as it doesn't refer to the survey number, precise measurements, borders or other government land records.
What Makes the Legal Description of Land Important?
The document should be written down, it should be signed by both sides involved in the transaction, and it should have the land description included in it.
A wrong legal description causes:
Problem | Real Consequence |
Survey number error | EC entries don't match land records property unmarketable |
Boundary mismatch | Neighbour encroachment claims decades of litigation |
Wrong area mentioned | Stamp duty dispute deficiency notice from SRO |
Flat number omitted | Future buyers cannot verify the specific unit |
PID number missing | The BBMP Khata transfer cannot be completed |
Building plan deviation not disclosed | The buyer can claim misrepresentation |
Karnataka courts see hundreds of property dispute cases annually where the root cause is a vague, incorrect, or inconsistent property description across different documents.
What Does a Legal Description of Property Include in Karnataka?
In Karnataka's registered deeds, the legal description of property appears in the Schedule of Property a dedicated section that must contain:
For Residential Flat (Apartment) in Bengaluru:
Element | Example |
Flat / Unit number | Flat No. 304 |
Floor | Third Floor |
Block / Tower | Block B, Tower 2 |
Building / Complex name | Sunrise Apartments |
Full postal address | No. 45, 12th Main, 3rd Block, Koramangala |
Ward and zone | Ward No. 68, South Zone, BBMP |
Survey number | Survey No. 185/1 (or sub-divided survey nos.) |
Built-up area (super built-up) | 1,185 sq ft (110.07 sq metres) |
UDS (Undivided Share of Land) | 485 sq ft (45.06 sq metres) |
Land area (total project plot) | 12,000 sq ft (1,114.8 sq metres) |
PID / e-PID number | 210-123-456-7890 |
Registration reference | As per Sale Deed Doc No. KOR-1-04523-2019–20 |
Boundaries | North: Plot No. 44; South: 12th Main Road; East: Common passage; West: Plot No. 46 |
For Residential Site / Plot in Bengaluru:
Element | Example |
Site number | Site No. 23, 4th Stage |
Layout name | BDA Kempegowda Layout |
Dimensions | 30 feet × 40 feet = 1,200 sq ft |
Survey number | Survey No. 126/3 |
Village / Hobli | Byatarayanapura Hobli, Yelahanka Taluk |
District | Bengaluru Urban District |
Boundaries (North/South/East/West) | North: Site No. 22; South: 15th Cross Road; East: Site No. 24; West: Common area |
Khata number | BDA Khata No. / BBMP Khata No. |
PID | 18-digit PID from BBMP e-Aasthi |
Types of Legal Property Descriptions - Simplified Explanation
1. Description by Metes and Bounds
This method is the oldest and most accurate type - ideal for irregularly shaped lands and farmland. It provides a description of the property from its point of origin using measurements and angles.
Example of Metes and Bounds Description
"Starting from a point on the north side of Survey No. 124, at the southeast corner of the boundary stone erected at the intersection of Surveys Nos. 124 and 125; running thence north 0 degrees, 30 minutes east along the survey line of Survey No. 125, a distance of 120 feet; thence south 89 degrees, 50 minutes east, a distance of 60 feet; thence south 0 degrees, 30 minutes west, a distance of 120 feet; thence north 89 degrees, 50 minutes west, a distance of 60 feet back to the point of beginning. Area: 7,200 square feet."
This type of description appears in older Karnataka property documents particularly for agricultural land, larger plots, and pre-independence properties. For urban flat purchases in Bengaluru, metes and bounds descriptions are combined with the building details.
2. Survey Number Based Description (Most Common in Karnataka)
The most common form in Karnataka uses the government survey number system maintained on the Bhoomi portal (bhoomi.karnataka.gov.in):
Example Survey Number Legal Description for Karnataka Land:
"All that piece and parcel of land bearing Survey No. 85/2, measuring 2 Acres 10 Guntas (approximately 12,375 sq ft), situated at Varthur Hobli, Bengaluru East Taluk, Bengaluru Urban District, Karnataka, bounded on the North by Survey No. 85/1, on the South by Survey No. 86, on the East by Varthur-Sarjapur Road, and on the West by Survey No. 84."
3. Plot/Site Number in Approved Layout
Used for plots in government-approved layouts (BDA, BMRDA, HDUDA):
Example BDA Layout Site Legal Description:
"Site No. 15, 7th Cross, 3rd Block, Arkavathy Layout, Bengaluru North Taluk, measuring 60 × 40 feet (2,400 sq ft / 222.97 sq metres), bearing BDA Khata No. 4521, bounded on the North by Site No. 14, on the South by 3rd Block 7th Cross Road, on the East by Site No. 16, and on the West by Site No. 13."
4. Apartment Flat Schedule Description
Used for all apartment registration in Bangalore, India, as per Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972:
Example: Flat Schedule Description for Bangalore Apartment:
"Flat No. 403, Fourth Floor, Block A, Brigade Meadows, located on Survey No. 247/1 & 248, Gottegere Village, Uttarahalli Hobli, Bengaluru South Taluk, Bangalore Urban District, having a size of 1,350 sq ft super built-up area (125.42 sq metre), Undivided Share of Land (UDS) 512 sq ft (47.59 sq metres) in total land area 78,000 sq ft, possessing BBMP PID No. 310-56-789-1234, bordered on the North by Flat No. 402, on the South by Common Corridor, on the East by Flat No. 404, and on the West by Lift Lobby."
How to Interpret the Legal Description of Property on a Karnataka Sale Deed
Each sale deed in Karnataka has a section called “SCHEDULE” or “SCHEDULE OF PROPERTY” – usually appearing below the deed body and above the signatories. The legal description appears in this section.
Interpreting it involves:
Step 1: Determine the nature of the property (land/plot or flat)
Step 2: If land, locate the survey number and confirm it using the RTC at bhoomi.karnataka.gov.in
Step 3: If flat, locate the flat number, building name, survey number, and UDS number and confirm using the RERA project disclosures at rera.karnataka.gov.in
Step 4: Ensure that the North-South-East-West boundaries match the property
Step 5: Verify the area measurement matches the RERA disclosure, building plan sanction, and Khata certificate
Step 6: Find the PID number and verify it on bbmpeaasthi.karnataka.gov.in
Step 7: Cross-check that the survey number in the deed matches the EC entry on kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in
Any discrepancy in any of these elements is a flag requiring a Rectification Deed to be executed at the SRO.
Sample Legal Description What a Full Example Should Look Like
The following is a complete example of the Schedule of Property used for Bengaluru flat registration:
SCHEDULE OF PROPERTY
The entire piece and parcel of immovable property comprised of Flat No. 502, located on 5th floor, Tower B, at the residential complex called “Green Valley Residences”, situate at Plot No. 28/1, Survey No. 192/3, Bellandur Village, Varthur Hobli, Bengaluru East Taluk, Bengaluru Urban District, Karnataka 560 103.
The above-mentioned flat is a built-up area of 1,260 square feet (117.06 square metres) with Undivided Share of Land (UDS) of 495 square feet (45.99 square metres), and total project land admeasuring 48,500 square feet (4,505 square metres).
Description of the flat:
Northern Boundary: Flat No. 503
Southern Boundary: Common Corridor
Eastern Boundary: Flat No. 504
Western Boundary: Staircase and lift lobby
BBMP PID No.: 270-181-4523-0156
RERA Registration No.: PRM/KA/RERA/1251/308/PR/180904/001234
Common Mistakes in Legal Property Description
Mistake | Why It Is Dangerous |
Survey number copied wrong from old deed | EC mismatch property unmarketable |
Area stated as carpet area instead of super built-up | Stamp duty dispute deficiency notice |
Boundaries left as "as per site" | Encroachment claims court disputes |
UDS not mentioned for flat | Future redevelopment rights are ambiguous |
PID number missing | BBMP Khata transfer gets delayed or rejected |
Old building name used, complex renamed | New buyers cannot verify the property |
Conclusion
The description of the property in a deed is the most technical aspect of any registered deed – but one that is often overlooked by the buyer. However, this is the section that is verified during every subsequent transaction involving the property from lending, reselling, succession, to litigation. The Schedule of Property in your deeds in Karnataka should accurately specify the survey number (verified on bhoomi.karnataka.gov.in), flat information, UDS number, demarcation, and BBMP PID. Any discrepancy here means that you have a bad title. It pays to get an expert in property law to check the schedule.
