Khata Transfer in Bangalore: Documents, Fees & Timeline (2026 Guide)
Registering the sale deed makes you the owner on paper — but until the khata is transferred, BBMP's tax register still names the previous owner. This guide walks through the documents, the 2% fee rule, the e-Aasthi online process, and what to do when an application gets stuck.
Quick Answer
Khata transfer (ಖಾತಾ ಬದಲಾವಣೆ) is the process of updating BBMP's property tax register so the new owner's name replaces the seller's after a sale, inheritance, gift, partition, or court decree. Apply online through BBMP's e-Aasthi system or Sakala Online — or offline at the ward ARO office — with the registered deed, latest Encumbrance Certificate, latest property tax paid receipt, and the seller's existing khata. The administration fee is 2% of the stamp duty paid on the deed, and processing typically takes 30–45 days under the Sakala guarantee.
What Is a Khata (and What It Is Not)?
A khata (ಖಾತಾ) is an entry in BBMP's property assessment register, maintained under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, that records who is liable to pay property tax on a specific property. The word literally means "account" — your property's account with the municipal corporation. Against that account, the register holds the assessed owner's name, the property's location and dimensions, and the basis on which its tax is calculated.
Two documents flow from this register. The khata certificate confirms that a property stands assessed in a particular name, and the khata extract reproduces the assessment details — dimensions, usage, and annual tax. Banks ask for them while sanctioning loans, builders need them for plan approvals, and the Sub-Registrar requires an e-khata before registering a transaction in Bengaluru.
A khata is not a title document. It is evidence of tax assessment, not of ownership. Title in Karnataka flows from registered deeds and their unbroken chain — a person can hold a khata over property they do not own. Treat the khata as one supporting layer of verification, never the foundation.
A-Khata (A-Register)
Properties entered in the A-Register sit in approved layouts that comply with planning and building norms. An A-khata property can obtain building plan sanctions and trade licences, and is generally acceptable to banks for home loans.
B-Khata (B-Register)
Properties recorded in the separate B-Register are typically in unapproved or revenue layouts. BBMP collects tax on them, but building plan approvals, trade licences, and institutional loans are restricted until the property is regularised.
When Is Khata Transfer Required?
Khata transfer (khata badalavane) is required after every change of ownership — not only a sale. If the person liable for tax has changed, the register must change too:
- Sale: after the sale deed is registered at the Sub-Registrar Office, the buyer applies to have the khata moved into their name.
- Inheritance: on the death of the khata holder, legal heirs apply — whether succession is under a will or intestate.
- Gift: a registered gift deed transfers ownership and triggers the same requirement.
- Partition: a family partition that allots the property to one member changes the assessed owner (and may also require bifurcation, below).
- Court decree: ownership settled by a decree or order is carried into the register on application with the certified decree.
Bifurcation and amalgamation are separate applications:
If one khata property is subdivided — a site split between two buyers, or a partition among siblings — each portion needs a khata bifurcation. Merging adjacent properties under one assessment is a khata amalgamation. Both are distinct applications from a plain transfer and follow the same fee pattern: 2% of the stamp duty paid on the relevant deed.
Skipping the transfer creates compounding problems: tax receipts continue in the seller's name, the e-khata needed for any future registration will not reflect you, and every year of mismatch makes the eventual correction slower to verify.
Khata Transfer Documents Checklist
Six document types cover a standard purchase; inheritance cases need two more. Every name, survey number, and dimension across the set must be consistent — mismatches are the single biggest cause of delay.
| Document | When Required | What BBMP Checks |
|---|---|---|
| Registered sale deed | Purchase | Buyer and seller names, property schedule, and dimensions match the existing record |
| Gift deed / partition deed / will | Gift, partition, or inheritance under a will | The instrument actually transfers this property to the applicant |
| Latest Encumbrance Certificate | All cases | The transfer appears in the EC and the period is covered up to the transfer date |
| Latest property tax paid receipt | All cases | No arrears outstanding against the property |
| Seller's existing khata certificate / extract | All cases | The property is already on the register in the transferor's name |
| Applicant ID proof | All cases | The applicant is the claimant named in the deed |
| Death certificate | Inheritance | Establishes that succession has opened and its date |
| Family tree (vamshavruksha) / succession documents | Inheritance | Establishes who the legal heirs are |
Step-by-Step: How to Apply
Khata transfer applications go through BBMP's e-Aasthi digital property system (also reachable through Sakala Online), or offline at the Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) office of the ward where the property sits. The document set is identical either way.
Online, via e-Aasthi:
- Register or log in on the e-Aasthi portal.
- Locate the property using its PID or existing khata number.
- Select the khata transfer service and enter the transferee's details exactly as they appear in the registered deed.
- Upload the document set: registered deed, latest EC, latest tax paid receipt, the existing khata certificate or extract, and ID proof (plus death certificate and family tree for inheritance cases).
- Pay the administration fee — 2% of the stamp duty paid on the deed — online.
- Note the acknowledgement (Sakala) number and track the application's status on the portal.
- On approval, download the digitally signed, QR-coded e-khata.
Offline, at the ward ARO office:
- Visit the ARO office for your ward and collect the khata transfer application form.
- Submit the filled form with self-attested copies of the same document set.
- Collect the acknowledgement with its Sakala number — this starts the service-guarantee clock.
- The ARO may call for clarification or a site inspection where records do not match the application.
- Once the transfer is sanctioned, collect the endorsed khata certificate and extract.
Fees & Timeline
Khata transfer costs 2% of the stamp duty you paid on the deed, plus ₹125 for e-khata issuance, and typically takes 30–45 days. The fee is calculated on the stamp duty actually paid — not on the sale price — so it scales with the value of the transaction.
| Item | Amount / Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Khata transfer administration fee | 2% of stamp duty paid on the deed | e.g., ₹2,00,000 stamp duty means a ₹4,000 transfer fee |
| e-Khata issuance | ₹125 | Digitally signed, QR-coded certificate |
| Processing time | Typically 30–45 days | Service guarantee under the Sakala Services Act; track with the Sakala number |
| Bifurcation / amalgamation | Same 2%-of-stamp-duty pattern | Separate applications from a plain transfer |
Treat 30–45 days as the typical Sakala-backed timeline, not a promise. Applications routinely stall when the document set is inconsistent — a name spelt differently across deed and tax records, an EC that stops short of the transfer date, or arrears discovered during scrutiny. Fixing the paperwork before applying is faster than responding to an endorsement afterwards.
E-Khata, Explained
An e-khata (ಇ-ಖಾತಾ) is the digitally signed, QR-coded electronic form of the khata, drawn from BBMP's e-Aasthi database — and it has been mandatory for property registrations in Bengaluru since late 2024. Without one, the Sub-Registrar will not process the registration of a transaction over the property.
The format solves real problems. A paper khata certificate is easy to forge and hard to verify; an e-khata can be checked by scanning its QR code against BBMP's own records, is tied to the property's PID, and can be obtained online without a visit to the ward office. For buyers, asking the seller for the e-khata — rather than an old paper certificate — is now the baseline.
An e-khata does not upgrade a B-khata. Digitisation changes the format of the record, not the legal status of the property. A B-register property remains a B-register property after its e-khata is generated. Conversion to A-khata is a separate regularisation question that turns on the layout's approval status — not on the khata's format.
Common Rejection Reasons & Fixes
Four problems account for most rejected or stalled khata transfer applications: property tax arrears, name mismatches, EC gaps, and unapproved layouts.
BBMP will not transfer a khata while dues are outstanding — including arrears run up by the seller. Fix: have the arrears cleared (contractually, by the seller) and obtain an up-to-date tax paid receipt before applying.
"Ramesh Kumar S" on the deed against "S. Ramesh Kumar" in the tax records is enough to invite an endorsement. Fix: provide identity documents establishing that both names refer to the same person; where the error sits in the deed itself, a registered rectification deed may be required.
If the Encumbrance Certificate does not cover the full period up to the date of transfer — including the entry for your own deed — verification fails. Fix: obtain a fresh EC from Kaveri Online covering the complete period before you apply.
A property in a revenue or unapproved layout may be eligible only for a B-register entry, and cannot obtain a regular A-khata without land-use conversion and layout approval. Fix: this is a title-and-planning problem, not a paperwork problem — take advice from a qualified advocate before buying, not after.
After approval: verify the new extract
Once the transfer is sanctioned, pull the fresh khata extract and check three things: the buyer's name appears exactly as in the deed, the dimensions and schedule are correct, and the tax assessment is recorded. Errors are far easier to correct immediately than years later, when the next transaction depends on them.
How Khata Fits into Title Verification
In a complete Karnataka title verification, the khata is one of ten due-diligence layers — alongside the title deed chain, the Encumbrance Certificate, revenue records, survey documents, tax receipts, and others. It is necessary, but it proves the least: only that the municipal register knows about the property and assesses someone for its tax.
DeedSure treats khata documents as cross-referencing anchors. Upload the khata certificate or extract alongside the deed chain and EC, and extraction pulls the assessed owner, property identifiers, and dimensions with confidence scores, then applies 23 Karnataka-specific anomaly rules across the whole set. A khata standing in a name that does not match the current deed holder, an extent that disagrees with the deed schedule, or a B-khata where the seller claimed A — each is flagged with a severity level and a plain-language explanation in the Title Intelligence Report.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does khata transfer take in Bangalore?
Khata transfer typically takes 30–45 days from application, a timeline backed by the Sakala Services Act guarantee. Delays are common when documents mismatch — for example, when the name on the deed differs from tax records, or the Encumbrance Certificate does not cover the full period up to the transfer.
What is the khata transfer fee?
The khata transfer administration fee is 2% of the stamp duty paid on your registered deed. For example, if you paid ₹2,00,000 as stamp duty, the transfer fee is ₹4,000. Issuance of the digitally signed e-khata costs a further ₹125.
Can I do khata transfer online?
Yes. BBMP accepts khata transfer applications through its e-Aasthi digital property system, also reachable via Sakala Online. You can alternatively apply offline at the Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) office of the ward where the property is located.
Is khata proof of ownership?
No. A khata is an entry in BBMP’s property assessment register under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976 — it records who is liable for property tax, not who owns the property. Ownership is established by registered title deeds and their unbroken chain; the khata is supporting evidence at best.
What is the difference between khata transfer and mutation?
They are the same principle applied to different registers. Mutation updates revenue records (such as the RTC) for land under revenue jurisdiction, while khata transfer updates the municipal property tax register for properties under BBMP. Both record who is assessed for tax after an ownership change; neither confers title.
Related Reading
A-Khata vs B-Khata
What the two registers mean, why the distinction matters for loans and plans, and how conversion works.
Property Mutation in Karnataka
The revenue-records counterpart of khata transfer — RTC entries, mutation registers, and the tahsildar process.
Property Registration Step-by-Step
From agreement to registered sale deed at the SRO — the step that precedes every khata transfer.
Glossary: E-Khata
Quick-reference definition with Kannada equivalent.
Check the Khata Before You Rely on It
Upload the khata certificate, sale deed chain, and Encumbrance Certificate to DeedSure. Automated extraction, cross-referencing, and anomaly detection produce a Title Intelligence Report with a visual chain of title in minutes.
Analyse Your DocumentsDeedSure generates Title Intelligence Reports, not legal opinions. Consult a qualified advocate before property transactions.