Plot Due Diligence · Bangalore & Karnataka

Documents to Check Before Buying a Plot in Bangalore

After two decades of closing land in and around Bangalore, I can tell you the truth plainly: almost every plot dispute I have seen was not bad luck — it was a document someone skipped. Here is the exact paperwork I verify before a single rupee changes hands.

A plot in Bangalore can be a superb long-term asset — but unlike an apartment, you are buying land and its entire history. A clean-looking layout means nothing if the title, approvals or conversion are flawed. Use this checklist as your non-negotiable filter. If a seller cannot produce these, walk away.

1. Chain of title: mother deed & sale deeds

The mother deed is the parent document that traces how the land passed from owner to owner. You want an unbroken chain of registered sale deeds for at least 30 years. Any gap, unregistered transfer, or a deed that suddenly appears without a predecessor is a red flag. The current sale deed must clearly identify the seller as the rightful owner with the power to sell.

2. Encumbrance Certificate (EC)

The EC is your proof that the plot is free of loans, liens, or legal charges. Pull it for the full 30-year window (available through the Kaveri Online Services portal). A property mortgaged to a bank, or with a pending charge, will show here. No clean EC, no deal.

3. Khata — and why A vs B matters

The Khata records the property in the local body's register for tax purposes. A-Khata means the property is fully legal and compliant — banks fund it, and you can build and obtain a plan sanction. B-Khata signals approval or compliance gaps: harder to finance, riskier to resell, and sometimes impossible to build on legally. Karnataka is now moving everything to e-Khata — confirm the property has a valid one in the seller's name.

4. RTC / Pahani & mutation records

For land that was converted from agricultural use, the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy & Crops, or Pahani) and the mutation register (MR) show ownership and how it changed hands in revenue records. Cross-check that the names match the title documents exactly.

5. DC conversion order

This is the one buyers most often miss. Most land around Bangalore started as agricultural. To legally build a home, it must be converted to residential use by a Deputy Commissioner (DC) conversion order. An unconverted agricultural plot sold for residential use is illegal and a classic source of litigation. Always demand the conversion order and verify it.

6. Layout approval: DTCP, BMRDA, BDA or BBMP

The layout must be sanctioned by the right planning authority for its location:

• BBMP / BDA — within Bangalore city / development-authority limits.
• BMRDA — peripheral metropolitan zones (Sarjapur, Hoskote, Anekal, Devanahalli belt).
• DTCP — towns and areas outside BDA/BMRDA jurisdiction.

Ask for the approved layout plan and the release certificate, which confirms the authority has signed off after infrastructure norms (roads, parks, civic amenities) were met.

7. RERA registration

Plotted layouts above the notified size threshold must be registered with Karnataka RERA. A RERA registration means the underlying approvals are in place and the developer is accountable for delays, title issues, or deviations. Verify the project directly on the Karnataka RERA portal — don't take a brochure's word for it.

8. Taxes, dues & NOCs

Collect the latest property-tax paid receipts, confirm there are no outstanding betterment charges or dues, and check any required NOCs. Unpaid dues silently become the buyer's problem.

What proper due diligence costs

A thorough legal scrutiny by a property lawyer in Bangalore typically runs a few thousand rupees and a week or two of checking — trivial against the value of the asset and the cost of getting it wrong. Never skip it to save that money. (General guidance; verify approvals on the official Karnataka RERA and Kaveri portals.)