What Is a Circle Rate in Delhi?

The circle rate is the government-notified minimum price per unit area for property in a given locality. A sale deed cannot be registered below this value — even if the actual money changing hands is lower — and stamp duty plus registration charges are levied on whichever is higher, the circle-rate value or the declared transaction value.

In Delhi the rates are set by the Revenue Department (Government of NCT of Delhi) and administered through the Sub-Registrar offices. They serve three purposes: they set a floor for property valuation, they form the base on which stamp duty and registration fees are calculated, and they curb the under-reporting of transaction values. Because the rate depends entirely on which of the eight colony categories your property sits in, identifying the correct category is the first thing every buyer and seller needs to do.

Delhi’s A–H Category System

Delhi classifies every residential colony into one of eight categories. Category A is the most premium (highest rates); Category H is the most affordable. The category is fixed by the government and published in its notification — it is not something a buyer or seller can choose.

Area-Wise Residential Circle Rates (2026)

The table below shows the minimum land cost per square metre for residential use in each category, along with the more familiar per-square-yard and per-square-foot equivalents. Type a category letter or a locality to filter.

Delhi Circle Rate Calculator

Estimate the minimum registered value, stamp duty and registration charges for a Delhi property. Enter the plot area (for an independent house/plot) and/or the built-up area, pick the colony category, and choose the buyer's ownership type.

Tip: for a plot of land with no structure, leave built-up area as 0. For an apartment, enter the flat's built-up area and set plot area to 0 (or to your proportionate land share, if known).

How Delhi Circle Rate Value Is Calculated

Delhi values a property in two parts — the land and the structure standing on it. The minimum registered value is the sum of both:

Worked example — independent house (Category C, e.g. Malviya Nagar)

A 100 sq m plot with 180 sq m of built-up area (ground + first floor):

Land value = 100 × ₹1,59,840 = ₹1,59,84,000
Construction value = 180 × ₹13,920 = ₹25,05,600
Minimum registered value = ₹1,84,89,600
Stamp duty (male, 6%) = ₹11,09,376  ·  Registration (1%) = ₹1,84,896

Flats & multi-storey apartments

For an apartment, the construction cost is applied to the flat's built-up area and a proportionate share of the land value is added. DDA, CGHS and registered-society flats are taken at a factor of 1.0, while flats built by private builders (up to four storeys) carry a plinth-area multiplier of roughly 1.10–1.25. An age/depreciation factor between 0.5 (older buildings) and 1.0 (newer construction) can also apply to the construction component. Because the proportionate land share is set colony by colony, confirm the exact figure with the Sub-Registrar.

Property Categories & Use-Type Multipliers

The base rates above are for residential use. Non-residential use is valued by applying a multiplier to the residential land rate for the same category:

Multipliers are indicative of the standard Delhi schedule; the applicable factor is confirmed in the government notification for the relevant use and category.

Stamp Duty & Registration Charges in Delhi

Once the value is fixed, stamp duty and a 1% registration charge are payable. Delhi offers a concession for women owners to encourage property ownership, and slightly lower rates apply within the NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board areas.

How Circle Rates Are Determined

Circle rates are notified by the Government of NCT of Delhi's Revenue Department. In setting them, the government weighs the colony's category and infrastructure, prevailing market transaction values, the type of use (residential, commercial, industrial), the nature of construction, and the age of the structure. The rates are meant to be reviewed periodically so they track the market — but Delhi's residential circle rates have effectively stood still since their last comprehensive revision in 2014, with only a temporary pandemic-era rebate since. Proposals to revise and rationalise the categories have been discussed but not implemented at scale, which is why a wide gap has opened up between circle rates and actual market prices across much of the city.

How to Check the Circle Rate for Your Property

1. Identify your colony's category. Find your locality in the government's category list (A–H). This is the single most important input.
2. Visit the Delhi Revenue / e-registration portal. Use the online registration and e-valuation system (DORIS — the Delhi Online Registration Information System) to look up notified rates.
3. Select use and property type. Choose residential/commercial, and plot vs built-up flat, so the right land and construction rates apply.
4. Enter the area details. Provide plot area and/or built-up area to generate the minimum value.
5. Cross-check at the Sub-Registrar office. Before executing the sale deed, confirm the category, multipliers and proportionate land share with the concerned Sub-Registrar — this is the authoritative source.

Circle Rate vs Market Rate: The Delhi Gap

Because Delhi's rates have been frozen for over a decade while property prices have climbed, the circle rate now sits below the market price in most sought-after colonies — the opposite of fast-growing neighbours like Noida and Gurugram, where recent revisions have pushed benchmarks up by 50% or more. For a Delhi buyer this generally means stamp duty is charged on the (lower) declared market value rather than the circle rate. But where a deal is struck below the circle rate — common for older or distressed properties — the buyer still pays duty on the higher circle-rate value, and the difference can attract income-tax implications. Knowing both numbers before you negotiate is essential.

Impact on Buyers & Sellers

Frequently Asked Questions