BANGALORE NRI PROPERTY OVERVIEW
Bangalore is the most NRI-active property market in India after Mumbai — driven by IT sector, established NRI buyer base in Karnataka diaspora, and one of the most digitised property records systems in the country (KAVERI portal). NRIs from USA, UK, Singapore, UAE, Australia frequently buy investment properties in Whitefield, Sarjapur, Hebbal, Electronic City, Yelahanka, and emerging Tier-2 areas.
KEY BANGALORE SPECIFICS
Local Authority for Property: BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) for property tax, Khata, building approvals; BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) for some sites.
Sub-Registrar Offices: 50+ sub-registrar offices across Bangalore districts; specific office determined by property's pincode/area. RERA: K-RERA (Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority); rera.karnataka.gov.in Online Registration Portal: KAVERI (Karnataka Valuation and e-Registration); kaveri.karnataka.gov.in Stamp Duty: 5% (above Rs 45 lakh), 3% (Rs 21-45 lakh), 2% (below Rs 21 lakh) plus 1% registration fee Cess: 0.5% Karnataka Stamp Act surcharge Language of Registration: Kannada and English (registration documents accepted in either) Electricity: BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company) Water: BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) Property Tax Cycle: April-March; 5% rebate for early payment
KHATA — THE BANGALORE-SPECIFIC PROPERTY RECORD
Khata is the BBMP property record certificate showing ownership for tax purposes.
Two types:
A-Khata — Issued for properties on legally approved layouts with all sanctions. Full property rights, including bank loan eligibility, utility connections, sale.
B-Khata — Issued for properties on revenue lands or with partial sanction issues. Limited rights — bank loans difficult, building permits restricted, sale possible but with discount. Approximately 30-40% of Bangalore properties are B-Khata due to the city's rapid expansion through revenue layouts.
Khata Conversion (B to A) — Possible through "Akrama Sakrama" or similar regularisation schemes; pay regularisation fee (typically Rs 50,000-2,00,000+ depending on property size and location). Status of Akrama Sakrama scheme has been disputed; check current legal position before banking on conversion.
For NRI buyers — A-Khata strongly preferred; B-Khata acceptable only with significant discount and clear understanding of limitations.
For NRI sellers — keep Khata in your name (transfer post-purchase) and pay BBMP property tax annually; clean Khata fetches better resale price.
K-RERA AND NRI PROTECTION
K-RERA registers all real estate projects above 500 sq m or 8 units. NRI buyers in under-construction Bangalore projects can: - Verify project's K-RERA registration on rera.karnataka.gov.in. - Check builder's track record, complaints history, possession compliance. - File K-RERA complaint online for delays, refund, or specifications issues. - Attend hearings via video link from abroad. - K-RERA is generally faster than RERA in some other states — typical complaint disposal 4-8 months.
KAVERI PORTAL — DIGITAL REGISTRATION
Karnataka leads in digital property records. KAVERI portal (kaveri.karnataka.gov.in) provides: - Online stamp duty calculation - Online registration appointment booking - Encumbrance certificate (EC) — instant download for fee - Certified copy of registered documents - Property valuation (guidance value verification) - Status of pending applications
For NRI — most pre-registration steps can be done remotely via KAVERI.
BANGALORE SPECIFIC NRI MISTAKES
(1) Buying B-Khata thinking it will be easily converted — conversion is discretionary and often delayed; budget for B-Khata to remain B-Khata.
(2) Confusion between A-Khata and Khata Bifurcation — Bifurcated Khata for joint ownership properties is different from A-Khata; clarify before buying.
(3) Whitefield/Sarjapur property in revenue layouts — many "premium" projects are on revenue lands until layout approval; check status carefully.
(4) BWSSB connection issues — newer areas may have BWSSB pending; rely on borewells; check water security before buying.
(5) E-Khata vs Manual Khata — BBMP introduced E-Khata in 2024; ensure your Khata is migrated.
For Bangalore NRI property advisory — purchase due diligence, K-RERA complaints, BBMP Khata transfer, Lower TDS Certificate from Bangalore International Tax AO — our local Bangalore team provides end-to-end coverage.
For complete details on selling property in India as an NRI and understanding the complete legal, tax, and repatriation process, visit our Selling Property in India page.