Unit identity and conveyance
Match the flat/unit number, floor, area descriptions, appurtenant rights and the land/share/interest described in the transaction documents to the physical unit the buyer inspected.
Property Type · Apartments
An apartment purchase is a unit decision, a building decision and a shared-ownership decision at the same time.
A good interior does not answer the project, common-area or association questions. The buyer should reconcile the exact unit with the building records and understand the shared obligations that continue after registration.
Direct answer
Do not diligence an apartment as if the front door is the boundary of the purchase.
The buyer needs a coherent answer on the unit, the project/building and the common property/management layer.
Seven apartment layers
A careful apartment review goes beyond the sale deed and the flat interior.
The exact depth changes between promoter sales, completed new units and resales.
Project / building approvals
Identify the sanctioned project/building record, material revisions, completion/occupancy position where applicable and whether the unit offered to the buyer matches the approved/recorded building context.
RERA project status where applicable
For a promoter sale or project that falls within the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, confirm the exact project/phase and current registration/disclosure record rather than relying on a generic RERA claim.
Common areas and association
Understand the building’s common areas, association/management structure, maintenance obligations, common expenses and the buyer’s practical rights/responsibilities in shared facilities.
Parking and access
Record the parking represented with the unit, visitor/service access, lift/stair access and any practical restrictions; keep documentary entitlement separate from what is currently used.
Building condition and services
Inspect common-area condition, water/storage, drainage, dampness/leaks, lifts, backup power, waste systems and other shared services relevant to the building, escalating technical issues where required.
Dues, handover and resale history
For resale units, identify outstanding association/maintenance/property-related dues, possession/handover items, keys/access devices, service records and tenant/occupancy issues where relevant.
Three purchase contexts
The apartment checklist changes according to who is selling and whether the project is complete.
Use the same evidence discipline, but move different records to the front.
Under-construction / promoter sale
Project and phase identity, RERA applicability/status, sanctioned plans/specifications, payment/advance terms, completion milestones and promised common facilities deserve early review.
Completed new unit
Focus on the completed/occupancy position where applicable, unit-to-approved-plan match, handover, defects/condition, association/common areas and outstanding promoter obligations.
Resale apartment
Add prior conveyance/title chain, association dues, alterations inside the unit, common-area condition, parking/access entitlement, tenancy/possession and building maintenance history.
Current statutory context
Tamil Nadu now has a current apartment-ownership framework alongside RERA.
The Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership Act, 2022 came into force in March 2024, and the Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership Rules, 2024 address declarations, associations and common-property administration. Separately, RERA regulates qualifying real-estate projects and promoter/allottee obligations.
Shared ownership
Common-property questions remain after the unit itself looks satisfactory.
These questions affect practical ownership and should be visible before the transaction completes.
Site visit
Inspect the building, not only the apartment.
Walk the parking, access, stairs/lifts, water and waste areas, common circulation, terraces/basements where accessible and relevant shared systems. Record defects or inconsistencies for targeted professional follow-up.
Professional boundaries
Apartment coordination works best when each record answers only the question it is designed to answer.
Regulatory, association, local-authority, conveyance and technical evidence should not be substituted for one another.
RERA registration is not a title opinion
Project registration/disclosure is a separate regulatory evidence stream; the buyer’s lawyer should still review title/conveyance and other property-specific issues.
Association records are not building approvals
Association formation, maintenance bills or common-area use do not replace sanctioned-plan, completion/occupancy or local-authority review where relevant.
Marketing area is not enough
Carpet/saleable/built-up terminology in marketing should be reconciled with the agreement/conveyance and approved/recorded unit information.
A snag list is not engineering certification
Visible defects can be documented, but structural, waterproofing, MEP and fire/lift/system conclusions belong to qualified professionals or authorities.
Parking use and parking entitlement are different questions
Record how parking is currently used, then verify the documentary/association position separately.
Current primary sources
The apartment framework is grounded in the current Tamil Nadu apartment-ownership rules, RERA and building regulations.
These sources establish the regulatory structure. The exact project, unit and building still require property-specific record review.
Apartments
Know the unit, the building and the shared obligations before treating the purchase as complete.
Keep project records, association/common-property questions, physical condition and the conveyance review in one buyer-side status view.
See Buyer Due Diligence Support