A Bengaluru buyer who purchased a resale flat in Electronic City assumed the khata would follow the sale deed automatically. Months later, applying for a minor civic service, he found the record still carried the seller's name, and worse, an old property tax due from the previous owner was blocking any change. Buying and registering a resale flat does not move the khata to you on its own. You have to apply for a khata transfer, and a pending due can stall it. Here is how the transfer works after a resale purchase, and what to line up so it goes through cleanly.

The short answer. After you buy and register a resale flat, the khata does not transfer by itself. You apply for a khata transfer through the BBMP e-Aasthi system, and once it is processed a fresh e-khata is generated in your name. You need your registered sale deed, a recent encumbrance certificate, the latest property tax paid receipt, the seller's previous khata and, for a flat, the occupancy certificate, plus your identity proof. The trade off to plan for is dues and timing. If the previous owner left property tax unpaid, the transfer can be refused until it is cleared, so confirming a clean tax record before you buy saves a real headache later.

Why doesn't the khata transfer automatically?

Because registration and khata mutation are two separate steps in two different systems. Registering your sale deed records the transfer of ownership, but the khata is a municipal record that is updated only when you apply for a khata transfer, also called mutation. When a property changes hands, the e-khata in the seller's name does not automatically become yours, as explained in this guide to the khata transfer process. Until you complete the mutation, the civic record still shows the seller, which can complicate property tax, utility matters and any future sale. Treating the registered sale deed as the finish line is the common mistake, when the khata transfer is the step that makes the municipal record match your ownership.

Why does an updated khata matter so much in practice? Because it is the record the civic system leans on for property tax, and lenders and future buyers look to it as evidence of a clean, current owner. A khata in your name lets property tax bills come to you correctly, smooths applications for civic services, and, most importantly, makes your own future resale far simpler, since your buyer will want to see the khata already in your name rather than the person you bought from. A stale khata does not undo your ownership, which the sale deed governs, but it introduces friction into every routine dealing until it is corrected, which is exactly why closing the loop soon after purchase is the sensible move.

What documents do I need for the khata transfer?

You need to prove your purchase, a clean title and a clear tax record. The core set includes your registered sale deed, a recent encumbrance certificate covering a long period, the latest property tax paid receipt for the current year, and the previous khata certificate and extract from the seller. For an apartment or flat the occupancy certificate is also required, and you provide your identity proof such as Aadhaar and PAN. Gather these before you apply, ideally collecting the seller's khata, tax receipts and occupancy certificate at the time of purchase, since chasing a seller for papers after the sale is harder. A recent encumbrance certificate is easy to obtain, as we explain in our guide to the encumbrance certificate on Kaveri.

How do I apply for the khata transfer?

You apply through the BBMP e-Aasthi system, and the mutation is handled for the ward in which the property sits. You submit the application with the required documents, and after verification the record is updated and a fresh e-khata is issued in your name. Historically this was done at the Assistant Revenue Officer office for the ward, and the online e-Aasthi route has made much of it digital. One important administrative change to note is that, as of early 2026, the Greater Bengaluru Authority has taken over civic administration in the city, so the transfer may now be processed through the GBA framework rather than BBMP as it was known. Because the exact route and portal can change, confirm the current process on the official portal before you apply.

Once you submit, keep the acknowledgement or reference number, since that is what lets you track the application and follow up if it stalls. Processing usually takes a few weeks rather than a few days, as the authority verifies your documents and the tax record before generating the fresh e-khata. If the file does not move after a reasonable period, the reference number is what the office uses to locate it, so hold on to it until the transfer is confirmed. It is also worth a final check that the new e-khata reflects your name, the correct property details and the right extent, because a small error caught now is far easier to correct than one discovered years later at your own resale.

What does the khata transfer cost?

The main charge is a mutation fee linked to your stamp duty, plus small issuance and service charges. The khata transfer mutation fee is generally around 2 percent of the stamp duty you paid at registration, subject to a modest minimum, and there are additional small fees for issuing the e-khata document, a service charge, and a per page scanning charge. In the scheme of a property purchase these are minor costs, so they should never be a reason to delay the transfer. The far bigger financial risk is an unpaid tax due from the seller, which can hold up the whole mutation, so the money you should worry about is the arrears, not the fee. Where a professional or agent helps with the paperwork, their charge is separate and negotiable, so ask what it covers before you engage one.

What if the seller left unpaid property tax?

Unpaid property tax can block your khata transfer until it is cleared, and the burden often falls on you. If the previous owner left dues, the authority may refuse to process the mutation until the account is settled, and if you discover the dues only after buying, you may have to clear them yourself to complete the transfer. This is exactly why a resale buyer should confirm the property tax is fully paid, and collect the latest paid receipt, before closing the purchase. The same discipline applies to the khata status itself, since an A khata property transfers cleanly while a B khata brings its own complications, which we cover in our guide to A khata versus B khata. If you are buying into a project such as Habulus Oasis Grove in Electronic City, ask for the khata and tax record on the specific unit.

What should a Bengaluru buyer do?

Work through these seven steps so the khata ends up cleanly in your name.

1. Before buying, confirm the property tax is fully paid and collect the latest receipt.
2. Collect the seller's previous khata certificate, extract and, for a flat, the occupancy certificate.
3. Obtain a recent encumbrance certificate covering a long period.
4. Register the sale deed, since it is the base document for the transfer.
5. Apply for the khata transfer through the official e-Aasthi or GBA route soon after registration.
6. Pay the mutation fee and small issuance charges to complete the process.
7. Confirm the fresh e-khata is generated in your name and keep it safe.

The khata transfer is the quiet last step that many resale buyers forget, and skipping it leaves the civic record pointing at the previous owner while unpaid dues wait to surface. Confirm a clean tax record before you buy, gather the seller's documents at closing, and apply for the transfer promptly through the current official route. Do that and the khata, like your sale deed, ends up firmly in your name, closing the loop on a purchase the right way.

Frequently asked questions

Does the khata transfer automatically when I buy a resale flat? No. Registering your sale deed records ownership, but the khata is a separate municipal record updated only when you apply for a khata transfer, or mutation. The e-khata in the seller's name does not automatically become yours, so you must apply through the official system, after which a fresh e-khata is generated in your name.

What documents are needed to transfer a khata? You need your registered sale deed, a recent encumbrance certificate covering a long period, the latest property tax paid receipt, and the seller's previous khata certificate and extract. For a flat the occupancy certificate is also required, along with your identity proof such as Aadhaar and PAN. Collecting the seller's papers at the time of purchase makes it smoother.

What if the seller has unpaid property tax? Unpaid property tax can block the khata transfer until it is cleared, and if you discover the dues after buying, you may have to clear them yourself to complete the mutation. So a resale buyer should confirm the tax is fully paid and collect the latest receipt before closing, so old arrears do not become your problem.

How much does a khata transfer cost? The main charge is a mutation fee generally around 2 percent of the stamp duty paid at registration, subject to a modest minimum, plus small fees for issuing the e-khata, a service charge and per page scanning. These are minor costs, so confirm current fees on the official portal and do not let them delay the transfer.

Last updated 2026-08-26. PropNewz Team.