Benefits for women homebuyers in India

We list some of the monetary benefits that women home buyers in India can avail of, if the property is registered in their name

With an aim to increase property ownership among women, the Indian government has put in place several measures to make house purchases more profitable for them. Listed below are some of the monetary benefits that women home buyers in India can avail of, if the property is registered in their name.

Lower stamp duty for women

Most Indian states charge a lower stamp duty (the charge that the buyer has to pay, in order to get the property registered in the government’s records) if the property is registered in the name of a woman. For example, in the national capital of Delhi, women buyers only pay 4% of the property value as stamp duty, as compared to 6% payable by men. States like and Jammu have gone a step ahead, by waiving stamp duty on property purchases by women.

The Maharashtra government, on March 8, 2021, announced a one-percentage-point concession for women home buyers. This means, women home buyers now have to pay only 2% of the property value as the stamp duty on property registration. Recall here that the stamp duty in Maharashtra has been reduced to 3%, from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021.

In Uttar Pradesh, women are offered a 1% reduction in stamp duty charges. This reduction, however, is applicable only up to Rs 10 lakh, out of the total value of the transaction.

In Himachal Pradesh, there is a two percentage points difference – 4% for women and 6% for men – in rates, if a property is registered in the name of a woman. In case of joint ownership, the stamp duty will be 5%.

Home loan interest rates for women

A majority of home buyers in India rely on housing finance, to buy properties. While this credit enables consumers to own properties in the early years of their working life, it also increases the overall cost of the purchase. Women, however, do not have to spend as much as men, as several banks offer home loans to women at lower interest rates. Typically, home loans meant for women are priced 50-100 basis points lower than the average rate. (A 100 basis point makes up for one percentage point.)

If a woman were to take a home loan from the country’s biggest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) at present, they would have to pay only 9.15% interest, if the loan size is up to Rs 30 lakh. On the other hand, the effective rate for men is 9.20%. For a similar loan amount, housing finance company HDFC currently charges 8.95% from women borrowers. For men, the rate is 9%.

Tax benefits for women property buyers

In case a property is jointly owned by a man and his wife, she would have to become a co-applicant in the home loan application. A benefit of this would be that both the spouses will be able to claim tax deductions on their individual incomes, under Section 80C, Section 24 and Sections 80EE and 80EEA (benefits under the latter two sections are available only to first-time home buyers).

It is pertinent to mention here that by merely being a co-applicant in the home loan application, a wife does not become a co-owner in the property. Even if she is just a borrower, she would, however, be able to claim tax deductions on her salaried income.

See also: Types of joint ownership of property

PMAY benefits for women

Under its Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the government has made it mandatory that property bought under the scheme, must be registered in the name of at least one woman in the household. In case a woman is borrowing a housing loan under the flagship programme’s credit-linked subsidy scheme (CLSS), they also enjoy concessions on interest. Women borrowers from the economically weaker section (those earning up to Rs 3 lakhs per annum) and low-income group (LIG) category can avail of an interest subsidy of 6.5% on housing loans of up to Rs 6 lakh.

See also: Benefits of buying a home in the wife’s name

FAQs

Are interest rates lower for women borrowers in India?

Banks generally offer home loans to women borrowers at rates that are 50-100 basis points lower than the rate applicable to male borrowers.

Is stamp duty lower for property registration in case the buyer is a woman?

In most Indian states, women pay 100 to 200 basis points lower rates as compared to men, on stamp duty charges.

 

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