RERA: what it actually protects you from
What registration means, what it does not mean, and how to check a project properly.
The short version
If you read nothing else.
- Registration is mandatory for projects over 500 sq.m or eight units. An unregistered project of that size is being sold illegally.
- A promoter registration is not a project registration. Check the project's own number.
- Developers must deposit 70% of collections in a project-specific escrow account.
- Registration is not a quality guarantee, and does not mean the project will finish on time.
What it gives you
- Carpet area is defined. Prices must be quoted against carpet area, which is why this site does the same.
- Quarterly progress filings. Public, and the basis for the construction status on our project pages.
- A committed possession date. Revisions are recorded, which is why we publish when a date has moved.
- Five-year defect liability. Structural defects reported within five years of handover are the developer's to fix.
- An adjudicating authority. Faster and cheaper than a civil court, though not fast.
What it does not give you
Registration is a filing, not an endorsement. A registered project can still be delayed, badly built or financially stressed. The 70% escrow rule is widely worked around, and enforcement varies considerably by state.
Treat the registration number as the beginning of your checking, not the end of it. The delivery record of the developer tells you more about whether you will get your flat on time than the certificate does.
How to check properly
Go to your state RERA portal and search the project registration number, not the developer name. Confirm the promoter matches who is selling to you, the possession date matches what the sales office told you, and read the quarterly filings — a project that has stopped filing has usually stopped building.