Kerala levies its transfer charges as two separate rates: 8 per cent for stamp duty and 2 per cent for registration. Both are applied to the fair value of the property, which is the state's valuation benchmark. For the ₹50 lakh example that gives ₹4,00,000 in duty plus ₹1,00,000 in registration, and a ₹1 crore home carries ₹10,00,000. Nothing further is added to these figures, so they are not a minimum. The ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore examples use the same rates. This table has applied from 1 April 2023 and is issued by the Registration Department, Government of Kerala.
Public housing progress is reported nationally under PMAY-Urban. Dated 28 September 2026, the Kerala line shows 1,58,780 houses sanctioned. Completed houses number 1,44,264, which is 91% of the sanctioned total, and 5,065 remain under construction. The same report counts 1,44,118 houses as occupied.
A buyer who wants to check a project can look it up with the Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority (E-RERA). Deeds go through the Registration Department, Kerala, while ownership records sit in Ente Bhoomi, the Digital Land Records System. Payotte covers Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in this state, and each city page quotes these same state rates, since no city adds a local charge to them.
In short
On a ₹50 lakh home in Kerala, stamp duty and registration come to ₹5,00,000, charged on the higher of the price and the fair value. Across the RBI's 18 cities, house prices rose +3.6% over a year (Q1:2026-27 (April-June 2026)). A bank lends at most 80% of a ₹50 lakh home (RBI); the average rate on new housing loans was 7.61% in August 2026.
Calculate for Kerala
Kerala in context
Kerala charges stamp duty of 8% of the fair value. On a ₹50 lakh home that is ₹4,00,000, 2nd of the seven whose rates Payotte reads.
The registration fee adds 2%. With the 20% down payment the RBI requires (₹10 lakh), the charges of Kerala bring the money needed on registration day to ₹15,00,000, or 30% of the price.
On the simplified outline Payotte draws, Kerala spans about 280 km east to west and 500 km north to south. Of its covered cities, the two most distant, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, are 180 km apart as the crow flies.
Payotte covers two cities in this state: Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. None of them has a RESIDEX figure, so the price movement here can only be read from the RBI's index of 18 cities (+3.6%).
| State | Stamp duty on ₹50 lakh | Against Kerala | Distance from the centre of Kerala |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puducherry | ₹5,00,000 | +₹1,00,000 | 400 km |
| Rajasthan | ₹3,00,000 | -₹1,00,000 | 1,805 km |
| Chandigarh | ₹2,50,000 | -₹1,50,000 | 2,245 km |
| Maharashtra | ₹2,50,000 | -₹1,50,000 | 925 km |
| Odisha | ₹2,50,000 | -₹1,50,000 | 1,395 km |
| Uttarakhand | ₹2,50,000 | -₹1,50,000 | 2,200 km |
Where to check in Kerala
The official sites to use before buying in Kerala: the register of projects and agents, the portal that registers the sale deed and the land records. Each link goes to a government site.
- Real estate regulator (RERA): Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority (E-RERA), Kerala (did not open from outside India).
- Deed registration and stamp duty: Registration Department, Kerala (did not open from outside India).
- Land records: Ente Bhoomi - Digital Land Records System, Kerala.
Sites listed by the Integrated Government Online Directory of the National Informatics Centre and the list of State and UT registration websites of the National Generic Document Registration System, read between 18 October 2026 and 2 November 2026; 2 sites did not open from outside India that day, the address is the one the official list gives. Search a registration number, a deed or a land record yourself on these sites: Payotte copies nothing from the registers.
The questions, answered
How much stamp duty and registration on a ₹50 lakh home in Kerala?
On a ₹50 lakh home in Kerala, the charges are stamp duty (8%) ₹4,00,000, registration fee (2%) ₹1,00,000: ₹5,00,000 in all, and ₹10,00,000 on ₹1 crore, above the fair value, at the rates read on 14 October 2026.
What EMI on a ₹50 lakh home in Kerala?
On the largest loan an Indian bank may grant (80% of the price, RBI), ₹40 lakh over 20 years at the 7.61% average rate costs ₹32,493 a month.
How much tax when you sell a home in Kerala?
The Income-tax Act applies across India: a gain on a home held more than 24 months is taxed at 12.5% without indexation, ₹2,50,000 on a ₹20 lakh gain, before surcharge and cess
More on the tax when you sell: capital gains tax on property. On the loan: eligibility and EMI.
The figures
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty (8%) on ₹50 lakh | ₹4,00,000 | Registration Department, Government of Kerala |
| Registration fee (2%) on ₹50 lakh | ₹1,00,000 | Registration Department, Government of Kerala |
The RBI and the NHB publish price indices, not prices in rupees. National figures: RBI House Price Index +3.6% over a year (Q1:2026-27 (April-June 2026)); average rate on new housing loans 7.61% (August 2026).
Cities of Kerala on Payotte
Sources
- Duty: Existing rates of stamp duty and registration fees for ready reference (as on 01.04.2023) (rates in force since 1 April 2023); the calculator.
- Housing scheme: States/UTs wise Progress under PMAY-U & PMAY-U 2.0 (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) (as of 28 September 2026).
- Prices and loans: NHB RESIDEX (source acknowledged); RBI House Price Index; RBI lending rates; RBI Credit Facilities Directions 2025, paragraph 111.