A buyer near Kanakapura Road found a plot in 2026 that was 15 lakh cheaper than everything around it, and could not understand why. The title looked clean, the seller was pleasant, the location was good. The catch was a single letter on the property record: it was a B-khata, not an A-khata. When his bank refused a loan and he learned he could not easily get building approval, the discount suddenly made sense. He had almost bought a problem the paperwork had quietly labelled for anyone who knew to look.

In Bengaluru, the khata is one of the most misunderstood documents a buyer will encounter, and the recent shift to e-khata has added fresh confusion. Here is what A-khata, B-khata and e-khata actually mean, and why the difference can decide whether you can get a loan, build, or sell.

The short answer. An A-khata means the property is in the BBMP regular register and fully compliant, so you can get a home loan, building permission and an easy resale. A B-khata is a separate register for properties with irregularities, and it makes loans, permissions and resale much harder. e-khata, introduced in October 2024 and now mandatory for property registration within BBMP limits, is simply the digital form of your khata; it does not change an A into a B or a B into an A, as guides like Sobha's khata explainer make clear. The trade-off buyers miss: a B-khata property is cheaper for a reason, and that discount reflects real limits on what you can do with it.

What is a khata and why does it matter?

A khata is a municipal record that identifies a property for property tax purposes and lists the owner, the size, the location and the assessment details. It is not a title document; it does not by itself prove ownership. But it is the record the city uses to recognise a property, and it is what banks, building authorities and future buyers look at to judge whether a property is on the right side of the rules.

Because of that, the khata sits at the centre of almost everything you will want to do with a home. Getting a home loan, applying for building permission, transferring the property, and registering a sale all lean on the khata. A property with the wrong kind of khata is not necessarily worthless, but it carries restrictions that shape its price and its future, which is exactly why the A versus B distinction matters so much.

A-khata versus B-khata: what is the real difference?

An A-khata is issued to a property that fully complies with the building bye-laws and approved layout, and is entered in the BBMP regular register with proper assessment details. A B-khata, by contrast, is a secondary register for properties with irregularities, such as an unapproved layout, a pending conversion, or deviations from the sanctioned plan.

The consequences are practical and large. An A-khata property is straightforward to finance, build on, and sell, because everyone in the chain treats it as compliant. A B-khata property is the opposite: banks are reluctant to lend against it, building permission is difficult, and resale is harder because the next buyer faces the same problems. Paying property tax on a B-khata does not make the property compliant; it simply records a payment against an irregular property. Understanding this is the difference between buying a home and buying a limitation.

What is e-khata, and does it fix a B-khata?

e-khata is the digital version of the khata, introduced in October 2024, and it is now mandatory for property registration within BBMP limits. Instead of a paper record, your khata now exists as a verified electronic record that registration authorities and banks can check online, and it has been extended to building-plan applications too. This is a genuine improvement in transparency, since you can verify a property's record digitally rather than relying on a paper copy that could be outdated.

But here is the point buyers most often get wrong: e-khata does not upgrade a B-khata to an A-khata. Digitisation only changes the format of the record, not its underlying status. The e-khata certificate itself states clearly whether the property sits in the A or the B register, so a B-khata that is digitised is still a B-khata. If a seller tells you the property now has an e-khata as though that solves everything, read the certificate and check which register it names. The letter still matters.

To make the contrast concrete, here is how A-khata and B-khata compare on the things a buyer actually cares about, from loans to resale.

Read the price row last. A B-khata is usually cheaper, and that discount is not a bargain; it is the market pricing in the loan, building and resale problems you would inherit. Ask yourself whether the saving today is worth the friction on every future step, from financing to the day you eventually want to sell.

How do I check the khata before buying?

Do not take the seller's word, and do not be reassured just because an e-khata exists. Work through this sequence before you commit:

1. Ask for the khata certificate and confirm, in writing, whether it is an A-khata or a B-khata.
2. Pull the e-khata record and read which register, A or B, it actually names.
3. Match the owner, extent and location on the khata against the sale documents and the site.
4. If you need a home loan, confirm with your bank that it will lend against this specific khata.
5. For a plot, check that the layout is approved and the land is properly converted for residential use.
6. If it is a B-khata, factor in the cost, time and uncertainty of converting it before you agree a price.
7. Have a lawyer confirm the khata status ties cleanly to the title before you pay a serious advance.

The khata check works best alongside your other checks. Our guide to Karnataka stamp duty and guidance value matters here because conversion charges are priced off the guidance value, and our guide to the encumbrance certificate on Kaveri confirms the title is clean. If you are considering an established project such as Sobha Oakshire in Devanahalli, confirm the khata is A-khata before you treat the price as final.

Can a B-khata be converted, and what about the 2026 drive?

Yes, a B-khata can often be converted to an A-khata, but it takes a formal application and payment of charges, and it is not guaranteed for every property. The conversion regularises the property in the eyes of the authority, after which loans, building permission and resale become far easier. Because it is a real cost and process, a B-khata is only worth buying if you go in with eyes open about converting it.

There is a timely angle in 2026. A special conversion drive reduced the betterment charge for B-khata to A-khata conversion to about 2 percent of the guidance value, down from the usual 5 percent, through a time-limited window run via the Greater Bengaluru Authority's conversion portal. If you already own or are seriously considering a B-khata property, this can cut the conversion cost meaningfully, but the window is limited, so confirm the current deadline and eligibility with the authority before relying on it. Do not, however, treat a promised future conversion as if it were already done when you are agreeing a price.

What mistakes do buyers make with khata?

The biggest mistake is being seduced by a B-khata discount without understanding what it costs you in loans, permissions and resale. The second is assuming an e-khata means the property is now fully regular, when it only digitises whatever status already existed. Always read which register the e-khata names.

The third mistake is treating property tax receipts on a B-khata as proof of compliance; they are not. And the fourth is buying a B-khata on a verbal promise that conversion is easy or already underway, without confirming the process, cost and timeline yourself. A promised conversion is not the same as a completed one, and the risk of it stalling sits entirely with you once you have paid. Check the khata, read the e-khata register, price in any conversion, and never let a discount blind you to the limits stamped on the record.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between A-khata and B-khata?

An A-khata is issued to a fully compliant property in the BBMP regular register, so it qualifies easily for home loans, building permission and resale. A B-khata is a secondary register for properties with irregularities such as unapproved layouts or deviations, and it makes loans, building permission and resale much harder. A-khata is safer to buy.

Does e-khata convert a B-khata to an A-khata?

No. e-khata, introduced in October 2024, is only the digital form of your khata record. Digitisation does not change the underlying status, so a B-khata that is digitised remains a B-khata. The e-khata certificate itself states whether the property is in the A or B register, so always read which register it names before assuming anything changed.

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

Usually it is difficult. Most banks are reluctant to lend against a B-khata property because it carries irregularities, and building permission and resale are also harder. If you need a loan, confirm with your specific bank before committing, and treat a B-khata discount as the market pricing in these real restrictions rather than a straightforward bargain.

Can a B-khata be converted to an A-khata?

Often yes, through a formal application and payment of charges, though it is not guaranteed for every property. A 2026 conversion drive reduced the betterment charge to about 2 percent of guidance value, down from 5 percent, for a limited window through the Greater Bengaluru Authority. Confirm the current deadline and eligibility with the authority before relying on it.

Last updated 2026-08-22. PropNewz Team.