Buying a plot in Bangalore:
the risk checklist first.
A plot carries more paperwork risk than any other property type in this city. One layout, sold off a hoarding, can hide three separate approval gaps at once — khata, layout sanction and land conversion don't always travel together. Tick off what you've actually verified. What's left unchecked is exactly what to run down before you pay anything.
10 things to verify before you sign.
Tick off what you've already checked. Send us the rest and we'll help you run it down — on the portals, with the seller, or with your lawyer.
Verifying each item, step by step.
- 01
Check khata status where the record actually lives
Inside BBMP's former limits, that's now your local city corporation under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) via the e-Aasthi portal; outside it, the relevant panchayat or municipal office. Get the classification from the document, not from what you're told.
- 02
Confirm B-khata regularisation eligibility and cost directly
Not every B-khata property qualifies, and the discounted 2%-of-guidance-value window under the Bhu-Guarantee scheme closed on 23 August 2026. If a seller is pricing in an "easy conversion," get the actual current fee and eligibility confirmed before you rely on it.
- 03
Verify the layout's approval number with the issuing authority
Call or write to BIAAPA, BMRDA, BDA, DTCP or the relevant city corporation directly — whichever governs that specific location — rather than accepting a number printed on a hoarding. BIAAPA has itself publicly warned buyers about layouts advertising approval it never granted.
- 04
Ask for the DC conversion order as a stand-alone document
A layout can be approved while a specific plot within it is still legally agricultural land. The conversion order is separate paperwork — ask for it by name, and confirm it covers this exact plot.
- 05
Have a lawyer trace the mother deed and title chain
This is not a step to shortcut or do yourself from photographs of documents. A property lawyer should trace ownership back as far as records allow and flag any gap, dispute or inconsistency.
- 06
Pull the encumbrance certificate from Kaveri Online Services
Request at least 15 years, ideally 30, and check it lists every transaction the mother deed and title chain describe — nothing more, nothing missing.
- 07
Walk the site and match survey numbers and boundaries in person
Compare what's on the ground — access road, drains, adjoining plots — against the survey sketch and the numbers on your documents. Boundary disputes are one of the most common plot-specific problems in this city.
- 08
Check katha and tax receipts, and ask what transfer involves
Confirm the current khata and property tax receipts are in the seller's name with nothing outstanding, and ask upfront what documents and fees khata transfer will require after you buy — it's easier to plan for than to discover afterward.
Worth pausing on if you see these.
- "BDA approved" or "BIAAPA approved" claimed on a brochure with no registration number offered when asked directly.
- The seller or broker won't produce a mother deed until after a booking amount changes hands.
- Reluctance to share the encumbrance certificate, or an EC that only covers the last few years rather than a longer window.
- Survey numbers or boundaries on site that don't quite match the sketch you've been shown.
- A plotted layout marketed as "near" an approved zone, rather than confirmed as inside it.
- Land sold on gram panchayat tax receipts alone — a panchayat can collect tax but cannot approve a residential layout.
- A price that already assumes a B-khata-to-A-khata conversion that hasn't been confirmed as eligible for this specific plot.
- No e-khata on record at all, with the seller suggesting it can be "sorted after registration" — since June 2026, it can't be registered without one.
A-khata, B-khata, e-khata — why it drives everything else.
Khata classification is usually the first thing that determines whether a plot can be financed, built on without friction, or resold easily. A-khata land has cleared property tax and legal compliance in full; B-khata land carries some irregularity — often an unapproved layout or unpaid conversion charges — and generally can't be mortgaged by a bank. E-khata is the digital record format that both now use, and since June 2026 it has become mandatory for registration itself: whatever paper record a plot has, no sale can be registered without a valid e-khata behind it.
None of this makes a B-khata plot automatically a bad buy — it makes it a plot that needs a clear-eyed view of what conversion will cost and whether it even qualifies, priced into your offer rather than assumed. See our full khata explainer for how the three classifications actually differ and how conversion works.
See the plot belt,
pocket by pocket.
BIAAPA, BMRDA and DTCP all operate across the North Bangalore plot corridor, sometimes on the same road. Our full breakdown covers price bands and approval authority for all six micro-markets.
Plot buying in Bangalore — answered.
What's the single most important check before buying a plot in Bangalore?
There isn't one single check — khata classification, layout approval and DC conversion are three separate things that all need to be right, and a plot can pass one while failing another. If forced to pick a starting point, verify the layout approval directly with the issuing authority (BIAAPA, BMRDA, BDA, DTCP or your city corporation), since that determines whether the plot could ever be legally built on, before you spend money tracing title.
Is a B-khata plot ever safe to buy?
It can be, with eyes open. A B-khata plot generally can't be financed by a bank and is harder to resell, but it can often be regularised. Karnataka's 2026 Bhu-Guarantee scheme let qualifying B-khata properties convert to A-khata at a discounted 2% of guidance value; that window closed on 23 August 2026, and the fee is now 5%. Confirm the specific plot actually qualifies, and price the current conversion cost in, before relying on that path.
What is e-khata, and why does it matter even if the plot already has an A-khata?
E-khata is the digital format of the khata record, issued through your city corporation's e-Aasthi portal. Since June 2026, it has become mandatory for legally registering, selling or transferring any Bengaluru property — an older paper A-khata or B-khata record isn't a substitute. Confirm a valid e-khata exists for the specific plot before you assume registration will go smoothly.
What's the difference between layout approval and DC conversion?
Layout approval (from BIAAPA, BMRDA, BDA, DTCP or a city corporation) confirms the overall subdivision plan for a group of plots meets planning rules. The DC conversion order is a separate document confirming a specific piece of land has been legally converted from agricultural to non-agricultural use. A layout can be approved while an individual plot within it is still, on paper, agricultural land — ask for both, and check the conversion order names this exact plot.
How far back should the encumbrance certificate and title search go?
Ask for at least 15 years, and 30 where the seller can provide it. A property lawyer should use it alongside the mother deed to confirm every transaction lines up, with no unexplained gap in ownership or a name that doesn't match the chain.
Do all plots need RERA registration?
No. RERA registration applies to plotted developments above a certain size, not every individual land sale. If a layout is marketed as RERA-registered, check the number on the Karnataka RERA portal the same way you would for an apartment project — see our Karnataka RERA checklist. Absence of a number isn't automatically a problem; a fake one is.
What should I check after I've bought the plot, not just before?
Khata transfer into your name, updated property tax records, and, if you plan to build, a fresh building-plan sanction from the authority that governs that specific plot — the approval that let you buy it isn't the same one you'll need to build on it. Confirm the transfer process and paperwork with the seller and the authority before you finalise the purchase, so there are no surprises after registration.
Get a specific plot
checked properly.
Send us the plot you're considering and we'll walk the khata status, approval authority and title chain together.