Common Schedule of Plinth Area Rates for the Valuation of Buildings for Rental Calculation Purpose by PWD and for the Purpose of Collection of Stamp Duty by Registration Department During the Year 2018-2019

What the schedule governed

Proceedings Number HDO (B) / 65325 / 2001, dated 14 August 2018, approved a common schedule for valuing buildings by their plinth area and type of construction. The Office of the Engineer-in-Chief (Buildings) and Chief Engineer (Buildings), Public Works Department, Chennai Region, directed its building organisation engineers to use the rates when calculating building rent.

The Registration Department could also use the schedule for collection of stamp duty. The valuation rates excluded the cost of land and were in force from 16 August 2018 to 15 August 2019.

Who it affected

The Common Schedule of Plinth Area Rates was relevant to:

• Owners of private buildings occupied by government offices, where rent was being fixed or renewed.
• Public Works Department engineers responsible for rental valuation.
• People whose buildings were being valued by the Registration Department for stamp duty collection.
• Property professionals checking the historical basis of a building valuation during the stated period.

Location-based additions

The approved rates were generally applicable throughout Tamil Nadu, subject to additions for specified locations:

• 20 per cent within Chennai Corporation limits and the belt extending 32 kilometres around those limits.
• 15 per cent within Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruppur Corporation limits.
• 10 per cent within the Corporation limits of Trichy, Madurai, Salem, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Vellore.
• 5 per cent within all Municipal limits.
• 10 per cent for buildings in the Nilgiris, Kodaikanal and Yercaud Hills.

These additions applied to the rates listed under serial numbers I to XII.

Construction rates shown

The schedule classified buildings by materials, roof type and floor, with rates stated per square metre. Examples include:

• Class A buildings used brickwork in lime or cement mortar with teak wood throughout. A ground-floor building with an RCC slab had a rate of Rs. 7,615 per square metre.
• Class A1 buildings used brickwork in lime or cement mortar with country wood throughout. A ground-floor building with an RCC slab had a rate of Rs. 6,850 per square metre.
• Separate rates were provided for Madras terrace, Mangalore tiles, pan tiles, AC sheets and GI sheets.
• Different figures applied to ground, first, second and other upper floors.
• The depreciation rate shown for Class A was 1 per cent.

Government rental safeguards

Public Works Department field officers were instructed to follow G.O.Ms.No.329, Finance (Salaries) Department, dated 30 August 2001, when fixing new rent or renewing rent. The stated purpose was to avoid extra financial burden on the Government for private buildings occupied by government offices.