The Maharashtra state government has introduced the Vertical Property Card scheme for flat and commercial unit owners in cities such as Mumbai and Pune, according to a report in Pune Mirror. This initiative represents a significant shift from the existing system where land records generally list only the builder, landowner or housing society as the owner of the plot. The reform is intended to formalise unit-level ownership in multi-storey buildings and give every flat a distinct government-recognised identity.
Under the new framework, a flat owner's name will be recorded in official land documents along with details such as the floor, carpet area and proportionate share in the underlying land. The document will function as a digitally authenticated ownership record, giving flat and commercial unit owners stronger legal proof of their stake in the property. The scheme is aimed at over 16.53 crore flat owners across the state and features a nominal fee of ₹500 for obtaining this secure document.
The card is expected to significantly streamline property transactions, resales, bank loan approvals, and complex redevelopment processes. According to Pune Mirror, the new system will include digital features such as authentication and QR-based verification, making ownership records easier to check and harder to manipulate. The reform is particularly important for cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Thane, where lakhs of residents live in high-rise buildings but often lack an individual revenue record linking their flat to the land beneath it.
For housing societies, the reform could prove crucial during redevelopment. As reported by Pune Mirror, disputes over ownership, carpet area and proportional land rights often slow down redevelopment proposals in older buildings. With each unit's details recorded separately, the government expects the process to become more transparent and less dependent on fragmented paperwork. The card is also expected to reduce fraud risks in urban real estate, including duplicate sales and multiple loans being taken against the same property.
