Shop for a home in Bengaluru and you will soon hear "e-khata", "B khata" and a list of deeds. They sound similar but do very different jobs. Here is the short version: a khata tells the city a property exists and who pays its tax. A deed records who owns it and how they got it. You need both to be in order.
What a khata is
A khata is a property account kept by the city body. It records the owner as entered, the property's size and location, and its tax details. You will need it to pay property tax, to transfer the account after purchase, and often when a lender or a future buyer checks the property.
What it is not: proof of ownership. It is a tax record.
E-khata
E-khata is the digital form of the property record now issued for properties in Bengaluru's city limits. It links the property to an online record with an ID, which makes it easier to check and harder to fake. Before you buy, ask for the e-khata, check its details on the official portal, and confirm the owner, address and area match the sale deed.
Rules about when an e-khata is required, for example at registration, have been changing. Ask the sub-registrar's office or your lawyer what is required on the day you register.
B khata
B khata is a separate register for properties with irregularities, such as a building without proper approvals or land that was not lawfully converted. It exists mainly so the city can collect tax. Paying tax under B khata does not make the property regular.
For a first-time buyer, a B khata property brings real practical difficulties: lenders are often cautious, and selling later can be harder. If a property is on the B register, ask exactly why and what it would take to regularise it, and get a lawyer's view before you go further.
Outside city limits
In areas under a gram panchayat, the register belongs to the panchayat and the papers are called Form 9 and Form 11. The same principle applies: they record the property for tax, not ownership.
The six deeds you are most likely to meet
| Deed | What it does | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement for sale | Sets price, payments and timeline before the sale | For a RERA project, must be registered before the builder takes more than 10% (section 13) |
| Sale deed | Transfers ownership to the buyer | Required above the value in section 54, Transfer of Property Act |
| Gift deed | Transfers property as a gift, often in families | Required under section 123, Transfer of Property Act |
| Partition deed | Divides jointly held property among co-owners | Generally required when it creates or transfers interests in land |
| Release deed | One co-owner gives up their share to another | Generally required for the same reason |
| Lease deed | Lets a tenant use the property for rent | Required for a lease of a year or more (section 107, Transfer of Property Act) |
Agreement for sale
This comes first and sets the terms. It does not make you the owner: section 54 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 says a contract for sale does not itself create an interest in the property. For a flat in a RERA project, section 13 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 requires a registered agreement before the builder takes more than ten per cent of the cost, and it must state the possession date and the payment schedule.
Sale deed
This is the document that transfers ownership. Section 54 requires a registered document for a sale of land above the stated value, and section 49 of the Registration Act, 1908 says an unregistered document that needed registration cannot affect the property.
Gift, partition and release deeds
You will often find these in the land's history, especially where land passed through families. Each one is a link in the title chain. A missing or unregistered link is a gap your lawyer will want explained.
Lease deed
Relevant if you rent now, or plan to let your new flat. A lease from year to year, or for more than a year, can be made only by a registered document under section 107 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882.
Putting it together
- Check the khata (or e-khata, or Form 9) matches the sale deed's owner, address and area.
- Check the title chain of deeds back through the years, with your lawyer.
- For a new flat, check the RERA registration and the agreement for sale.
Our first home guide shows where each of these papers comes up as you move from booking to keys.
A step-by-step paper check for your first purchase
- Collect copies of the khata or e-khata, the latest tax receipt, the sale deed and earlier deeds, the encumbrance certificate and, for a new flat, the RERA registration.
- Match names. The seller's name should be the same across the khata, tax receipt and last sale deed. Spelling differences need an explanation.
- Match the property. Survey number or property ID, address and area should agree across documents.
- Read the encumbrance certificate for loans, mortgages or other transactions on the property. Ask about every entry.
- Ask your lawyer to trace the title through each deed in the chain, usually for a long period such as thirty years.
- Check tax is paid up to date, so you do not inherit arrears.
- After registration, apply for khata transfer into your name, and keep the acknowledgement.
Common mistakes
- Treating a tax receipt as a title document. It shows tax was paid, not who owns the land.
- Skipping khata transfer after buying. Tax bills keep coming in the old name, and it causes trouble at resale.
- Accepting photocopies only. See the originals of the key deeds before you pay a large amount.
- Buying B khata on a promise that it will "soon be converted". Ask for the legal route in writing and take a lawyer's view.
A worked example: registration costs
Stamp duty and registration fees are set by the state and are charged as a percentage of the property's value, or the guidance value if that is higher. With illustrative rates of 5% stamp duty and 1% registration fee on a ₹70 lakh home, you would pay ₹3.5 lakh plus ₹70,000, so ₹4.2 lakh in all. Check the current Karnataka schedule and any cess or surcharge before you budget.
After you buy: keep a home file
Keep one folder, paper and scanned, with your registered sale deed, the agreement for sale, all payment receipts, the khata transfer acknowledgement, tax receipts and the encumbrance certificate. When you take a top-up loan, sell or pass the home to family, these are the first papers anyone asks for. A tidy file can save weeks.
Words in plain English
- Title: the legal right to own a property, shown by the chain of registered deeds.
- Sub-registrar: the official who registers your deed.
- Guidance value: the state's minimum value for stamp duty in an area.
- Khata transfer: changing the city's property account into the new owner's name after purchase.
The short version
A khata tells the city who pays tax on a property. A registered deed shows who owns it. Check that both are in order, that they match each other, and that the khata moves into your name after you buy. With a good lawyer and an hour of careful reading, these papers stop being scary and start working for you.