Sanctioned Plan and Deviations: What a Bengaluru Flat Buyer Must Verify

A family in Bellandur loved a top-floor flat in a small apartment building, agreed a price, and were ready to register when their bank's valuer noticed the building had one more floor than its sanctioned plan allowed. That extra floor, the very one they were buying, was unauthorised construction. The bank declined the loan, and the flat had no clear path to an occupancy certificate. What looked like a great deal was a building that had quietly outgrown its approval, and the buyers had almost inherited the problem. Had the sale gone through, they would have owned a flat that no bank would refinance, that could face action, and that a future buyer would scrutinise just as their own valuer had.

The short answer. A sanctioned building plan sets the approved floors, FAR, setbacks, height and parking, and building beyond those limits is a deviation that can block the occupancy certificate, deter banks and even invite demolition, according to this explainer on plan deviations. The trade-off: small deviations can sometimes be regularised, but large ones cannot be assumed away, so compare the plan against the building before you buy.

What does a sanctioned building plan actually specify?

A sanctioned plan is the approval that says what may be built on a plot, and it sets specific limits: the number of floors, the floor area ratio or FAR that governs how much can be built, the setbacks that must be left open from the boundaries, the building height, and the parking that must be provided. These are not suggestions. They are the terms on which the authority permitted construction, and a building is expected to follow them closely. Each parameter exists for a reason, whether it is the height that keeps the neighbourhood in proportion, the setback that allows light and fire access, or the parking that keeps the street usable for everyone who lives there.

For a buyer, the sanctioned plan is a reference document to hold against reality. When you can read the approved parameters and then look at what stands on the ground, you can see whether the two match. A building that quietly added a floor, shaved its setbacks or skipped required parking has deviated from its sanction, and that gap is exactly what a careful buyer needs to find before paying. The plan is usually available from the developer for a new project, or from the seller and the civic records for an older building, and a reluctance to share it is itself worth noting.

Why do deviations matter so much to a buyer?

Because the consequences land on whoever owns the property. As the source above explains, a property without a valid occupancy certificate can face higher property tax, difficulty securing bank loans, and the risk of demolition where deviations obstruct safety or neighbours' setbacks. Banks frequently decline loans on such properties because their legal status is uncertain, and any buyer of an unauthorised structure effectively takes on that risk with little recourse against the civic authority, which never approved the extra construction in the first place.

The most serious cases involve extra floors or major breaches. A developer who builds beyond the sanctioned count has created unauthorised construction that the authority can order demolished, and such a building cannot legally receive an occupancy certificate. That is why a deviation is not a paperwork quibble but a question about whether the very space you are buying is legal, fundable and safe from action. A buyer who understands this treats the sanctioned plan as seriously as the price, because a beautiful flat on an unauthorised floor is still an unauthorised flat.

Which parts of the plan should you compare?

Focus on the parameters where deviations are common and consequential. The table below maps the main ones to why each matters, so you know what to look for when you hold the sanctioned plan against the building.

FAR in particular is worth understanding, since it caps the total built area allowed on a plot, and our guide to FSI and FAR explained covers how it works. The occupancy certificate then acts as the authority's confirmation that the building broadly matches its plan, which our guide to the occupancy certificate versus completion certificate explains in detail.

What are the most common deviations in Bengaluru buildings?

A handful of deviations turn up again and again, especially in smaller apartment buildings and standalone houses. The most serious is an extra floor beyond the sanctioned count, often added quietly to squeeze in more saleable units, which is unauthorised and hard to regularise. Reduced setbacks are another, where a building extends closer to the boundary than the plan allows, encroaching on the open space meant for light, air and fire access. Converting sanctioned parking into shops or extra rooms is common too, and it directly undercuts a requirement tied to the occupancy certificate.

Other frequent gaps include enclosing balconies or open terraces to add carpet area, and building on setback areas at ground level. None of these is always visible to an untrained eye, which is why comparing the sanctioned plan against the building, ideally with a professional, matters so much. A deviation that seems minor to a seller can be the exact reason a bank hesitates or an occupancy certificate never arrives, so it pays to look closely rather than take a walk-through at face value.

Can deviations be regularised?

Sometimes, but within limits. Small deviations can be regularised under the authority's rules, reported under current BBMP guidelines at up to about 15 percent of the sanctioned plan, through a process involving a registered architect's measurements, an online application, verification and the payment of compounding fees. Deviations beyond that threshold face stricter scrutiny and potential legal action rather than a simple fix.

Two cautions matter here. First, regularisation rules in Karnataka have changed over time and have been the subject of legal challenges, so a scheme that exists today should be confirmed rather than assumed. Second, a promise that a deviation will be regularised later is not the same as a deviation that has actually been regularised, with proof in hand. Treat any unregularised deviation as a live risk and ask for documentation, not reassurance. If a seller says a deviation is being regularised, ask to see the application, the payment of compounding fees and the authority's acknowledgement, and be wary of committing your money until those exist rather than remaining a plan for later.

How should a buyer check a building's plan compliance?

Work through this checklist before you commit, so a deviation cannot become your problem after you have paid.

1. Ask for the sanctioned building plan and read the approved floors, FAR, setbacks and parking.
2. Compare the sanctioned plan against what is actually built on the ground.
3. Check whether the occupancy certificate has been issued for the building.
4. Treat extra floors or reduced setbacks as unauthorised until proven regularised.
5. Confirm your bank will lend on the property as it is built.
6. Ask whether any deviation has been regularised and get the proof.
7. Take legal advice before buying a building with visible deviations.

In a well run registered project such as Adarsh Rosewood, the sanctioned plan, the construction and the occupancy certificate should line up, which is part of the assurance a reputable developer offers. In smaller buildings and resales, the responsibility to compare the plan with the building rests with you, and it is a responsibility worth taking seriously given how much is at stake.

What is the takeaway for a Bengaluru buyer?

A sanctioned plan is the yardstick, and a deviation is what you measure against it. Before you buy, get the plan, walk the building, and satisfy yourself that the floors, setbacks and parking match, or that any gap has genuinely been regularised. Let the occupancy certificate and your bank's willingness to lend serve as independent checks. Do that and you avoid inheriting a structure that the authority never fully approved, which is one of the quietest yet costliest traps in the Bengaluru market. The check costs you nothing more than time and, where needed, a modest fee for professional eyes, and set against the price of a home that is a small and sensible price to pay for certainty.

What does a sanctioned building plan cover?

A sanctioned building plan sets the approved parameters for a building, including the number of floors, the floor area ratio or FAR, the setbacks from the boundaries, the height and the parking provision. Construction is meant to follow it closely. Comparing the sanctioned plan against what is actually built is how a buyer spots a deviation.

What happens if a building deviates from the sanctioned plan?

Deviations beyond permissible limits can stop the occupancy certificate from being issued, make banks reluctant to lend, and in serious cases expose the unauthorised portion to demolition. Properties without a valid occupancy certificate can also face higher property tax and problems at resale, so a large deviation is a genuine risk, not a technicality.

Can building plan deviations be regularised?

Small deviations can sometimes be regularised within limits set by the authority, reported under current BBMP guidelines at up to about 15 percent, through an application, verification and payment of compounding fees. Deviations beyond that limit face stricter scrutiny rather than easy regularisation. Rules have changed over time, so confirm the current position before relying on it.

How does a buyer check for deviations?

Ask the seller or developer for the sanctioned building plan and compare it against what is actually built, looking at the number of floors, setbacks and parking. Check whether the occupancy certificate has been issued, since it is granted only when the building matches the approved plan within permissible deviations. Where anything looks off, take legal advice.

Last updated 2026-09-21. PropNewz Team.