In early 2026 a buyer in Bengaluru fell for a spacious independent house on the eastern fringe of the city, priced well below the apartments he had been seeing. The paperwork looked ordinary until his bank returned the file. The property carried a B khata, and the lender would not fund it without conditions the seller could not meet. The house was real, the price was fair, but the single letter on the khata changed everything about how, and whether, he could buy it. Understanding what that letter means is one of the most useful things a Bengaluru buyer can learn.

The short answer. An A khata is the record of a property that fully complies with civic rules and is treated as legal for loans and building approvals, while a B khata is a separate listing for properties with unresolved compliance issues, on which tax is still collected. The trade off is real: a B khata property often looks cheaper, but it can be harder to finance, to build on and to resell, so the discount may simply reflect the risk you would be taking on.

What do A khata and B khata actually mean?

The khata is the civic record that identifies a property and its owner for tax and administration, and the letter tells you how compliant the property is. An A khata is the record of a property that meets the building bylaws, land use and tax rules, so the authorities treat it as legal in the full sense. A B khata is a separate register for properties that fall short, whether through unauthorised construction, layout deviations, or missing approvals. The civic body still collects tax on a B khata property, which sometimes lulls owners into thinking it is fully legal, but paying that tax does not regularise the underlying issue. The classification, not the receipt, is what tells you the true status.

It helps to remember why the B register exists at all. As Bengaluru grew outward, many layouts and buildings came up faster than approvals could keep pace, and the civic body needed a way to record and tax those properties without declaring them fully regular. The B khata is that halfway record. It acknowledges the property enough to collect tax, but it withholds the clean legal standing that comes with an A khata, which is why a B khata is best read as a flag to investigate rather than a detail to wave away.

This distinction has grown sharper as Bengaluru has digitised its records. The move to an electronic khata does not change whether a property sits on the A or the B register, a point we explain in our guide to why an electronic khata is now mandatory. Digitisation makes the record easier to read, but the letter it records is still the thing that matters.

Why does the difference hit your wallet so hard?

The difference matters because an A khata unlocks the things a buyer usually needs, while a B khata restricts them. Most lenders fund an A khata property readily, treating it as clean security, whereas a B khata property may qualify only with certain banks after close scrutiny of the title and papers, and many lenders decline it. Building plan approval follows a similar pattern, permitted for an A khata subject to the rules, and often restricted for a B khata. Resale is affected too, because your future buyer will face the same financing and approval hurdles you did. A lower sticker price on a B khata property is therefore not a pure bargain. It can be the market pricing in the cost and uncertainty of these restrictions.

There is also a quieter cost in flexibility. If you ever need to raise money against the home through a loan against property, the same lending reluctance applies, so a B khata can limit your options long after you have moved in. And because approvals are harder, extending or rebuilding the house later can run into the same wall. None of this means a B khata property can never be a sensible buy, but it does mean the decision should be made with eyes open, weighing the discount against a narrower set of future choices.

How do A khata and B khata compare at a glance?

The clearest way to hold the two side by side is to line up what each means for the checks a buyer cares about. The table below sets them out.

Read the table as a picture of leverage. An A khata gives you options across financing, building and resale, while a B khata narrows them. That does not make every B khata property a mistake, but it does mean you should know exactly which register a property sits on before you fall in love with the price.

Can a B khata property be moved to A khata?

Yes, in many cases, though it depends on the property and the current rules. Conversion means moving the property from the B register to the A register, and it is typically done through the official Greater Bengaluru portal using the property's electronic identifier, after clearing all pending property taxes and paying the prescribed conversion charge. The catch is that conversion is possible only where the underlying issues can be rectified under the rules in force, so a property whose violations are not curable may stay on the B register. If a seller assures you that a B khata will convert easily, treat that as a claim to verify on the portal rather than a promise to bank on, because the buyer, not the seller, lives with the outcome.

The wider khata and tax system in Bengaluru has been reshaped by the move to the Greater Bengaluru administration, which we cover in our guide to the new khata and property tax setup. The mechanics of conversion can change with it, which is another reason to confirm the current process before you rely on it.

From time to time the state has also opened wider regularisation routes that let certain B khata properties move to the A register on payment of betterment or improvement charges, where the land use can be brought within the rules. These windows and their terms change, and not every property qualifies, so the practical advice is the same in every case. Do not assume a B khata will convert. Check the property's specific eligibility on the official record, get the expected charge in writing, and price that cost and effort into your offer rather than treating conversion as a certainty the seller has promised.

How should a buyer check the khata before paying?

Check the khata early, because it shapes what the rest of your purchase can look like. Work through the following steps before you commit to a property or pay an advance.

1. Ask the seller for the current khata and confirm whether it is an A khata or a B khata.
2. Verify the khata classification on the official Greater Bengaluru record rather than trusting a photocopy.
3. If you need a home loan, confirm with your lender that it will fund a property with this khata.
4. For a B khata, ask specifically whether the property is eligible to convert to A khata under the current rules.
5. Check that all property taxes are paid up to date, since dues block a conversion.
6. Read the khata alongside the title deeds and approvals, not as a substitute for them.
7. Factor any conversion charge and effort into your offer, so the price reflects the real position.

New apartments in sanctioned projects usually carry a clean khata, which is one reason a launch such as Assetz East Point in Bellandur comes with fewer of these worries than an irregular resale property. Even so, ask for the khata in writing on any home, new or old, and confirm it on the record before you treat the price as settled.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between A khata and B khata in Bengaluru?

An A khata is the record of a property that fully complies with building bylaws, land use and tax rules, and is treated as legal for loans and approvals. A B khata is a separate listing for properties with issues such as unauthorised construction or missing approvals, on which tax is collected without the property being regularised.

Can I get a home loan on a B khata property?

Sometimes, but not easily. Most lenders readily fund an A khata property, while a B khata property may qualify only with certain banks after extra scrutiny of the title and papers, and many decline it outright. If a loan matters to your purchase, treat a B khata as a real hurdle to check early.

Does paying property tax on a B khata make the property legal?

No. The civic body collects property tax on both A and B khata properties, but paying tax on a B khata does not by itself regularise the underlying violation or make the property fully compliant. Treat the tax receipt as proof of payment, not as proof of legal status, and look at the khata classification separately.

How do I convert a B khata to an A khata?

You apply to move the property from the B register to the A register, typically through the official Greater Bengaluru portal using the property's electronic identifier, after clearing all pending property taxes and paying the prescribed conversion charge. Conversion works only where the underlying issues are rectifiable under current rules, so confirm eligibility first.

The classifications and the conversion route described here reflect how A khata, B khata and the electronic khata work in Bengaluru, as summarised in this guide to A khata, B khata and e khata. Because the rules and portals are being reformed, always confirm a property's current khata status and the conversion process on the official Greater Bengaluru record before you buy.

Last updated 2026-08-11. PropNewz Team.