A Khata vs B Khata and e-Khata: A Bangalore Buyer's Guide
In Bengaluru, A Khata marks a compliant property and B Khata flags a deviation that limits loans and approvals. Here is the difference and why e-Khata now matters.
In early 2026 a buyer in a fast growing pocket off Sarjapur Road found what looked like a bargain, an independent floor priced noticeably below the market. The paperwork seemed in order until his banker asked a single question: was it A Khata or B Khata? It was B Khata, and with that one line the home loan he had assumed was a formality became almost impossible to obtain from a mainstream bank. In Bengaluru, the khata of a property is not a minor record. It can decide whether you can borrow, build or easily resell.
The short answer. A Khata marks a property that complies with building bye laws and municipal rules, which means you can usually raise a home loan, seek a building plan approval and resell it with ease. B Khata records a property for tax purposes but flags it as not fully compliant, so mainstream home loans and building approvals are generally out of reach until it is regularised. The trade off is price against friction: a B Khata property may look cheaper, but the discount reflects real limits on financing, construction and resale that you inherit along with the home.
What is a khata and why does it matter?
A khata is the municipal account of a property, a record maintained by the local body that identifies the owner for the purpose of property tax and civic transactions. The word itself means account, and the khata certificate and extract together show who is assessed for tax on the property and its basic particulars. It is not a title document and does not by itself prove ownership, but it is essential for everyday dealings such as paying tax, seeking approvals and applying for utilities.
For a buyer, the khata matters because banks, the municipal body and the registration system all look to it. A clean khata in the seller's name, consistent with the sale deed, is part of a normal transaction. A missing khata, or one in a different name, is a loose end you must tie up. In Bengaluru the khata also carries an added weight because of the sharp line the city draws between A Khata and B Khata property. It is worth being clear that a khata and a title are different things. You can hold a khata on a property whose title is still disputed, and you can have clean title on a property whose khata is not yet in your name, so the khata is one check among several rather than a substitute for a proper title search and an encumbrance certificate.
What is the difference between A Khata and B Khata?
The difference is compliance. An A Khata property is one the municipal body treats as legally compliant with building bye laws, zoning and the rules for development, and it therefore enjoys the full set of rights that come with a regular property. A B Khata property is one recorded in a separate register for the purpose of collecting tax, but which is flagged as having some deviation, such as construction without full approvals or a site on land not fully regularised.
In practice this distinction decides what you can do with the home. An A Khata holder can apply for a building plan approval, obtain trade and building licences and, crucially, raise a home loan from mainstream banks. A B Khata property generally cannot support a building licence, and most banks decline to lend against it, which narrows both your financing and your pool of future buyers. A B Khata can often be converted to A Khata by regularising the property and paying the applicable charges, but that is a process to understand before you buy, not a formality to assume.
How do A Khata and B Khata compare?
Placing the two side by side shows why the khata type belongs near the top of your due diligence. The table below compares them on what a buyer cares about most.
| Feature | A Khata | B Khata |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance status | Treated as legally compliant | Flagged with a deviation or irregularity |
| Home loan from mainstream banks | Generally available | Generally declined |
| Building plan approval and licences | Can be obtained | Generally not available |
| Ease of resale | Wide pool of buyers | Smaller pool, priced at a discount |
Read down the B Khata column and the pattern is clear: every limitation ties back to the compliance flag. That is why the lower price of a B Khata property is rarely a free lunch, and why you should price in the cost and uncertainty of regularisation before treating the discount as a gain. A useful habit is to ask the seller directly, in writing, which category the property falls in, because the answer shapes everything from your loan to the kind of buyer you can sell to later.
What is e-Khata and the e-Aasthi system?
e-Khata is the digitised version of the khata record, created under the municipal body's e-Aasthi system, which brings property ownership, dimensions, tax history and location data into a single verified online record. Each property is assigned a unique electronic property identification number, often called an ePID, that links these details together. In effect, the paper khata of old is being replaced by a digital record that is harder to forge and easier to verify.
For a buyer this is a genuine improvement, because an e-Khata lets you check the owner name, the property particulars and the tax position against an official digital record rather than a photocopy. When you verify a property, confirming that it has a valid e-Khata with an ePID, and that the details match the sale deed, is now part of sensible due diligence. Our guide to Karnataka stamp duty and registration charges covers the registration step that now sits alongside this record.
When is e-Khata now mandatory?
The move to e-Khata has come with real consequences, because the municipal body has made the digital khata a requirement for key transactions rather than an optional upgrade. Reporting on the reform indicates that a verified e-Khata has been made necessary for steps such as applying for a home loan, mortgaging a property and obtaining a building plan approval, and that the registration system has been integrated with the e-Aasthi portal so that a sale deed may not be registered without a valid e-Khata in place.
Because these requirements are recent and are being rolled out in phases, you should confirm the current position for your specific transaction on the official municipal portal rather than relying on older guidance. The practical takeaway for a buyer is simple: treat the e-Khata as a document you must see and verify, since without it your registration, and your loan, can stall. For a newly built apartment the developer or association usually coordinates the khata for individual units, so ask how and when your unit's e-Khata will be issued, a detail worth checking on any project page such as Sumadhura Whitefield in Kannamangala. Our explainer on leasehold and freehold property is a useful companion for understanding how the nature of the land interacts with these records.
What should a buyer check about khata before paying?
Khata due diligence is quick and it can save you from a property you cannot finance. Work through the checklist below before you commit.
- Ask the seller for the khata certificate and extract, and check whether the property is A Khata or B Khata.
- Confirm the property has a valid e-Khata with an ePID on the official e-Aasthi system.
- Match the owner name, the property dimensions and the address on the e-Khata against the sale deed.
- For a B Khata property, find out whether and how it can be regularised to A Khata, and at what cost.
- Check with your own bank whether it will lend against the khata status of the specific property.
- Verify that property tax is paid up to date and the khata reflects the latest assessment.
- Treat a missing khata or a B Khata as a question to resolve before, not after, you pay any money.
The buyer off Sarjapur Road eventually walked away, not because a B Khata property is worthless, but because the bargain evaporated once the cost of financing and regularising it was counted. A khata check before the deal would have told him the same thing in five minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between A Khata and B Khata?
A Khata marks a property treated as compliant with building and municipal rules, so it can support a home loan, building plan approval and easy resale. B Khata records a property for tax but flags a deviation, so mainstream loans and building licences are generally unavailable until the property is regularised to A Khata.
Can I get a home loan on a B Khata property?
Most mainstream banks decline to lend against a B Khata property because it is flagged as not fully compliant. Some buyers rely on costlier financing or convert the property to A Khata first. Always confirm directly with your own bank whether it will fund the specific property before you commit to the purchase.
What is e-Khata and an ePID?
e-Khata is the digitised khata record under the e-Aasthi system, which combines ownership, dimensions, tax history and location into one verified online record. Each property gets a unique electronic property identification number, or ePID, linking these details. It lets a buyer verify the property against an official digital record rather than a photocopy.
Is e-Khata now needed to register a property in Bengaluru?
Reporting on the reform indicates that a verified e-Khata has been made necessary for steps such as loans, mortgages and building approvals, and that registration is integrated with the e-Aasthi portal. Because the rollout is recent and phased, confirm the current requirement for your transaction on the official municipal portal before proceeding.
In Bengaluru the khata can quietly decide the economics of a home. Ask for it early, confirm the e-Khata and ePID on the official BBMP portal, and treat a B Khata as a cost to price in rather than a detail to overlook, and you will avoid the trap that the Sarjapur Road bargain set.
Last updated 2026-10-05. PropNewz Team.
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