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Gurugram’s stilt-plus-four row: What changed, and what it means for homebuyers
Gurugram real estate: The stilt-plus-four row puts property registrations, revenue and buyer investments at risk amid uncertainty over building approvals
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Gurugram’s stilt-plus-four (S+4) housing policy has become a flashpoint between urban development and infrastructure planning. What began as a way to increase the supply of independent residential floors has evolved into a wider debate over building permissions, parking, civic amenities and the legal certainty of property transactions.
The stakes are considerable. In an affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana high court, the Haryana Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) said 32,024 permissions for S+4 construction had been granted in Gurugram up to April 2, 2026. The department has opposed a blanket halt to construction, arguing that individual violations should not invalidate every approval issued under the policy.
The affidavit by DTCP director-general Dr J Ganesan was placed before a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor on October 14. The bench had issued notice on July 27 on an application filed by petitioner Sunil Singh in an ongoing public interest litigation challenging the policy.
Here is what changed, why the dispute matters and what buyers need to know.
What is the stilt-plus-four policy?
The S+4 model allows a residential building to have four dwelling floors above a stilt level intended for parking. It has become popular in Gurugram’s plotted colonies, where independent floors offer an alternative to apartments in high-rise residential societies.
The model allows plot owners and developers to create multiple independent homes on a single plot, potentially increasing the supply of housing and the number of units available for sale.
However, residents’ welfare associations have raised concerns that additional dwelling units are increasing population density without adequate improvements in roads, water supply, sewerage, drainage and parking.
Complaints have also included the alleged conversion of stilt parking into residential or commercial spaces and the operation of paying guest accommodations in areas with narrow roads. These concerns have put the policy under greater scrutiny.
What changes has Haryana introduced?
The policy has undergone several changes over the years.
In March 2019, the state issued instructions allowing the fourth floor to be treated as an independent residential unit. Instructions issued in September 2019 also provided for the purchase of additional development rights.
In February 2023, the government froze approvals under the S+4 policy and appointed an expert committee headed by retired bureaucrat P Raghavendra Rao to examine the implications of additional construction.
Following the committee’s recommendations, the government revived the policy on July 2, 2024, with additional restrictions.
One important safeguard concerned the use of stilt parking. Under Clause 8 of the 2024 instructions, building-plan approvals and occupation certificates could be withdrawn if the stilt area was enclosed, either fully or partially.
The policy subsequently faced another setback. On April 2, 2026, the Punjab and Haryana high court stayed the operation of the July 2024 notification and restrained further approvals and occupation certificates under the policy. The dispute has since centred on the legality of the policy, the adequacy of civic infrastructure and the treatment of permissions already granted.
How many buildings and buyers are affected?
According to the DTCP affidavit, 32,024 permissions had been granted in Gurugram up to April 2, 2026. These included 18,719 building-plan approvals in private licensed colonies and 13,305 approvals in Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran sectors.
In private licensed colonies in the Gurugram-Manesar Urban Complex, 15,447 building plans had been approved. Of these, 9,625 were sanctioned before July 2024, while 5,822 were approved between July 2, 2024, and the high court’s April 2 stay.
The DTCP also reported that occupation certificates had been issued for 8,602 buildings.
These figures cover different stages of development. Some buyers may own completed and occupied floors, others may have purchased properties under construction, while some may have paid advances for units awaiting approvals or completion.
Their legal and financial positions will therefore vary according to the sanctioned building plan, construction status, occupation certificate, sale agreement and registration documents.
What does the row mean for stamp duty and registration?
The controversy has implications for property transactions and government revenue.
In December 2024, Haryana increased stamp duty rates applicable to the registration of independent floors, alongside revisions in circle rates. The revised framework raised the rate used for floor registrations from ₹7,150 to ₹9,300 per square foot, according to published reports.
For buyers, higher stamp duty increases the upfront cost of acquiring a property. For the government, registrations generate revenue, while additional construction also creates demands for investment in civic infrastructure.
However, the current uncertainty is not simply a question of how much stamp duty a buyer must pay.
Building-plan approval, an occupation certificate and registration of a sale deed are three distinct stages. Approval permits construction subject to applicable conditions; an occupation certificate concerns the building’s compliance and eligibility for occupation; registration records the property transaction in accordance with the law.
The court’s interim directions have created uncertainty for transactions involving properties that have yet to secure the necessary clearances. Whether a particular sale deed can be registered depends on the property’s documents and the applicable directions of the authorities.
The available information does not establish that every existing S+4 registration has been stopped or that all previously registered floors have become invalid.
For the state, delays in eligible property transactions could affect stamp duty collections. The actual impact will depend on how many transactions are postponed, which properties remain eligible for registration and how the government implements the court’s directions.
What does it mean for buyers who have already invested?
For buyers who have paid substantial sums, the immediate concern is whether their property can be completed, occupied, registered or resold without complications.
Those who own completed floors should verify the sanctioned building plan, occupation certificate, registered sale deed and legal status of their specific unit.
Buyers of under-construction properties face different risks. Delayed approvals or occupation certificates could affect possession timelines, financing arrangements and resale plans. Where a transaction is incomplete, the terms of the sale agreement and the nature of the approvals already obtained become particularly important.
A property should not automatically be treated as illegal merely because it falls under the S+4 category. Equally, an earlier building-plan approval should not be treated as proof that every subsequent construction activity complies with the sanctioned plan.
What does the legal position mean for buyers?
Advocate Ritu Bhariok, legal adviser to the Federation of Affordable Home Buyers, said the uncertainty surrounding the stilt-plus-four policy had highlighted the need for clear regulations that protect homebuyers while ensuring compliance with building norms.
She said the authorities must clarify the status of existing approvals and occupation certificates, and provide legal certainty to buyers who had invested their savings in these properties. Any resolution, she said, must balance buyers’ interests with the need to ensure that civic infrastructure can support increased residential density.
For buyers, the distinction between a blanket challenge to a policy and a finding against an individual property is important. The final outcome of the litigation and subsequent directions from the authorities will determine how different categories of properties are treated, she said.
Affected purchasers should seek an independent legal review before making further payments, entering into resale agreements or assuming that pending documentation will automatically be resolved.
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What lies ahead?
The dispute ultimately concerns how Gurugram should accommodate growth without overwhelming its existing infrastructure.
The DTCP has argued that alleged violations in individual buildings should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis rather than used to invalidate every S+4 permission. The broader challenge is to establish whether the existing infrastructure can support the additional population and what safeguards are necessary for future development.
For residents, the priority is ensuring that additional housing is matched by adequate public services. For developers and investors, clarity on approvals and registrations is essential to restore confidence in the market.
For the state, the challenge is to balance housing supply, property-related revenue and urban planning requirements while complying with the court’s directions.
Until the legal position becomes clearer, buyers must distinguish between a sanctioned plan, a completed building, an occupation certificate and a registered property. In Gurugram’s S+4 market, that distinction could determine whether an investment remains a straightforward property purchase or becomes a prolonged legal and financial concern.
