How to File a RERA Complaint, Step by Step
Every state RERA authority runs its own portal, but the process is broadly the same — and most straightforward delay cases resolve in a handful of hearings.
- Act
- Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (2016)
- Act number
- Act No. 16 of 2016
- Enacting authority
- Parliament of India
- Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 — full text (India Code)
- India Code — official Act record
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Always verify current provisions against the official source before relying on them.
Step 1: identify the right authority
RERA is implemented state-by-state, so the complaint has to go to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority of the state where the project is located — MahaRERA for Maharashtra, K-RERA for Karnataka and so on — not a central body.
Step 2: register and file online
Most state portals require creating an account, filling in the complaint details against the specific registered project, uploading supporting documents and paying a prescribed filing fee — typically a modest, fixed amount rather than a percentage of the claim.
Step 3: the builder gets a chance to respond
Once filed, the authority issues a notice to the builder, who is usually given around 21 days to respond. A first hearing is then generally scheduled within 60-90 days of the complaint being filed.
Step 4: hearings and resolution
Straightforward cases with clear documentation — a missed possession date, an undisputed carpet area gap — can conclude within 2-4 hearings over roughly 4-8 months, considerably faster than pursuing the same claim through a civil suit.