Guide · Homebuyers
RERA for homebuyers: what to check before you book
RERA gives buyers access to information that used to be unavailable. Most buyers do not use it. Ten minutes on the authority's website before booking can prevent years of dispute.
- For
- Homebuyers in Mumbai and Maharashtra
- Reading time
- 9 min
- Updated
- 25 July 2026
- Steps
- 8
The short answer
Before booking an under-construction home in Maharashtra, verify the project's registration on the MahaRERA website, read the registered completion date and approvals, check quarterly progress updates, confirm prices are quoted on carpet area, check that the agent is RERA-registered, and make sure the payment schedule in the agreement matches construction milestones. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Step by step
The sequence.
- Step 01
Find the registration number
Every advertisement for a registered project should show its registration number and the authority website.
- Step 02
Look up the project
Search the number on the MahaRERA website and confirm the promoter, project name and address match what you were shown.
- Step 03
Read the completion date
Note the registered completion date — not the date quoted by the salesperson.
- Step 04
Check approvals and litigation
Review uploaded approvals and any disclosed litigation or encumbrances.
- Step 05
Review quarterly updates
Check that progress updates are being filed and that construction progress matches what you see on site.
- Step 06
Compare on carpet area
Calculate price per carpet square foot across shortlisted projects.
- Step 07
Verify the agent
Confirm the agent or channel partner has their own RERA registration.
- Step 08
Match payments to milestones
Ensure the agreement's payment schedule is tied to construction stages you can verify.
Common warning signs
None of these proves a problem on its own. Each is a reason to ask more questions before paying.
- Pressure to pay a booking amount before registration details are shown
- A possession date quoted earlier than the registered completion date
- Prices quoted only on super built-up area
- Missing or long-delayed quarterly updates
- Amenities in brochures that do not appear in approved plans
- An agent unable to provide their own registration number
This guide is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Regulations, rates and procedures change; confirm the current position with the relevant authority and a qualified adviser before acting.
Questions
Frequently asked.
Is every real estate project required to register under RERA?
Most projects above prescribed thresholds must register, with specific exemptions. Verify the position for the project you are considering on the MahaRERA website, and treat an unregistered project that should be registered as a serious warning sign.
What can a buyer do if a registered project is delayed?
The Act provides remedies to buyers of registered projects, and the regulator has a complaint mechanism. The appropriate course depends on your agreement and circumstances, so take legal advice for your specific situation.
Related guides
- Stamp duty and registration in MumbaiStamp duty is typically the largest cost of buying a property after the price itself. It is calculated on a defined basis, it is payable before registration, and its rate depends on where the property is and on applicable concessions.
- NRI property buying guideAlmost everything that goes wrong in an NRI purchase is predictable — and therefore preventable by deciding the transaction route before choosing the property.
- Society redevelopment guideA society that follows a documented, fair sequence secures better terms and a decision that holds. A society that skips steps usually discovers why they existed at year three.
The first decision
Let's start before the building.
Send us the site, the scheme or the stalled inventory. We will tell you what we think — including when the answer is not to proceed.