What is khata certificate?
Also called: khata, khata extract, khata transfer, katha certificate
In Karnataka, and especially in Bengaluru, a khata certificate is the municipal record that shows a property is assessed for property tax in the owner's name. It is issued by the city corporation and is needed for building plans, trade licences, utility connections and most bank loans.
Bengaluru residents talk about khata in two pieces. The khata certificate says the property is entered in the corporation's assessment register in your name. The khata extract gives the details: property ID, the site dimensions, the built-up area assessed and the tax. Banks usually want both, along with the latest tax paid receipt.
Historically BBMP issued these. Under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act the city has been reorganised under the Greater Bengaluru Authority with separate city corporations, so the issuing office depends on where the property falls, but the khata itself works the same way. Outside Bengaluru, towns and cities issue khata through their own municipal bodies on the e-Aasthi system, and gram panchayat properties get Form 9 or 11 through E-Swathu.
Two points trip people up. First, khata is about tax assessment, not title. A khata in someone's name tells you the corporation is collecting tax from them; it does not prove they own the land. Your lawyer still reads the sale deeds and the encumbrance certificate. Second, after you buy, the khata doesn't move to you automatically. You apply for khata transfer with the registered sale deed, pay the transfer fee (a percentage of the stamp duty value) and wait for the new certificate.
The word "khata" means something else in UP, Bihar and Rajasthan, where it's a landholder's account number in the revenue records. If a colleague from Lucknow says his plot is "khata number 212", he's talking about the khatauni, not a municipal certificate.
A resale 2 BHK in HSR Layout sells for ₹1.25 crore. The buyer registers the deed, then applies for khata transfer with the deed, the latest tax receipt and the seller's khata; only once the new khata is issued does the bank release the final disbursement for its records.
Accepting a flat where the khata is still in the builder's or landowner's name "for the whole building". Each apartment should have its own assessment, or you'll struggle with resale and loans later.
Questions people ask about khata certificate
Is khata the same as the sale deed?
No. The sale deed is your title document, registered with the sub-registrar. The khata is the municipal tax record and follows the sale deed.
How long does khata transfer take in Bengaluru?
It varies by office and how clean the file is. Straightforward transfers with e-khata and a registered deed can move in a few weeks; files with mismatched measurements or missing old records take much longer.