Select a letter to view terms commonly used when talking about
property beginning with that letter -
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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N
O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| Abatement Notice |
A notice served on the owner(s) or occupier(s) of a property from
which a private nuisance arises, warning them of the intention to enter
on the land in order to abate the nuisance.
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| Absolute Title |
The right of ownership of a mortgage deed, which gives the right,
in certain specified circumstances, to demand repayment in full, of
the outstanding debt than the due date.
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| Agreement for Lease/Sale |
A contract to enter into a lease (or sale), which in order to be enforceable
either must be evidenced in writing and signed by the person against
whom action is taken for the breach of the alleged contract and there
must be a sufficient act of part performance.
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| Alternative User Value |
The value of land and buildings, which reflects a prospective use,
which is different from that of the current use.
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| Amortisation |
Payment of a debt in equal installments of principal interest, as
opposed to interest only payments.
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| Annuity |
A sum of money paid each year during the life of the recipient. An
annuity is usually paid as a legal obligation under a contract or undertaking,
as through a pension scheme, and may be paid in installments more frequently
than once every twelve months.
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| Asset Valuation |
In the property market this expression is applied to the valuation
if land and buildings or plant and machinery. The term is often used
to describe an expert opinion of the worth of a property, which may
be incorporated into company accounts, where the ownership of the asset
is not necessarily to be transferred but the valuation is required for
the company takeovers, share flotation or mortgages.
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| Assignment |
The transfer of a property interest, especially a lease, from one
party to another.
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| Balloon Payment |
A repayment of a loan bond, usually but not necessarily the final
repayment, which is larger in amount than other installments.
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| Basic Rent |
A monthly rental net of maintenance and interest costs charged or
quoted by landlords for any property. The base rent comprises of only
the payment made for usage of the subject property under a lease agreement.
Imputed costs such as holding costs fit out costs and building service
charges are not usually included in the base rent.
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| Bayana |
An Indian term used to denote the token money given to the landlord
to informally freeze negotiations on a particular property, after the
initial terms and conditions have been formalised.
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| Breach of Contract |
An act, or omission, contrary to enforce specific performance to rescind
the contract and / or to claim damages, the remedy available depending
upon the nature of the breach.
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| Broker/Dealer |
A person or company who acts as a medium of bringing owners and proposed
buyers together with a view to complete a real estate transaction.
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| Brokerage |
Commission paid to a broker.
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| Building Contract |
A contract between an owner or occupier of land and a building contractor,
setting forth the terms under which construction is to be carried out,
basis of remuneration, time scale, and penalties, if any, for failure
to comply with terms of the contract.
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| Buy-Out Rate |
In a funding agreement between a developer and a prospective purchaser,
the pre-determined investment yield which will be used to capitalize
the annual income receivable at the time of sale to determine the buy
out price.
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| Capitalisation |
At a given date the conversion into the equivalent capital worth of
a series of net receipts, actual or estimated, over a period.
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| Clearance Area |
An area that is to be cleared of all buildings. Generally promulgated
by way of a government declaration, which is normally followed by the
acquisition of the land and the clearance of the area.
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| Completion Certificate/Statement |
A certificate issued by the local development authority certifying
that all necessary works have been completed and that the property is
fit for occupation.
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| Conveyance |
A document transferring title to land from one person to another.
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| Current Yield |
The remunerative rate of interest, which is, or would be, a appropriate
at the date of valuation, assuming the property to be let at its full
rental value. It will be the same as the reversion yield where the reversion
is to full rental value, and the same as the term yield where the rent
receivable under the lease is full rental value.
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| Developer |
An entrepreneur who has an interest in a property, initiates its development
and ensures, that this is carried out (for occupation, investment or
dealing) and from the outset accepts the responsibility for providing
or procures the requisite funds needed to finance the whole project.
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| Development Control |
The powers of a local planning authority to control the development
and use of land, which includes inter alia, a. the refusal or grant
(with or without conditions) of planning permission, b. the issue of
enforcement notices, c. the making of revocation, modification or discontinuance
orders, d. the grant or refusal of listed building consents and e. the
designations of conversion areas.
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| Development Yield |
In a valuation to ascertain a ground rent, the rate at which costs
are de-capitalised to find the annual deduction from the occupation
rents.
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| Discounted Cash Flow Analysis |
Techniques used in investment and development appraisal whereby future
inflows and outflows of cash associated with a particular project are
expressed in present -day terms by discounting. The most widely used
forms of DCF are the internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value
(NPV). The techniques may be used for such purposes as the valuation
of land and investment, the ranking of projects or their components.
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| Effective Rent |
The gross rent payable per month by the occupiers which includes the
base rent, maintenance charges, imputed costs of loss of interest on
security deposit and rental advance. The effective rent indicates the
total cash outflow of an occupier every month on account of leasing
any property.
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| Equity Linked Mortgage |
A mortgage whereby the interest on the principal in part or in whole
is calculated, usually yearly, by reference on the security, e.g. It
may reflect annual increase or possible decreases, in the annual return
on, or the value of, the property in which the mortgage is secured.
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| Escalation Clause |
A clause specified in lease agreements wherein renewals of lease period
are built in. It involves an increment in the base rent at every renewal
of a lease agreement in the base rent at every renewal of a lease agreement
and is generally a percentage rate that is either pre agreed or negotiated
before the renewal of the lease agreement.
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| Facilities Management |
The coordination of many specialist disciplines to create the optimum
working environment for staff.
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| Fair Rent |
The rent determined by a rent executive (or, on appeal, by a rent assessment
committee) under a regulated tenancy and registered.
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| FERA |
An act to regulate certain payments dealing in foreign exchange, securities,
the import & export of currency and acquisition of immovable property
by foreigners. Under Section 31 (1) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation
Act (FERA) of 1973, It is mandatory for foreign corporations, which
are not incorporated in India to obtain permission from the Reserve
Bank Of India (RBI) to acquire, hold, transfer or dispose off in any
manner (expect by way of lease for a period not exceeding five years)
any immovable property in India.
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| Fire Certificate |
A certificate covering matters of safety required under the legislation
for hotels, boarding houses, factories, offices shops and railway premises,
excluding those buildings containing less than a minimum number of employees.
In order to obtain a fire certificate, one must apply to a fire certificate,
one must apply to a fire executive, who then inspects the building and
issues a list of requirements (e.g. Fire doors). Once the fire executive
is satisfied that those requirements have been met he will issue the
fire certificate. It enables fire executives, in the event of an emergency,
to have prior knowledge inter alia of the permitted number of people
on each floor; it also informs officials if any authorised inflammables
/explosives materials on the premises.
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| Fit Outs |
Relate to the interior permanent furnishings required in a property
including HVAC ducting, fire protection system implementation, establishment
of workstations and telephone/computer cabling among other, in order
to make the property fit for usage.
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| Force Majeure |
A force, which cannot be resisted, in other words, something beyond
the control of the parties involved. It includes acts of God and acts
of man, e.g. Riots, strikes, arson. In many contracts and insurance
policies, specific provision is made for damage or injury arising from
force majeure. For example, the financial liability of a building contractor
for failure to complete by a specific date may be relieved to the extent
it was caused be force majeure. This is a common clause in most property
contracts.
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| Foreclosure |
The legal process by which a mortgagee can sell the mortgagors interest
in the property to satisfy debt.
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| Freehold |
In general parlance this is used as shorthand for the tenure of an
estate in fee simple absolute in possession. Strictly speaking, however,
freehold includes fee simple, entailed interests and tenancies for life.
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| Frontage (Line) |
The full length of a plot of land or a building measured alongside
the road on to which the plot or building fronts. In the case of contiguous
buildings individual frontages are usually measured to the middle of
any party wall.
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| Greased Lease Back |
The disposal by a freehold or leasehold owner of his interest on a
property or leasehold interest where the rent payable is geared to a
fixed percentage of some variables, often rack-rental value.
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| Green Field Site |
An area of land, usually in the edge of a town or city or away from
substantial urban areas, hitherto undeveloped but for which development
is now proposed.
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| Gross External Area (GEA) |
The aggregate superficial area of a building taking each floor into
account. As described in the RICS/ISVA Code of Measuring Practice (UK),
this includes: external walls and projections, internal walls and partitions,
columns, piers, chimney-breasts, stairwells, and lift wells, tank and
plant rooms, fuel stores whether or not above main roof level and open-sided
covered areas and enclosed car-parking areas, terraces etc.
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| High Point Loading |
A concentration of abnormally heavy floor-loading at one point or
more particular places in a building or other structure where extra
support may be required.
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| Indian Stamp Act, 1899 |
A legal statute, which provides for the payment of stamp duty in case
of all real estate transactions to duty to the local government. The
value of the stamp duty depends on the rental payable and the lease
term or the sale value as the case may be. This duty is paid by purchasing
non judicial Indian Stamp Paper, on which the lease/sale agreements
are documented.
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| Indenture |
A deed between two or more parties, each party having his own copy.
Originally copies were all included in a single document from which
each was torn or cut along a wavy (intended) line.
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| Institutional Investors |
These are generally taken to include banks, pension funds, insurance
companies, unit trusts and investment trusts, which are together commonly
referred to in the investment field as the "institutions".
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| Investment Yield |
The annual percentage return, which is considered to be for a specific
valuation in an investment being expressed as the ratio of annual net
income (actual or estimated) to the capital value. It is therefore a
measure of an investor's opinion about the prospects and risks attached
to that investment. The better the prospects and lower the risks, the
lower the expected yield and thus the greater the capital value. The
required yield from an investment is estimated in the light of such
factor as -
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- the security in real terms of the capital invested,
- the security in real terms and regularity of income,
- the ability to adjust the income to reflect market conditions,
- the complexity and cost of management,
- the ease and likely cost of realizing the capital and
- the tax position.
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| Internal Rate of Return (IRR) |
The rate of interest (expressed as a percentage) at which all-future
cash flows (positive and negative) must be discounted in order that
the net present value of those cash flows should be equal to zero. It
is found by trial and error by applying present values at different
rates of interest in turn to the net cash flow. It is something called
the discounted cash flow rate of return.
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| Joint Agent |
One or two or more agents jointly instructed by a principal to act
on his behalf. In the case of estate agents this is normally on the
basis that if any one of the agents effect the sale, letting or other
joint agent(s) will share the remuneration in agreed proportions. None
of these agents would be entitled to a commission if the transaction
is concluded as a result of someone else's introduction.
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| Joint Sole Agent |
One of two or more agents jointly instructed as the only agents entitled
to represent the principal. It is customary for the joint agents to
share any commission earned on an agreed basis, irrespective of which
agent effects the sale or letting.
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| Land Assembly |
The process of forming a single site from a number of land, usually
for eventual development or redevelopment. This will include acquisition
of individual interest the eventual development or redevelopment. This
will include acquisition of the individual interests, removal or discharge
of any restrictive covenants or other encumbrances and obtaining physical
possession, when required, from occupiers.
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| Landlord |
The owner of an interest in land who, in consideration of a rent or
other payment (e.g. A premium), grants the right to exclusive possession
of the whole or part of their land to another person for a specific
or determinable period by way of a lease or tenancy.
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| Lease Agreement |
An agreement, usually written, between the lessor and the lessee,
who allows for the conveyance of property to the tenant under a contract,
and confers usage and control rights to the tenant for the duration
of lease. Apart from financial terms and conditions, several clauses
describing the other binding terms and conditions of the agreement are
also documented.
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| License |
The lawful grant of a right to do something, which would otherwise
be illegal or wrongful. It may be gratuitous, contractual or coupled
with an interest in land. The grantor of license is the licensor and
the grantee is the licensee. A gratuitous ("Mere" or "bare") license
can always be revoked (i.e. Cancelled), but revocability of a contractual
license depends on the terms of the contract. A license coupled with
an interest in land may be irrevocable and unlike the other two categories,
may be binding on successors in title of the licensor. One example of
license is permission, usually required in writing, given specifically
by an owner to a tenant, enabling something to be done which otherwise
would be in breach of a term of the lease. A license does not itself
transfer any interest in the land but may authorise the licensee to
enter the licensor's land for some specific purposes of the license;
the licensor may enter the land and use it in any way not inconsistent
with the rights of the licensee. However, a landlord may authorise by
license some act or omission by a tenant, which would otherwise be a
breach of the terms of the lease.
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| Load Bearing |
The capacity of an element in a building structure to support a weight
in addition to its own, whether vertically or laterally. Thus a load
bearing wall is one, which supports part of the structure in addition
to its own weight.
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| Maintenance |
In property parlance, the keeping of a building, structure or other
physical feature in a specified e.g. Wind and weather tight, condition.
The approved cost of maintenance may be deductible for income taxation.
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| Mortgage |
The conveyance of a legal or equitable interest in freehold or leasehold
property as security for a loan and with provision for redemption on
repayment of the loan. The lender (mortgagee) has powers of recovery
in the event of default by the borrower (mortgagor). A mortgage is a
form of land charge and can be either legal or equitable.
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| Negotiation |
Discussion, written or otherwise, between two or more parties no different
sides, the aim being to reach a common agreement.
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| Non Confirming Use |
The use of a property which does not conform to the allocation of
the area for planning purposes. Such a property may have been built
in conformity with the planning requirement at the time and a policy
change ensued; more usually, the property was constructed before planning
control was introduced.
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| Net Present Value Method (NPV) |
A method used in discounted cash flow analysis to find the sum of
money representing the difference between the present value of all inflows
and outflows of cash associated with the project by discounting each
at a target yield.
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| Open Market Value |
The best price which might reasonably be expected to be obtained at
arms' length for an interest in a property at the date of valuation,
subject to any statutory assumptions which may be required.
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| Outgoings |
Costs incurred by the owner of an interest in property, usually calculated
on a yearly basis. Eg. management, repairs, rates, insurance and rent
payable to the holder of a superior interest, as appropriate to his
contractual or other liabilities. It is prudent to make annual provision
for future items involving expenditure at intervals of more than one
year.
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| Patwari |
Usually denotes the person appointed by a local government or land
authority to maintain and update land ownership records for a specific
area as well as to undertake the collection of land taxes.
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| Penal Rent |
A financial punishment of a tenant for failing to honour his obligation
to pay rent at the proper time, taking the form of a vastly higher figure
being payable during the period of default.
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| Permitted One |
- A use authorised by a grant of planning permission or
- A use allowed by the deemed grant of planning permission under the
local development control norms.
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| Pre-Stressed Concrete |
A type of reinforced concrete in which all or some of the ordinary
steel reinforcement is replaced by high-tensile steel bars or wires
which are tensioned by 'pre-tensioning' or 'post-tensioning'. The number
and positioning of wires or tendons can be arranged to eliminate all
tension in the concrete, thereby preventing cracking and so rendering
the concrete water-tight and gas-tight as well as increasing in durability.
Pre-stressed concrete structures can achieve greater spans and carry
higher loading.
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| Premium Rent |
A rent above the level which a property could reasonably be expected
to command in the open market on normal terms. Such rents may be justified
in instances where the tenant receives a present or future benefit against
the market. Eg. in inflationary conditions where upward-only rent reviews
are normally required at three-yearly intervals, the tenant may be prepared
to pay a higher rent if fixed for a longer period of say, 5 years.
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| Private Treaty |
The most common method of disposal of real property, in which negotiations
are carried out between the vendor and prospective purchasers (or their
respective agents) privately and in comparative secrecy, normally without
any limit on the time within which they must be completed. Before contracts
are exchanged.
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| Project Management (Development Management) |
The leadership role which plans, budgets, co-ordinates, monitors and
controls the operational contributions of property professionals, and
others, in a project involving the development of land in accordance
with a client's objectives in terms of quality, cost and time.
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| Property Investment Trust |
A public company, having certain tax advantages and complying with
rules applicable to its operation and investment activities, managed
by a professional specialist team and established for the purpose of
acquiring mainly shares in property companies-public or private. To
such an extent, as is permitted legally, without prejudicing its beneficial
tax treatment; it may invest in other securities, own property directly
or undertake development. It provides shareholders with an interest
in a wide ranging portfolio and the reassuring knowledge that investment
policy is in the hands of experts.
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| Property Management |
The range of functions concerned with looking after buildings, including
collection of rents, payment of outgoings, maintenance including repair,
provision of services, insurance and supervision of staff employed for
services, together with negotiations with tenants or prospective tenants.
The extent of and responsibility for management between landlord and
tenant depend on terms of the lease(s). The landlord may delegate some
or all of these functions to managing agents.
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| Property Portfolio Management |
The unified management of a group of properties which are held in
one ownership. Decisions taken in respect of any issue are reached on
the basis of achieving the maximum benefit for the owners, having regard
to the effect on the portfolio as a whole rather than on an individual
property.
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| Pugree |
An Indian term used to describe an interest free security deposit
given to landlords which is refundable at the expiry of the lease term
to the outgoing tenant by the successive tenant.
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| Qualified Covenant |
A restriction contained in a legal document which limits the rights
of a person having an interest in the land but, by its wording envisages
the possibility of removing the limitation on terms agreed between the
parties eg. a covenant by a lessee not to assign or sublet without the
landlord's written consent. In certain cases, such as the one quoted,
statute law strengthens the applicant's position by importing such words
as "such consent not to be unreasonably withheld".
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| Rack Rent |
A rent representing the full, or nearly the full, letting value of
a property on a given set of terms and conditions.
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| Refurbishment |
Improvement and modernisation of a building falling short of rebuilding
or redevelopment and thus not normally requiring planning permission
(other than for alterations to the external appearance), except in the
case of listed buildings.
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| Rent Act(s) |
Legislation promulgated by various states in India, which regulates
the terms and conditions of the rental market with a view to curb profiteering
and hoarding. Though its restrictive nature has not allowed owners to
enjoy economic returns from same categories of property, thereby allowing
market inefficiencies.
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| Rent Free Period |
An agreed period, usually for several weeks or months, during which
a lessee is allowed to occupy the subject premises without payment of
rent -
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- in consideration for the tenant incurring expenditure on such matters
as fitting out premises or carrying out repairs or improvements;
- to reflect market conditions which favour tenant eg. where the space
available for letting exceeds the total tenant demand in that area
- or by virtue of both a and b.
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| Rentable Area |
The area of floor space for which rent is calculated even though other
areas, within or outside the premise, are lawfully used by the tenant.
For example, in an office building it is customary to exclude from the
direct calculation of rent the space used for corridors, atrium and
stairways.
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| Rental Advance |
Comprises a lump sum payment to the landlord at the beginning of the
lease term, which is thereafter adjusted in equal installments over
the lease term against the monthly base rental payable by the tenant.
The advance amount generally ranges between 3 to 18 months depending
on the city, type, location of property and the period of the lease.
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| Sale and Leaseback |
An arrangement whereby a freeholder or lessee sells his interest in
a property for an agreed sum and takes back a lease on the whole or
part of the property from the purchaser, generally either at a rack
rent or at some lesser rent related to the price paid.
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| Security Deposit |
Comprises of an interest free lump sum payment to the landlord at
the commencement of the lease, which is refundable at the end of the
lease term. Though the deposit amount varies depending on city, property
type, location and the period of the lease, it may range anywhere between
6 to 18 months of monthly rental. It is not uncommon for some landlords
to provide a bank guarantee to the tenant as security for the repayment
of the initial deposit amount.
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| Site Plans |
A drawing of an area of land, on a horizontal plane, showing the boundaries
and physical extent of the land included in a particular parcel. It
may also show any existing buildings or the proposed layout of a development.
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| Sub Leasing |
A method wherein, the primary lessee of a property has the right to
further lease out a part or whole of the property to another occupier
or lessee. Essentially, the right to sub lease is decided beforehand
at the time of signing the main lease agreement and is with the consent
of both the leasor and the leasee.
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| Suspended Ceiling |
A ceiling, not being part of the structural framework of a building,
installed below the level of the underside of the floor above or of
the roof. Commonly used to provide space for services eg.
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- cables, recessed lighting and piping;
- to reduce the cost of heating in a room;
- to improve the acoustics;
- or to produce more aesthetically pleasing proportions.
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| Tax Clearance [37-(I)] |
The Income Tax Act, 1961 specifies that any lease transaction for
not less than 12 years or any sale transaction, above a prescribed transaction
value limit tax, has to undergo a clearance process from the appellate
body known as the Income Tax Appropriate Authority, constituted under
the Income Tax Act. A joint application by the parties involved in the
transaction is submitted along with processing fees to the Income Tax
Authority, which takes upto a maximum of three months to grant the clearance,
without which the sale transaction is not complete. This procedure is
popularly known as the 37-(I) clearance, which is the application form
number used for this purpose.
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| Tenancy |
The interest of a person holding property by any right or title or
an arrangement, whether by formal lease or informal agreement, whereby
formal lease or informal agreement, whereby the owner (the landlord)
allows another (the tenant) to take exclusive possession of land in
consideration for rent, with or without a premium, either: for an agreed
period of on a periodic basis until formally terminated.
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| Tenant's Improvements |
Improvements to land or buildings to meet the needs of and carried
out wholly or partly at the expense of the tenant.
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| Turnover Rent |
A rent which is calculated as a proportion of the annual turnover
of the lessee's business. Usually, it does not fall below a base rent.
More commonly used in the USA, although in recent years being applied
with increasing frequency in the Europe and the mature markets of Asia,
especially in the case of he more profitable retail outlets.
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| Uplifted Rent |
A rent which reflects lease terms which are more beneficial to the
tenant than prevailing commercial terms, eg. a higher rent to reflect,
say, 14-yearly reviews, rather than the more common five-yearly reviews.
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| Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act (ULCRA) |
A legislation promulgated in 1976 as a social equity measure with
a view to curb profiteering and hoarding in the urban land market as
well as prevent urban congestion. Urban centers i.e. cities were classified
into categories such as A, B and C and a ceiling on the maximum permissible
usage on land by respective owners was set under provisions of the act.
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| User |
A person who uses, enjoys or has a right over a property.
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| Vaastu Shastra |
A traditional Indian architectures and design system, which specifies
the detailed methodology of designing buildings, buying land etc. in
order to maximise benefits from the same for the occupier. This system
relies in harmonising any real estate development with the five elements
of Indian Mythology namely air, water, earth, fire and space.
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| Valuation |
The process of making an estimate of worth of real property or real
property or other assets for a particular purpose eg. Letting, purchase,
sale, audit, rating, compulsory purchase or taxation. That purpose and
the relevant circumstances will determine assumptions and facts that
are appropriate and hence the process used.
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| Value |
The price that might an interested in property or some other asset
might reasonably be expected to fetch if disposed of at right.
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| Vertical Slice Participation |
A method of multi-participation in a venture, usually a development,
whereby each of the participants owns a separate legal interest in the
whole of the property concerned by way of he freehold, head lease or
a subordinate interest. The documentation normally ensures that rental
and other income and /or capital receipts as well as the cost of any
revenue or capital liabilities are shared by the participants in predetermined
percentages related to their respective contributions, whether financial
or otherwise.
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| Willing Seller-Willing Buyer |
An assumption sometimes made for valuation purposes that the owner
of the property concerned is willing to dispose of his interest therein
and that there is at least one genuine purchaser in the market for that
interest, whether or not such is actually the case at the date of valuation.
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| Written-Down Value |
At a given time, the result of making one or more annual of periodic
deductions for depreciation against capital cost or worth.
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| Yield Up |
Give up possession, especially by the tenant at the end of a lease.
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| Zone |
A defined area of land or part of a building which is allocated for
a particular purpose, e.g. development plans may allocate areas of land
for different uses or values of property may distinguish between areas
of floor-space of a building and ascribe different values to them.
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| Zoning |
In planning terms, the dividing of an area by a local planning authority
into zones for particular uses or activities.
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