Short answer: What to do after buying a flat, in order: collect the registered deed, apply for khata mutation, then move electricity and water into your name. Next, pull a fresh encumbrance certificate, pay property tax in your name and sort out any tenant paperwork. Inside GBA, mutation costs 2% of the stamp duty you paid, minimum ₹500.
- Registration isn't the finish line: the sale deed makes you the owner, but the khata and tax record still show the seller until mutation.
- Khata first, utilities second: BESCOM's online name change works off your updated e-Khata.
- Small fees add up: in our example, the core transfers cost about ₹10,829.
- New flats can wait: bulk khatas for apartment buildings weren't live when e-Aasthi 2.0 launched on 21 Sep 2026.
- Our 3-30-90 plan: what to finish by day 3, day 30 and day 90.
- What should I collect on registration day?
- How do I transfer the khata?
- How do I move electricity and water into my name?
- Why pull another encumbrance certificate?
- What about property tax?
- What if I'm letting the flat?
- What tax claims should I note?
- Worked examples
- The 3-30-90 plan (our framework)
- First 90 days checklist
- Legal and tax note
- Frequently asked questions
- Talk it through with acre&key
- Sources
Most guides stop at registration. This one starts there. It's written for a resale flat inside GBA, with notes for panchayat areas and new flats. For the buying process itself, see our legal checks from title to OC.
What should I collect on registration day?
- The registered sale deed, or its digitally signed copy from Kaveri.
- Original title documents from the seller, or from the seller's bank if a loan was closed.
- The seller's latest property tax receipt and e-Khata.
- The last electricity and water bills, paid up to date.
- For a new flat: the occupancy certificate, the possession letter and the association's details. See our OC and CC guide.
How do I transfer the khata?
Inside GBA, mutation runs on e-Aasthi 2.0, which went live on 21 September 2026 and links to Kaveri registration. The charge is 2% of the stamp duty you paid, minimum ₹500, per the city's khata fee schedule. Our mutation guide walks through the steps, and our e-Aasthi search guide shows how to find your record by ePID.
In panchayat areas, the gram panchayat updates the record on e-Swathu (Form 9 or 11); see our e-Swathu guide.
New flats: if your building's bulk khata isn't issued yet, you may have to wait. Ask the developer for the status in writing.
How do I move electricity and water into my name?
After the e-Khata shows your name, BESCOM texts you a link. You check the details, pay ₹100, e-sign an indemnity bond for ₹1,194 and authenticate with Aadhaar (Times of India, news). For water, apply on BWSSB's transfer portal for ₹250, with a 10-day service guarantee. Our BESCOM and BWSSB transfer guide covers the details.
Why pull another encumbrance certificate?
To confirm your purchase is recorded and nothing was registered against the flat around the sale date. A 13-year EC costs ₹160 on Kaveri, and records from April 2004 take about three working days. See our EC steps.
What about property tax?
Once the khata is in your name, pay property tax yourself through GBA's portal and keep the receipt. If mutation is still pending at the due date, ask the ward office how to pay without losing any rebate. We haven't listed this year's dates and rebates because they're set each year; check the portal.
What if I'm letting the flat?
A lease of up to a year pays stamp duty of 0.5% on the rent and deposit, capped at ₹500. Longer leases pay 1% with no cap and must be registered. Tell the local police station about your tenant. Our rental agreement guide explains.
What tax claims should I note?
In the old tax regime, you can claim up to ₹2 lakh of interest on a self-occupied home and include principal, stamp duty and registration within the ₹1.5 lakh limit. The default new regime doesn't allow the self-occupied interest deduction. Our home loan tax benefit page has the new section numbers.
Worked examples
These use illustrative figures and the official fees above.
Worked example 1: the mutation charge
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty paid on a ₹90 lakh flat | 5% of ₹90,00,000 | ₹4,50,000 |
| Mutation charge | 2% of ₹4,50,000 | ₹9,000 |
| Minimum check | ₹9,000 is above ₹500 | ₹9,000 |
Whether cess and surcharge count in "stamp duty paid" depends on how the ward computes it. Check the e-Aasthi fee screen.
Worked example 2: the core transfer costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Khata mutation (example 1) | ₹9,000 |
| Final e-Khata download | ₹125 |
| BESCOM name change (₹100 + ₹1,194) | ₹1,294 |
| BWSSB transfer | ₹250 |
| Encumbrance certificate, 13 years | ₹160 |
| Total | ₹10,829 |
Service centres add small fees if you don't apply yourself.
Worked example 3: an 11-month lease
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Rent for the term | 11 × ₹30,000 | ₹3,30,000 |
| Plus deposit | ₹3,30,000 + ₹1,50,000 | ₹4,80,000 |
| Duty at 0.5% | 0.5% × ₹4,80,000 | ₹2,400 |
| Cap | Up to one year, maximum ₹500 | ₹500 |
Worked example 4: the interest claim in year one
Interest paid in the year: ₹6,00,000 (illustrative). In the old regime, the claim is capped at ₹2,00,000. At a 30% slab, that's ₹60,000 less tax before cess. In the new regime, it's nil for a self-occupied flat.
The 3-30-90 plan (our framework)
| By | Do this | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| Day 3 | Get the registered deed, originals, the seller's tax receipt and the last bills | You hold every document in the list above |
| Day 30 | Apply for mutation; pull a fresh EC | You have an acknowledgement and an EC showing your purchase |
| Day 90 | BESCOM and BWSSB in your name; property tax paid; lease and police intimation done | Bills and tax receipt in your name |
If the khata isn't done by day 90, follow up in writing. Utilities and tax all depend on it.
First 90 days checklist
- [ ] Registered deed and originals collected.
- [ ] Seller's dues on tax, electricity and water cleared.
- [ ] Mutation applied for on e-Aasthi or e-Swathu.
- [ ] Final e-Khata downloaded.
- [ ] Fresh EC pulled.
- [ ] BESCOM name change done.
- [ ] BWSSB transfer done.
- [ ] Property tax paid in your name.
- [ ] Home loan interest certificate requested for your tax return.
- [ ] Lease stamped and police intimated, if letting.
Legal and tax note
This is general information. A property lawyer should confirm mutation and title issues, especially for new flats waiting on a bulk khata. A CA should confirm which tax regime suits you.
Frequently asked questions
Collect the registered deed and originals, then apply for khata mutation. Utility transfers and property tax in your name depend on the updated khata.
Inside GBA, 2% of the stamp duty you paid, minimum ₹500. On ₹4.5 lakh of stamp duty, that's ₹9,000. Panchayat fees differ.
No. Registration makes you the owner. Mutation updates the city or panchayat record and property tax account to your name.
Inside GBA, finish mutation first. BESCOM then sends a link; pay ₹100, e-sign a ₹1,194 indemnity bond and authenticate with Aadhaar.
BWSSB's transfer portal lists a 10-day service guarantee and a ₹250 fee. Extra construction may send you to the new-connection route instead.
To confirm your sale is recorded and nothing else was registered against the flat around the sale date. A 13-year EC costs ₹160.
Bulk khatas for apartment buildings weren't live when e-Aasthi 2.0 launched. Ask the developer for the status in writing and keep following up.
In the old regime, yes, within the limits: ₹2 lakh of interest for a self-occupied home. The new regime doesn't allow that deduction. Ask your CA.
Sources
Checked 19 Oct 2026.
- GBA e-Aasthi 2.0 portal: https://gbaeaasthi.karnataka.gov.in/
- The Hindu, GBA launches e-Aasthi 2.0 (news): https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/gba-launches-e-aasthi-20/article71495637.ece
- BBMP Revenue Department, khata service fee details: https://site.bbmp.gov.in/departmentwebsites/revenue/kathaservicefeedetails.html
- e-Swathu, property status: https://eswathu.karnataka.gov.in/AA/CheckPropertyStatus_Public.aspx
- BWSSB, Transfer of Connection/Ownership portal: https://bwsajala.karnataka.gov.in/bwssbtoc/
- BESCOM, name change form: https://www.bescom.co.in/bescom/dashboard/consumer-dashboard/janasnehi-vidhyuth-sevagalu/name-change-form
- Kaveri 2.0, Department of Stamps and Registration: https://kaveri.karnataka.gov.in/
- Times of India, BESCOM transfer in a few clicks, 26 Apr 2026 (news): https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/now-transfer-bangalore-electricity-supply-company-power-connection-in-just-few-clicks/articleshow/130521700.cms
- Income-tax Act, 2025 (Act 30 of 2025), Gazette of India: https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2025/265620.pdf
