East Bengaluru buyer answers

What documents should be verified before paying a token advance for a flat in Bangalore?

By , acre&key · Published · Updated

Direct answer: Before any token, check the project's Karnataka RERA registration and what the promoter filed there (approvals, commencement certificate, sanctioned plan, title declaration). Then check the title chain, Encumbrance Certificate, khata, land conversion where relevant, the draft agreement and the cost sheet. A consultant can gather these; a lawyer should give the title opinion.

Disclosure: acre&key’s advice is free to buyers; we are an authorised sales partner for some projects and may be paid by the developer.

Verify with your lawyer: This page is general information, not legal advice. Before you pay a token advance, have your own property lawyer check the title documents and the agreement.

acre&key helps East Bengaluru homebuyers and NRI buyers with this paperwork stage. If we're partnered on the project you're checking, we'll tell you, and the checklist below doesn't change.

Why does the token matter so much?

A token feels small next to the flat's price. In practice it's when you lose bargaining power. Once money's paid, people tend to rationalise problems rather than walk away. And refund terms on tokens are set by the developer, not by any standard rule, so getting money back can be slow.

The law helps a little. Section 13(1) of the RERA Act says a promoter can't accept more than 10% of the cost of the apartment as an advance or application fee without first entering into a written agreement for sale and registering it. So the token stage is below that 10% line, and it's exactly when you should do your checking, before the larger payments start.

Start on the Karnataka RERA portal

This is free and takes about 20 minutes. When a promoter registers a project, section 4(2) of the Act requires them to file, among other things:

  • authenticated copies of the approvals and commencement certificate from the competent authority (section 4(2)(c));
  • the sanctioned plan, layout plan and specifications (4(2)(d));
  • proformas of the allotment letter, agreement for sale and conveyance deed (4(2)(g));
  • the number, type and carpet area of apartments (4(2)(h));
  • the names of the project's real estate agents (4(2)(j));
  • a declaration on legal title, encumbrances and the completion timeline (4(2)(l)).

Open the project on rera.karnataka.gov.in and look at what's been uploaded. Note the registration number, promoter name, declared completion date and any complaints listed. If documents are missing or the project isn't there at all, stop. For the step-by-step, see how to check a project on the Karnataka RERA website.

Which documents should you read yourself?

Here's the working list. "Where it comes from" tells you who to ask.

Document What it tells you Where it comes from Red flag
RERA registration certificate Project is registered and when it's due Karnataka RERA portal Not registered, or expired with no extension shown
Sanctioned building plan What's legally approved to be built Promoter; also uploaded on RERA Brochure shows more floors or units than the plan
Commencement certificate Construction was permitted to start Promoter; uploaded on RERA Work started without one
Title documents (sale deeds, partition, gift, settlement) Who owns the land and how they got it Promoter's legal team Gaps in the chain, unexplained transfers
Joint development agreement, if any Landowner and developer split Promoter Your unit falls in the landowner's share and that isn't made clear
Encumbrance Certificate Registered mortgages and transactions on the land Kaveri Online Services Undisclosed loans or sales
RTC / land records Historic land status, especially for former farmland Bhoomi land records Still shown as agricultural with no conversion
Land conversion order Agricultural land converted for residential use Promoter Missing for a project on former farmland
Khata and property tax receipts Civic records for the land GBA e-Aasthi, or e-Swathu for panchayat areas Khata type unclear, see A, B and e-Khata
Draft agreement for sale Your rights, timelines, penalties Promoter One-sided delay or cancellation clauses
Cost sheet What you'll actually pay Promoter Verbal "all-in" figure only
Token or booking form What the token secures and refund terms Promoter No refund terms, or payee isn't the promoter

For EC coverage periods, read how many years an Encumbrance Certificate should cover. For resale flats the list changes, so see the separate resale pages.

The cost sheet and booking form deserve their own read

People skim these. Don't.

On the cost sheet, check that every line has a number: base price, floor rise or preferential location charges, car park, clubhouse, maintenance advance, corpus or sinking fund, utility deposits, GST where applicable, and an estimate for stamp duty and registration. If something says "as applicable" with no figure, ask for one in writing. For the full add-on list, see hidden costs beyond the base price.

On the booking form or token receipt, check:

  • the payee is the promoter's company account, not an individual;
  • the unit number, floor and price are written on it;
  • refund conditions and timelines are stated;
  • it doesn't say the token is "non-refundable under all circumstances" unless you've knowingly accepted that.

Where a consultant helps and where a lawyer must take over

A consultant can gather documents, compare the brochure against the sanctioned plan, flag missing items and push the developer for answers. That's real value, because developers respond faster to someone who knows what to ask for.

What a consultant shouldn't do is tell you the title is clean. That's a legal opinion, and it should come from your own property lawyer who's read the full chain. If anyone offers you a "legal check" bundled with their sales service, ask who the lawyer is and whether they're paid by the developer. More in does a consultant replace a property lawyer?

Before you pay the token

  1. Find the project on rera.karnataka.gov.in and save the registration details.
  2. Download or request the approvals, commencement certificate and sanctioned plan.
  3. Ask the promoter for the title documents and get them to your own lawyer.
  4. Pull the Encumbrance Certificate through Kaveri, or have your lawyer do it.
  5. Check the khata position and, on former farmland, the conversion order.
  6. Get the draft agreement for sale and a fully filled cost sheet.
  7. Read the token form for payee, unit and refund terms.
  8. Sleep on it for at least one night.

Frequently asked questions

How much token is normal for a Bangalore flat?

It varies by developer and project. What's fixed by law is that a promoter can't take more than 10% of the unit cost as an advance without a written, registered agreement for sale (RERA section 13(1)).

Is a token refundable if my documents check fails?

Only if the developer's terms say so. That's why you should read the refund conditions on the booking form before paying, not after.

Can I check these documents myself without a lawyer?

You can do the RERA portal check, the cost sheet and the booking form yourself. Title and the agreement need a property lawyer.

Which document do buyers most often skip?

The draft agreement for sale. People sign it weeks after the token, when they're already committed. Ask for the draft before you pay anything.

Does the RERA portal show everything I need?

It shows what the promoter has filed, which is a lot. It isn't a title opinion and doesn't replace checking the original documents with a lawyer.

References

  1. Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, full text PDF (PRS Legislative Research). https://prsindia.org/files/bills_acts/acts_parliament/2016/the-real-estate-%28regulation-and-development%29-act,-2016.pdf, accessed 15 Oct 2026.
  2. Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority, official portal (project status, agent status, complaints). https://rera.karnataka.gov.in, accessed 14 Oct 2026.
  3. Kaveri Online Services (registration, Encumbrance Certificate, guidance value). https://kaveri.karnataka.gov.in/, accessed 14 Oct 2026.
  4. Bhoomi / Karnataka land records portal (RTC, mutation). https://landrecords.karnataka.gov.in, accessed 15 Oct 2026.
  5. GBA e-Aasthi 2.0 e-Khata portal. https://gbaeaasthi.karnataka.gov.in, accessed 15 Oct 2026.
  6. e-Swathu, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj property records (gram panchayat properties). https://eswathu.karnataka.gov.in, accessed 15 Oct 2026.
  7. Department of Stamps and Registration, Karnataka (IGR). https://igr.karnataka.gov.in/, accessed 14 Oct 2026.

Buyer advisory for East Bengaluru

Buying in East Bengaluru? Get a second opinion first.

acre&key helps buyers find, inspect, negotiate and decide, with a buyer-first perspective. Advice is free to buyers; acre&key is an authorised sales partner for some projects and may be paid by the developer.

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