What is Khata? A Khata vs B Khata Explained
If you are buying property in Bengaluru, one word will decide how smooth or how troubled your purchase is: Khata. And within it, whether the property is A Khata or B Khata changes everything about loans, resale and legality. Many buyers learn the difference the hard way. This guide explains what a Khata is, and why A Khata and B Khata are not the same thing at all.
What a Khata is
A Khata is an account record maintained by the municipal body, in Bengaluru the BBMP, that records details of a property and its owner for the purpose of paying property tax. The word itself means account. It shows the property's size, location, built-up area and tax liability, and it identifies who is responsible for the tax. A Khata is essential for property tax payment, trade licences, building approvals and transactions in the city.
Khata certificate and Khata extract
Two documents come up often. The Khata certificate confirms that a property is registered in the municipal records in the owner's name and is needed for registering a sale and applying for loans and licences. The Khata extract gives the detailed property information from the register. Both are commonly required in a Bengaluru property transaction, alongside the title documents.
A Khata versus B Khata: the crucial difference
| Point | A Khata | B Khata |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Fully legal and compliant property | Recorded on a separate B register |
| Compliance | Meets bylaws, taxes and approvals | Has deviations or pending compliance |
| Home loans | Readily available | Difficult from many lenders |
| Building plan / trade licence | Obtainable | Restricted |
| Resale | Easy, wider buyer pool | Harder, buyer caution |
What B Khata really means
A B Khata property is recorded on a separate register the municipal body maintains for properties that are not fully compliant, due to building bylaw deviations, unauthorised layouts, pending charges or other irregularities. It is not entirely illegal, and the owner still pays tax, but it lacks the full legal standing of an A Khata. That gap shows up exactly when you need it least: many banks hesitate to lend, building approvals are restricted, and resale draws cautious buyers. A B Khata can sometimes be converted to A Khata by regularising the property and clearing the requirements, though the process and eligibility vary.
What buyers should do
In Bengaluru, always check the Khata type before buying. Prefer A Khata properties for their clean legal standing and easy financing. If you are considering a B Khata property at a lower price, understand the loan and resale limits, and the realistic prospects and cost of converting it to A Khata, before you commit. This check belongs alongside the title and encumbrance verification in our document verification checklist, and mirrors the approval-status caution in our land-buying guide.
Khata transfer and registration
When you buy a property in Bengaluru, the Khata does not update automatically, you must apply to transfer it into your name, a step many new owners overlook. Khata transfer or registration requires the sale deed, previous tax-paid receipts, and the earlier Khata details, submitted to the municipal body, which then records you as the property holder liable for tax. Completing this promptly matters, because a Khata in the previous owner's name complicates future dealings, loans and resale, and leaves the tax record misaligned with ownership. It also cements your position as the recognised holder in the municipal record, which supports your title alongside the registered sale deed. So treat Khata transfer as a necessary follow-up to registration, not an optional extra, and keep the Khata certificate and updated extract safely with your property papers. In a city where the Khata is so central to every transaction, an up-to-date one in your name is part of holding the property cleanly.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Khata in property?
A Khata is a municipal account record, in Bengaluru maintained by the BBMP, showing a property's details and tax liability and identifying the owner responsible for property tax. It is needed for tax, loans, approvals and transactions.
What is the difference between A Khata and B Khata?
A Khata is a fully legal, compliant property with easy loans and resale. B Khata is recorded on a separate register for properties with deviations or pending compliance, making loans, approvals and resale harder.
Can I get a home loan on a B Khata property?
It is difficult. Many lenders hesitate to finance B Khata properties due to their compliance gaps, which is a key reason they are cheaper and riskier than A Khata.
Can B Khata be converted to A Khata?
Sometimes, by regularising the property and meeting the requirements, though eligibility, process and cost vary. Confirm the realistic prospects before buying a B Khata property expecting conversion.
What is a Khata certificate?
It confirms a property is registered in the municipal records in the owner's name, and is needed for registering a sale and applying for loans and licences in Bengaluru.
Is B Khata property illegal?
Not entirely, since the owner still pays tax and it is recorded, but it lacks the full legal standing of A Khata due to deviations or pending compliance, which limits loans, approvals and resale.
In Bengaluru, the Khata type is as important as the title itself. Insist on knowing whether a property is A Khata or B Khata, prefer the clean legal standing of A Khata, and go in with open eyes if you consider B Khata. Our team can help you verify a property's Khata status before you buy.
