Sale Deed, Mutation, and Khata/Property Card
Buying a property doesn't end with signing the paperwork. To establish and maintain ownership, three documents play a critical role: the Sale Deed, Mutation Record, and Khata/Property Card. Each serves a different purpose—and together they create a complete ownership trail.
1. Sale Deed: Proof of Ownership
What it does
Acts as primary proof of ownership.
Records details of the property, buyer, seller, and transaction value.
Required for future sale, inheritance, and legal disputes.
How to get it
Prepared by a lawyer or document writer.
Signed by buyer and seller.
Registered at the local Sub-Registrar's Office after payment of stamp duty and registration fees.
A certified copy can be obtained from the registration department if the original is lost.
2. Mutation: Updating Government Records
A Sale Deed transfers ownership legally, but government records still need to be updated. This process is called Mutation.
What it does
Changes the owner's name in municipal or revenue records.
Ensures property tax bills are issued to the correct owner.
Creates an official ownership trail for government records.
How to get it
Apply to the local municipal body, panchayat, or revenue department after property registration.
Submit the Sale Deed, identity proof, and application form.
Once approved, ownership records are updated in the new owner's name.
3. Khata / Property Card: The Property's Official Identity
A Khata (common in Karnataka and some other states) or Property Card (used in several urban areas) is the government's record of a property's ownership and tax status.
What it does
Identifies the property in municipal records.
Links the property to tax assessments.
Helps verify ownership details during transactions and loan applications.
How to get it
Apply through the local municipal authority or land records department.
Submit the registered Sale Deed, mutation records, identity proof, and property details.
The authority issues the Khata or updates the Property Card in the owner's name.
The Ownership Checklist
Think of these documents as a sequence:
Sale Deed → Mutation → Khata/Property Card
The Sale Deed proves you bought the property.
Mutation updates government ownership records.
Khata/Property Card reflects that ownership in municipal and land records.
Missing any one of them can create complications when paying taxes, selling the property, applying for loans, or transferring ownership in the future.
