| Glossary |
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| Select
a letter to view terms commonly used when talking about property
beginning with that letter - |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L | M | N
| O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z |
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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 officer (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 officer, who then inspects the building
and issues a list of requirements (e.g. Fire doors). Once the
fire officer is satisfied that those requirements have been
met he will issue the fire certificate. It enables fire officers,
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,
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the security in real terms and regularity of income,
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the ability to adjust the income to reflect market conditions,
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the complexity and cost of management,
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the ease and likely cost of realizing the capital and
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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 |
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A use authorised by a grant of planning permission or
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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
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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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