Documents to verify before buying a new flat in Bengaluru
The 14 documents and checks that protect a buyer of an under-construction or newly built apartment in Bengaluru: RERA, title, approvals, khata, OC, escrow and the agreement clauses that matter.
In one paragraph
Verify the RERA registration and its completion date, the sanctioned plan and building licence, the land title chain and encumbrance certificate, the khata, and, for a completed building, the occupancy certificate. Then price the carpet area, not the super built-up.
Before you pay a booking amount
- Karnataka RERA registration number
Search it on rera.karnataka.gov.in. Check the promoter name matches the seller, the completion date, extensions filed, the quarterly progress updates and the complaint register. A project above 500 sq m or 8 units that is unregistered cannot legally be sold.
Where: rera.karnataka.gov.in - Sanctioned building plan and licence
From BBMP, BDA, BMRDA or the local planning authority. The tower, floor count and unit count you are buying must match the sanction. Deviations beyond the permitted margin block the occupancy certificate later.
Where: BBMP / BDA / BMRDA - Title documents and encumbrance certificate
Mother deed and the chain of sale deeds for at least 30 years, plus an encumbrance certificate (Form 15) from the Kaveri portal for the same period. A joint-development project also needs the registered JDA and the general power of attorney, and you must confirm which units fall in the owner's share.
Where: kaverionline.karnataka.gov.in - Conversion order (for land that was agricultural)
Land use must be converted to non-agricultural residential under section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act before construction. Check the DC conversion order and that its conditions were met.
Where: Deputy Commissioner - Khata
A-khata (or the e-khata since 2024–25) means the property is on the BBMP register and eligible for building plans and loans. B-khata properties sit in a separate register for properties with irregularities; banks may refuse them. Ask for the khata certificate and extract in the developer's or landowner's name.
Where: BBMP e-khata - Approvals from utilities and authorities
BWSSB water and sanitary, BESCOM power, fire NOC for high-rises, airport authority height NOC near the airport, environmental clearance for projects above 20,000 sq m built-up, and the RERA-registered agent if a broker is involved.
Where: BWSSB / BESCOM / KSFES / AAI / SEIAA
In the agreement
- Carpet area in writing
RERA requires the agreement to state carpet area. The developer quotes super built-up; the gap is usually 25–45%. Price the carpet and check the ratio matches the RERA filing.
Where: RERA Act s.2(k) - Payment schedule linked to construction
Payments should follow construction milestones, not calendar dates, and no more than 10% may be taken before the agreement for sale is registered.
Where: RERA Act s.13 - Escrow undertaking
70% of the money you pay must go into the project's designated RERA account and be used only for that project. The quarterly filings show withdrawals; a project whose withdrawals run ahead of construction is a warning sign.
Where: RERA Act s.4(2)(l)(D) - Possession date and delay compensation
The date in the agreement must match RERA. Under section 18 you can withdraw with interest if the developer fails to deliver, or claim interest for every month of delay if you stay.
Where: RERA Act s.18 - What the price includes
Car park, club membership, floor-rise, preferred-location charge, maintenance deposit, corpus, GST, legal and registration: every line must be listed. Anything not listed is a later surprise.
Before you take possession
- Occupancy certificate
Issued by the planning authority once the building matches the sanctioned plan. Without it the building is unauthorised, khata transfer stalls and utilities stay on temporary connections. For a completed project, do not register without it.
Where: BBMP / BDA - Completion certificate and RERA completion
The developer must file the completion certificate with RERA. Check the registration status shows the project as completed.
Where: rera.karnataka.gov.in - Sale deed and registration
Stamp duty 5%, registration 1% and cess and surcharge, on the higher of the agreement value and the guidance value, paid on Kaveri. Keep the registered sale deed, the tax-paid receipts and the association handover documents.
Where: Karnataka Stamp Act
Apply this to a project
Every PropertyLens project page carries the RERA record, extensions, complaints, land structure and approvals on file, with the questions to put to the developer in writing. Search a project, or start from the developer delivery records.
Rules and rates are as published by Karnataka RERA, BBMP, the Kaveri registration portal and the CGST schedules at the time of writing; confirm on the official portal before you act.
Scores and projections are model outputs built from dated public evidence (Karnataka RERA filings, promoter quarterly updates, complaint registers, public ratings) and stated assumptions. They are research, not investment advice. How the numbers are built.