Documents to check before booking a flat in Bengaluru, and where each comes from

Why a document list helps

Most disputes in property start with a paper that was never seen, not with a paper that was forged. A short list of documents, each tied to the body that issues it, turns a vague wish to be careful into a task you can finish. The list below applies to most purchases, and a lawyer may add items for yours.

For every document, ask for a copy before you pay a booking amount, and then confirm its content with the issuing body wherever that is possible online. Keep the copies together with the date you checked them.

RERA registration

The registration is the first document to look for in a new project, and it is checked on the Karnataka RERA portal. It shows the promoter, the phase, the status and the proposed completion date. Our step-by-step article on verifying a registration walks through it.

Khata certificate and khata extract

The khata is the civic record of a property that the local civic body keeps, and it is generally treated as a tax record. Bengaluru's civic administration was restructured in 2025 under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, which replaced the earlier single municipal corporation with a Greater Bengaluru Authority and city corporations, so confirm which civic body governs the address you are considering. Bengaluru records commonly refer to A and B khata, and a digital e-khata has been introduced. The rules for each category, including any conversion from one to the other, have been changing, so ask the civic body and your lawyer what applies to your case, and how a lender or a registering office treats it.

Ask for the khata certificate and the khata extract, check that the owner's name and the property details match the title papers, and use the civic body's online services or the state's citizen services portal, which lists khata services, to confirm what you can. A khata is a civic record and does not on its own prove ownership.

Encumbrance certificate

An encumbrance certificate is drawn from the registration records and reports registered documents relating to a property over a chosen period, such as sales and mortgages. In Karnataka the Department of Stamps and Registration runs the records, and Kaveri Online Services is where you find the process for applying. Check the process there, since the available services and procedures change over time.

The period covered is chosen when you apply, and a lawyer will read the certificate alongside the title chain. Absence of an entry does not prove clean title, because some interests are not registered, which is another reason for professional review.

Title documents and the chain of ownership

The title chain is the series of documents by which the land passed to the present owner or promoter, which usually includes registered documents. For an apartment project it may include a development agreement or joint development arrangement between a landowner and a developer. The Act requires the promoter to declare, with supporting documents, that the promoter has legal title to the land or authority from the owner. These are the papers a lawyer reads most closely, and they are not something a buyer can judge from a brochure.

Sanctioned plan, building licence and commencement certificate

A project needs the approval of the competent authority, meaning the local or planning authority with power to permit development, for its plan. Under the Act, a commencement certificate is the permission by whatever name called that allows the promoter to begin development works as per the sanctioned plan. Ask for both, and ask which authority issued them. The plan shows what was approved, and you can compare it with what is being sold.

Other approvals can apply depending on the site, for example environmental permissions, which the Act counts within the sanctioned plan, and water and sewage connections. The state water board and electricity company publish their own application processes, and they are worth knowing about if you will need a new connection.

Occupancy certificate and completion certificate

Under the Act, an occupancy certificate is the certificate, by whatever name called, that the competent authority issues to permit occupation of a building which has provision for civic infrastructure such as water, sanitation and electricity. A completion certificate is the certificate, by whatever name called, that the project has been developed according to the sanctioned plan, layout plan and specifications. Local bodies may use these terms differently, so ask which document the authority actually issued and read it.

In an under-construction project these papers do not yet exist, and the agreement for sale should say when and how the promoter will provide them. For a resale flat, ask the seller for the original occupancy certificate and for proof of the khata.

Agreement for sale and cost sheet

Ask for the draft agreement for sale and a written cost sheet before you pay a booking amount. The Act limits what a promoter can accept as an advance before a written, registered agreement for sale (Section 13). The cost sheet lists the base price, parking, floor rise, amenity charges, GST, stamp duty and other items, as our total cost guide explains. Under the Act the agreement for sale specifies the payment dates, the date of possession and the rates of interest on default.

• RERA registration: Karnataka RERA portal.
• Khata certificate and extract: the local civic body and the state citizen services portal.
• Encumbrance certificate: the registration department's Kaveri Online Services.
• Sanctioned plan and commencement certificate: the planning authority that issued them.
• Occupancy and completion certificates: the planning authority that issued them.
• Utility connections: the water board and electricity company.

Putting the file together

Create one folder with a copy of each paper, the date you obtained it, who gave it to you and what you did to confirm it. When a paper is missing, write that down too. The pattern of what is missing often says more than any one document.

Common questions

Where is a property sale registered in Karnataka?

Sale deeds are registered at a Sub-Registrar office of the Department of Stamps and Registration, which also runs Kaveri Online Services. Check Kaveri for the current online steps.

Does a khata prove I own the property?

Not on its own. A khata is a civic record generally treated as a tax record. Title is shown by the chain of title documents, which a lawyer should examine.

What is the difference between an occupancy certificate and a commencement certificate?

Under the RERA Act, a commencement certificate permits development works to begin as per the sanctioned plan, and an occupancy certificate permits occupation of the building.

Can I check an encumbrance certificate online?

Kaveri Online Services is the place to find the process. Check it for the current steps, since services change.

Sources

Read against these official sources on 18 Oct 2026. Rates, fees and procedures change, so check the current position on each site.

• Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA) portal
• The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 on India Code
• Kaveri Online Services, Department of Stamps and Registration, Karnataka
• Seva Sindhu, Government of Karnataka citizen services
• Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board
• Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM)