Khata Transfer After Buying Property in India - citizen guide 2026

A khata is the municipal account that records a property for tax purposes and names the person responsible for paying that tax. Registering your sale deed at the sub-registrar proves you bought the property, but it does not automatically update the local body's tax register. Transferring the khata, sometimes called mutation, closes that gap so the civic record matches your title.

A khata is a tax and identification record, not a title deed. Karnataka authorities and the state's courts have repeatedly held that a khata only records who is liable to pay municipal tax - it does not by itself confer ownership. Ownership flows from your registered sale deed, gift deed or inheritance documents.

So why bother transferring it? Because the civic system runs on the khata, not your sale deed:

• Home loan disbursement. Many lenders want the khata in the buyer's name before they release the final loan tranche.
• Building plan and utility connections. Sanction of a building plan, and applications for fresh water or electricity connections, usually require a khata in your name.
• Future sale. When you sell, the next buyer's bank and the sub-registrar will look for a clean khata in your name.
• Correct tax liability. Until transfer, tax notices keep going to the seller, and dues can pile up against the property.

In Bengaluru and other Karnataka cities you will hear two terms:

• A-khata is the record for a fully compliant, legally assessed property. It is the one banks and registrars accept for loans and transactions.
• B-khata is a separate register the municipal body maintains for properties that are not fully compliant - for example, those built without all approvals or not fully assessed. A B-khata property typically has to be regularised or converted to A-khata before it can be smoothly mortgaged, re-sold or used for plan sanction.

If your new property is on a B-khata, ask the seller and the local body what conversion or regularisation step is required before, or alongside, transfer.

The exact portal and form depend on your state and whether the property is urban or rural. Do not assume one process fits all.

For urban property inside a city corporation or municipality, Karnataka maintains digital property records through e-Aasthi, the urban property record system run under the Department of Municipal Administration. You can search and view urban property records at the official portal eaasthi.karnataka.gov.in; Bengaluru (BBMP/GBA) records are at bbmpeaasthi.karnataka.gov.in.

e-Aasthi is the record system. The transfer application itself is processed by your city corporation or municipality. In Karnataka, that service is delivered under the Karnataka Sakala Services Act, 2011, which guarantees citizen services within a stipulated time and gives you a 15-digit GSC tracking number when you apply.

If the property is inside a gram panchayat (rural) area, the record system is different: it is e-Swathu, run by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department at eswathu.karnataka.gov.in. e-Swathu issues Form 9 (the property/tax record for non-agricultural property in panchayat limits) and Form 11 (the ownership register). Do not confuse e-Swathu (rural) with e-Aasthi (urban) - they are two separate systems.

In Hyderabad, the equivalent step is property mutation through the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Mutation is mandatory after registration; without it, GHMC records keep showing the old owner. For properties registered through the integrated registration process, mutation can be initiated on data shared by the Registration Department. Check the official schedule for the current mutation fee and forms at ghmc.gov.in - do not rely on a fixed figure quoted by a blog.

In Chennai, the step is a name transfer / assessment transfer in the property-tax records of the Greater Chennai Corporation. The official corporation procedure asks for the title deed and an up-to-date property-tax receipt, and sets out a time window for applying after registration. See the official rules and forms at chennaicorporation.gov.in.

The wording differs by city, but the spine of the process is the same:

1. Clear all property tax dues first. The local body will not transfer a khata while tax is outstanding. Get the seller's tax cleared up to date and keep the paid receipt.
2. Collect your documents (see the checklist below).
3. File the transfer or mutation application with your city corporation, municipality or gram panchayat - online through the official portal where available, or at the citizen-service counter.
4. Pay the prescribed fee. The transfer fee is set by the local municipal body and is usually linked to the registered sale deed value. Check the official fee schedule of your corporation or municipality for the exact amount - do not assume a percentage you read on a blog.
5. Note your acknowledgement number. In Karnataka this is the 15-digit Sakala GSC number; in other cities you get an application or file number. Use it to track status.
6. Track and collect. Once approved, download or collect the updated khata, e-khata, Form 9/11 or transfer order in your name.

Keep clear copies and the originals for verification. Commonly required:

• Registered sale deed, gift deed or settlement deed in your name
• Previous owner's khata / property record
• Latest encumbrance certificate
• Up-to-date property tax paid receipts
• Identity proof and photographs
• The prescribed transfer or mutation application form
• For inherited property: death certificate and legal-heir or succession certificate

• Skipping the dues check. If the seller left unpaid property tax, the application will not move until it is cleared. Settle this before you file.
• Wrong portal. Filing a rural panchayat property on the urban system, or vice versa, gets it rejected. Confirm whether you are urban (e-Aasthi in Karnataka) or rural (e-Swathu).
• Treating the khata as title. A khata does not prove ownership on its own. Keep your registered sale deed safe - that is your title.
• Ignoring B-khata status. Buyers sometimes discover at loan stage that the property is on a B-khata and needs regularisation. Check this before you sign.
• No tracking number. Without your GSC or application number you cannot escalate a delay. Record it the day you apply.

If your application crosses the promised time with no result, you have ladders to climb - and RTI is one of the strongest.

In Karnataka, the Sakala Act gives you a built-in remedy: if a guaranteed service is not delivered within the stipulated time, you can appeal to the Competent Officer quoting your GSC number, and a defaulting official can be made liable to pay a small compensatory cost per day of delay, up to a capped maximum per application. Check your acknowledgement and the Sakala portal for the appeal route.

Alongside or instead of that, file an RTI with the municipal body's Public Information Officer under the Right to Information Act, 2005. RTI works well here because it forces a paper trail: the officer must give you the current status, the name of the dealing official and the reason for any delay.

To: The Public Information Officer
[Name of City Corporation / Municipality / Gram Panchayat]

Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, please provide:

1. The current status of my khata transfer / mutation application
   number ______ dated __________, for property at __________.
2. The name and designation of the official currently handling the file.
3. Each objection or document deficiency recorded on the file, if any,
   with the date each was raised.
4. The stipulated time for this service and whether it has been crossed.
5. The action taken, if any, against delay in disposing of the application.

You can build a clean, citable RTI in minutes with the AI RTI Drafter, and if the PIO gives no answer or an evasive one, escalate using the First Appeal Builder. To check whether a reply actually answers your questions, run it through the PIO Reply Checker, and track your statutory deadlines with the Timeline Tracker. For the full RTI playbook from first letter to second appeal, see The RTI Playbook.

No. Registering the sale deed at the sub-registrar transfers ownership. Khata transfer updates the municipal tax record so the local body bills you, not the seller. You need both.

No. A khata is a tax and identification record. Karnataka authorities and courts have held it does not by itself confer ownership. Your registered sale deed is your proof of title.

Usually not until the dues are cleared. The local body will hold the transfer while tax is outstanding. Clear the arrears, keep the paid receipt, then apply.

A-khata is the record for a fully compliant, legally assessed property and is accepted for loans and transactions. B-khata is a separate register for properties that are not fully compliant and often need regularisation before a smooth loan or resale.

For urban property, use the e-Aasthi system. For gram panchayat (rural) property, use e-Swathu, which issues Form 9 and Form 11. They are separate systems; using the wrong one gets the application rejected.

The fee is set by your local municipal body and is generally linked to the registered sale deed value, plus small charges for the certificate or extract. Check the official fee schedule of your corporation or municipality for the exact figure.

It varies by city and whether dues are clear. In Karnataka the service runs under the Sakala Act with a stipulated time and a GSC tracking number. If it crosses the promised time, you can appeal under Sakala and file an RTI to force a status update.

Yes. An RTI to the municipal Public Information Officer asking for the application status, the dealing official's name and the reason for delay creates a paper trail that often unblocks a stalled file.

• e-Aasthi, Urban Property Management System, Department of Municipal Administration, Government of Karnataka - eaasthi.karnataka.gov.in
• BBMP / GBA e-Aasthi (e-Khata) - bbmpeaasthi.karnataka.gov.in
• e-Swathu, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Government of Karnataka - eswathu.karnataka.gov.in
• Karnataka Sakala Services Act, 2011 - sakala.kar.nic.in
• Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation - ghmc.gov.in
• Greater Chennai Corporation, property tax rules and procedure - chennaicorporation.gov.in
• Right to Information Act, 2005 - RTI Act 2005

• AI RTI Drafter
• First Appeal Builder
• PIO Reply Checker
• Timeline Tracker
• AwaazRTI voice
• RTI Act 2005
• The RTI Playbook