Sale Deed (Kraya Patra) in Karnataka: What to Check Before You Sign

A sale deed is the document that makes you the owner of a property. In Karnataka it must be registered at the sub-registrar office, and until it is registered, ownership does not pass to you. The draft is your last cheap chance to catch mistakes, so have it checked at least 5 days before your registration slot.

Checked in October 2026 by Gayathri Sriram, Advocate.

This guide covers the difference between a sale agreement and a sale deed, what the deed must say, the mistakes we fix most often, power of attorney sales, and what happens on registration day.

Sale agreement and sale deed: the difference

A sale agreement is only a promise to sell. It does not make you the owner. Only a registered sale deed does.

In Karnataka, a sale agreement is stamped at:

• 0.5% of the property value (minimum Rs 500) if possession is not handed over
• 5%, the same as a sale deed, if possession is given before the deed

Registering the sale agreement is optional. The stamp duty and registration charges on the sale deed itself are explained in our stamp duty guide.

What a sale deed must contain

The deed must describe the property exactly:

• the e-Khata (ePID) number, or the survey number for land
• the measurements and all four boundaries
• details that match the Encumbrance Certificate and the e-Khata

It must also:

• name every seller and every buyer
• state the price and how each payment was made
• explain how the seller came to own the property, deed by deed
• include the seller’s promise that there are no loans or claims on the property, backed by an indemnity (a promise to make good your loss if that turns out to be untrue)

The mistakes we fix most often in drafts

In Gayathri’s experience, the two things most often wrong in a draft sale deed are the KYC details of the parties and the schedule (the description of the property). Other mistakes that cause real trouble later:

• a name that does not match Aadhaar or the earlier deeds
• a schedule that does not match the EC or the e-Khata
• a joint owner or legal heir missing as a seller
• no record of how the price was paid

Since Aadhaar is now checked at registration, a name mismatch is usually caught at the counter, on the day, when it is hardest to fix. Our EC guide explains how to read the EC you will compare the schedule against.

Buying through a power of attorney

If someone sells on behalf of the owner, their power of attorney must be registered and must clearly allow a sale. Buying on an agreement plus a GPA (general power of attorney) does not make you the owner. The Supreme Court made this clear in Suraj Lamp (2011).

The 4 month rule

A signed sale deed must be presented for registration within 4 months of signing. Until it is registered, ownership does not pass.

On registration day

Registration in Karnataka runs through Kaveri 2.0. On the day:

1. Every seller and buyer must be at the sub-registrar office, or their registered power of attorney holder.
2. Aadhaar is checked, and photos and fingerprints are taken.
3. Two witnesses are still needed.

Plan your documents and slot with our stamp duty guide, which also covers TDS.

Registration does not prove the seller owned it

This is the point most buyers miss. The sub-registrar checks identity, stamp duty and papers. It does not check whether the seller actually owns what he is selling. In June 2025 the Supreme Court held that a registered deed gives the buyer nothing if the seller’s title was defective.

So the draft and the title history must be checked before you sign, not after. Our property document checklist lists what to collect.

Sale deed in Kannada

In Kannada a sale deed is called kraya patra (ಕ್ರಯ ಪತ್ರ). In Karnataka it can be written in English or Kannada.

Frequently asked questions

Is a sale agreement enough to own a property? No. A sale agreement is only a promise to sell. Only a registered sale deed makes you the owner.

How long before registration should I get the draft sale deed checked? Ideally at least 5 days before your registration slot, so there is time to correct the parties’ details, the schedule or the payment record.

Does registration at the sub-registrar office prove the seller owned the property? No. The sub-registrar checks identity, stamp duty and papers, not title. The title history must be checked before you sign.

Can I buy a property through a power of attorney? Only if the power of attorney is registered and clearly allows a sale. Buying on an agreement plus a GPA does not make you the owner.

What is a sale deed called in Kannada? Kraya patra (ಕ್ರಯ ಪತ್ರ). A sale deed in Karnataka can be written in English or Kannada.

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If you are buying a property in Karnataka and have a draft sale deed, message Aakarshanam Associates on WhatsApp. Gayathri will tell you what needs fixing before you sign.