How much down payment do I need for a home loan in India?
For a home loan in India, the down payment is at least 10, 20 or 25 per cent of the property’s value, because RBI caps bank lending at 90 per cent for loans up to ₹30 lakh, 80 per cent up to ₹75 lakh and 75 per cent above that. Stamp duty and registration come on top, in cash. On a ₹50 lakh home that is ₹10,00,000 down, or ₹13,50,000 in cash with charges at 7 per cent (an example input).
Try it on your numbers in the Home I can afford calculatorHow much down payment for a home loan: the RBI bands
The floor on a home loan down payment in India is set by the loan-to-value ceilings RBI applies to bank housing loans. A loan of up to ₹30 lakh can be up to 90 per cent of the property’s value, a loan above ₹30 lakh and up to ₹75 lakh up to 80 per cent, and a loan above ₹75 lakh up to 75 per cent. Whatever the loan does not cover is the down payment, so the smallest one is 10, 20 or 25 per cent of the value.
The bands follow the size of the loan, not the price, which produces a notch just above ₹30 lakh. A ₹35,00,000 home can still carry a ₹30,00,000 loan, because that loan sits in the first band and is under 90 per cent of the value, so the down payment is ₹5,00,000. From a value of ₹37,50,000, 80 per cent of the price is the larger loan. Between ₹93,75,000 and ₹1,00,00,000 the loan is held at ₹75,00,000 for the same reason.
These are ceilings, not offers. A lender can fund less than the band allows, and it lends against its own valuation of the property: if that comes in below the agreed price, the shortfall is added to your down payment.
| Property value | Largest loan | Down payment | Share of value | Charges at 7% | Cash needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹25,00,000 | ₹22,50,000 | ₹2,50,000 | 10% | ₹1,75,000 | ₹4,25,000 |
| ₹35,00,000 | ₹30,00,000 | ₹5,00,000 | 14.29% | ₹2,45,000 | ₹7,45,000 |
| ₹50,00,000 | ₹40,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | 20% | ₹3,50,000 | ₹13,50,000 |
| ₹75,00,000 | ₹60,00,000 | ₹15,00,000 | 20% | ₹5,25,000 | ₹20,25,000 |
| ₹1,00,00,000 | ₹75,00,000 | ₹25,00,000 | 25% | ₹7,00,000 | ₹32,00,000 |
| ₹1,50,00,000 | ₹1,12,50,000 | ₹37,50,000 | 25% | ₹10,50,000 | ₹48,00,000 |
The down payment is not the whole of what you need saved
The figure people plan for is the gap between the property price and the loan. The figure they actually need is that gap plus stamp duty and registration plus brokerage plus whatever it costs to make the place liveable. RBI keeps stamp duty, registration and documentation charges out of the value the loan ceiling applies to (except for homes costing ₹10 lakh or less), so none of it can be borrowed as part of the home loan.
On the ₹50,00,000 home in the table, charges at 7 per cent add ₹3,50,000 to the ₹10,00,000 down payment, for ₹13,50,000 in cash before the loan disburses. Stamp duty is also charged on the higher of the price and the circle rate, which can raise that figure further.
What a larger down payment actually buys
A bigger down payment reduces the amount borrowed, and with it the EMI and the interest across the term. On a ₹50,00,000 home, at 8.5 per cent over 20 years (example inputs, not a quoted rate), moving from the minimum ₹10,00,000 down to ₹15,00,000 cuts the EMI from ₹34,713 to ₹30,374 and the interest over the full term by ₹5,41,360, if the loan is never prepaid.
What it does not do is make the house cheaper. The price is the price; a larger down payment changes the split between money paid now and interest paid later. That trade is worth making deliberately rather than by default, particularly if it would empty the savings you would need if your income stopped.
| Down payment | Loan | EMI | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹10,00,000 | ₹40,00,000 | ₹34,713 | ₹43,31,120 |
| ₹15,00,000 | ₹35,00,000 | ₹30,374 | ₹37,89,760 |
| ₹20,00,000 | ₹30,00,000 | ₹26,035 | ₹32,48,400 |
Saving towards it
A down payment is a dated goal with a known amount, which makes it one of the more tractable things to save towards: divide what you still need by the months you have, and you have a monthly figure to test against what you actually keep each month. If the two do not meet, the levers are the date, the amount, or the monthly saving, and it is better to find that out now than at the registration desk.
Keep the money somewhere you can reach on a fixed date. A down payment that has to be liquidated at short notice from something whose value moves is a different kind of problem from the one you were trying to solve.
Home I can afford
Questions people ask
How much down payment is required for a home loan in India?
At least 10 per cent of the property’s value when the loan is up to ₹30 lakh, 20 per cent when it is above ₹30 lakh and up to ₹75 lakh, and 25 per cent above that, under the RBI ceilings for bank housing loans. Stamp duty and registration are paid in cash on top.
How much down payment for a ₹50 lakh home loan?
A ₹50,00,000 loan falls in the 80 per cent band, so the property has to be valued at ₹62,50,000 or more, and the down payment at the least is ₹12,50,000 — before stamp duty and registration, which are paid separately in cash.
Can I get a home loan with zero down payment?
Not from a bank within the RBI ceilings: the most any housing loan can be is 90 per cent of the property’s value, so at least 10 per cent comes from you, plus the purchase charges, which sit outside the loan.
Is stamp duty part of the home loan down payment?
No. Stamp duty, registration and documentation charges are kept out of the value the loan ceiling applies to, except for homes costing ₹10 lakh or less, so they are cash needed in addition to the down payment.
Can I borrow the down payment?
It is possible through a personal loan, but the interest rate on unsecured borrowing is far higher than on a home loan, and the extra repayment reduces what a lender will consider you able to service.
Does a larger down payment get me a better interest rate?
Sometimes. Lenders often price by loan-to-value band, so crossing into a lower band can change the rate offered, though the effect varies by lender and by your credit profile.
What is circle rate and why does it matter here?
It is the government's minimum assessed value for property in an area. Stamp duty is charged on the higher of your price and the circle rate, so it can raise your upfront cash requirement.
Is it worth emptying my savings to make a bigger down payment?
That trade deserves thought rather than a default. Money put into a down payment cannot be reached again quickly, and a household with no accessible savings is exposed in exactly the months a loan makes hardest.
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Try it nowLast updated 4 October 2026. Figures reflect FY 2026-27 and are educational estimates, not advice. Muktify is not SEBI-registered and never recommends or ranks any instrument. How we write and check guides.