Guidance Value in Bengaluru: How It Sets Your Registration Cost

In February 2026 a Whitefield buyer named Sana watched her registration budget move before she had signed anything. The Karnataka government revised guidance values across Bengaluru, and the floor value for her chosen apartment rose by low double digits almost overnight. Her agreed price had not changed, but the value the state would use to calculate her stamp duty had, and so had her cash requirement at the sub-registrar office. Sana learned the hard way what many buyers miss: the guidance value, not just the price you negotiate, decides a large part of what you pay to register a home.

The short answer. Guidance value is the minimum value per square foot that the Karnataka Department of Stamps and Registration sets for each locality, and no property can be registered below it. Stamp duty and the registration fee are charged on the higher of the guidance value or your actual sale price. In 2026 Bengaluru stamp duty runs on a slab of 2, 3 or 5 percent by value, with a registration fee of 2 percent and a BBMP cess on top, so the all in charge is commonly around 7.5 to 8 percent. Check the guidance value on the Kaveri portal before you budget.

What is guidance value and who sets it?

Guidance value is the government's minimum registration value for a property, set locality by locality. As the guide at HomesOK explains, it is the minimum value per square foot or square metre fixed by the Karnataka Department of Stamps and Registration at which a property in a given location must be registered. It is not a market price or a valuation of your specific flat; it is a floor. The state uses it to ensure a minimum tax is collected on every transaction, which is why you cannot register a property below it even if you genuinely paid less. For a buyer, it is the number that anchors your registration cost.

It helps to see the guidance value for what it is and is not. It is not the price you should pay, nor a valuation of the specific flat with its floor, view or finish. In sought after pockets the real market price often sits well above the guidance value, while in a few areas the guidance value can be close to or even above weak market prices. Either way, the state uses it only as a minimum for tax, so treat it as a budgeting input for duty rather than as guidance on what to offer the seller. Your negotiation is a separate exercise from your registration maths.

How does guidance value affect what I pay?

Stamp duty and registration are calculated on whichever is higher, the guidance value or your sale price. Both HomesOK and the OneCity guide state this plainly. If your negotiated price is above the guidance value, duty is worked out on your price. If your price is at or below the guidance value, duty is worked out on the guidance value instead. This is why a rise in guidance value, like the one Sana faced, can increase your cost even when the price you agreed has not moved. It also means quoting an artificially low price achieves nothing, because the floor still applies.

What are the stamp duty and registration rates in 2026?

Bengaluru stamp duty follows a slab, and the registration fee is now 2 percent. The OneCity guide lists stamp duty at 2 percent for property up to 20 lakh, 3 percent for 20 to 45 lakh, and 5 percent above 45 lakh, which is where most city flats sit. The registration fee was raised from 1 percent to 2 percent with effect from 31 August 2025. On top of the stamp duty there is a BBMP cess of about 10 percent of the stamp duty amount. Put together, a typical purchase above 45 lakh in the city carries an all in charge in the region of 7.5 to 8 percent of the registered value.

A worked example

The OneCity guide gives a clear example for a 75 lakh property in a BBMP area: stamp duty at 5 percent is 3.75 lakh, the BBMP cess at 10 percent of that is about 37,500 rupees, and the registration fee at 2 percent is 1.5 lakh, for a total near 5.62 lakh, an effective rate close to 7.5 percent. Running this arithmetic on your own guidance value or price, whichever is higher, gives you a realistic figure to keep aside well before the registration date.

How do I check the guidance value on the Kaveri portal?

You check it yourself on the official Kaveri portal at kaveri.karnataka.gov.in. HomesOK describes the process: choose Bangalore Urban or Rural, select the relevant sub-registrar office, enter the property details such as village, hobli and survey number, specify the property type, and the portal returns the guidance value per square foot for that location. The portal also has an integrated stamp duty calculator you can use once you have the value. Doing this before you agree a price tells you the floor the state will apply, so there are no surprises when you reach the counter.

Why did guidance values rise in 2026?

Guidance values in Bengaluru urban limits were revised upward in February 2026. HomesOK notes a localized revision within Bengaluru urban limits in that month, in the range of 6 to 15 percent, and mentions a separate proposed statewide revision that was still pending formal notification later in the year. The practical effect for a buyer is that guidance values are not static, and a figure you noted months ago may be higher by the time you register. If your purchase is some way off, recheck the guidance value on the Kaveri portal closer to the date rather than relying on an older figure.

A revision also changes the arithmetic of a deal in progress. If you have agreed a price close to the old guidance value and a revision lifts the floor above your price, your duty will now be computed on the higher floor, quietly raising your cash requirement. This is not a reason to panic, but it is a reason to keep a small cushion in your registration budget when a revision is expected or recently announced. Buyers who track the guidance value, rather than assuming it is fixed, avoid being caught short the way Sana nearly was.

Can I register a property below the guidance value?

No, you cannot register below the guidance value. The sub-registrar will not accept a declared value lower than the current guidance value for that location, which is precisely why the value acts as a floor. If you have genuinely negotiated a price below the guidance value, you will still pay stamp duty and registration on the higher guidance figure. This is worth knowing before you celebrate a low price, because your registration cost will be based on the government floor, not on the bargain you struck, and that gap needs to sit in your budget.

What should a Bengaluru buyer do about guidance value?

Treat the guidance value as the starting point of your registration budget, checked early and rechecked near the date. The checklist below keeps the process simple and puts the free online check first.

1. Note the exact locality, sub-registrar office and survey details of the property.
2. Look up the guidance value per square foot on the Kaveri portal.
3. Compare it with your agreed price and take the higher figure.
4. Apply the stamp duty slab of 2, 3 or 5 percent by value.
5. Add the 2 percent registration fee and the BBMP cess on stamp duty.
6. Recheck the guidance value near your registration date for any revision.
7. Keep the total aside as cash, since loans rarely fund these charges.

Common questions from Bengaluru buyers

What is guidance value in Karnataka?

Guidance value is the minimum value per square foot set by the Karnataka Department of Stamps and Registration for each locality, below which a property cannot be registered. It acts as a floor for calculating stamp duty and registration, and it is published and searchable on the official Kaveri portal for every area of Bengaluru.

Are stamp duty and registration charged on price or guidance value?

They are charged on whichever is higher, the guidance value or your actual sale price. If your price is above the guidance value, duty is on your price; if it is at or below, duty is on the guidance value. Quoting an artificially low price does not reduce the charge, because the guidance value sets the floor.

How do I check the guidance value for a property?

Use the Kaveri portal at kaveri.karnataka.gov.in. Choose Bangalore Urban or Rural, select the sub-registrar office, enter the village, hobli and survey number, and pick the property type. The portal returns the guidance value per square foot and offers a stamp duty calculator to estimate your total registration cost.

What are the 2026 stamp duty and registration rates in Bengaluru?

Stamp duty is 2 percent up to 20 lakh, 3 percent for 20 to 45 lakh, and 5 percent above 45 lakh. The registration fee is 2 percent, raised from 1 percent on 31 August 2025, and a BBMP cess of about 10 percent of the stamp duty applies, taking the total to roughly 7.5 to 8 percent.

Guidance value sits at the heart of your registration budget. Read it with our detailed guide to the cost to register a home in Bengaluru, and remember that the guidance value is also the stamp duty value used in our guide to TDS on a property purchase. If you are evaluating a home in a locality like Whitefield, for example Prestige Waterford, check its guidance value before you fix a budget.

Last updated 2026-09-04. PropNewz Team.