Lesson 1 of 3 · 8 min
What carpet area actually means
The law defines the floor area a buyer pays for, and the definition is precise about which walls, balconies and terraces are inside it and which are not.
For years the square-foot number on a brochure meant whatever the seller wanted. Buyers paid for a share of the lobby, the staircase and the walls, discovered the flat was smaller than the number, and had no definition to argue against. The law now supplies one, and it is worth reading word by word because every clause in it was a dispute.
Two parts of that definition surprise people in opposite directions. Internal partition walls are inside the carpet area, which feels wrong until you notice that a flat with more rooms has more internal walls and is genuinely more building. And an exclusive balcony is outside it — so a flat with a large balcony has less carpet area than its total footprint suggests, and that is the law working as intended rather than a trick.
| Part of the flat | Counted in carpet area? |
|---|---|
| Net usable floor area | Yes — this is the base |
| Internal partition walls | Yes, expressly included |
| External walls | No |
| Area under service shafts | No |
| Exclusive balcony or verandah | No |
| Exclusive open terrace | No |
Then why does the brochure show a bigger number?
KabirTara
Kabirasking
The listing said 1,200 square feet. The agreement says carpet area is much less. Has someone lied to me?
Taraexplaining
Not always. The larger figure is usually a built-up or super built-up number that loads in walls and a share of common space. Those are marketing measures with no statutory definition behind them.
Kabirasking
So which number should I compare between two flats?
Taraexplaining
The one that is defined. Carpet area means the same thing in both agreements, so it is the only measure where comparing is comparing. A super built-up figure can be built two different ways by two sellers and both can be honest.
Myth
“Carpet area is the floor you could actually lay carpet on, so walls are excluded.”
Mostly false
The name suggests it and the definition contradicts it. Internal partition walls are expressly included in carpet area. What is excluded is the external wall, service shafts, and exclusive balcony or terrace space.
Check yourself
1 / 3
Kabir asks
Are internal partition walls part of carpet area?
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