A title tells you about the registered interest in land. Survey records help identify the parcel spatially.
Two terms buyers commonly encounter are deed plan and Registry Index Map, usually shortened to RIM.
What is a deed plan?
A deed plan is a survey plan associated with certain titles and survey systems.
It identifies the parcel using survey information rather than simply describing the land in ordinary language.
What is a RIM?
A Registry Index Map shows parcels within a registration section.
It is commonly used to identify parcel boundaries and parcel numbers within areas registered under systems that use RIMs.
Why buyers confuse them
Both documents relate to identifying land, but they are not interchangeable documents for every parcel.
The correct survey record depends on how the land is registered.
What should a buyer do?
Ask a licensed surveyor to work from the survey records that correspond to the actual title.
Do not insist on a deed plan merely because somebody told you “every title needs one.”
Likewise, do not assume a screenshot of a map proves the physical beacons are correct.
Survey records and the ground should agree
A buyer should be interested in whether:
- the parcel number is correct
- the dimensions correspond with the records
- the beacons can be identified
- there are encroachments
- legal access is clear
The Land Registration Act defines cadastral maps and cadastral plans as part of the land-registration framework. See the Land Registration Act.
When subdivision happens
Subdivision can require updated survey and registration records, including mutation processing where applicable.
See our guide to mutation forms in Kenya and land subdivision.