RERA-Registered vs Non-RERA Project: A Buyer's Checklist
A project's RERA registration number is checkable in minutes — and it's the fastest way to separate a legitimate development from a risky one.
- 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.
What RERA registration actually confirms
A RERA-registered project has disclosed its approvals, layout plans, promised timeline and carpet area figures to the state authority and the developer is legally bound by those disclosures — a baseline level of scrutiny a non-registered project simply hasn't been through.
How to check registration
Every state RERA authority maintains a public, searchable registry by project name or registration number. Cross-check the registration number quoted in the builder's marketing material directly against the state portal — don't rely on the number printed on a brochure alone.
What to look for once you find it
The registered possession date, the disclosed carpet area, the list of sanctioned approvals and whether the project has any past complaints logged against it on the same portal.
When RERA doesn't apply
Very small projects (typically under 500 sq. m or fewer than eight units, thresholds vary by state) and projects that received all approvals before RERA came into force may fall outside registration requirements — treat these with extra diligence since the standard disclosure protections don't apply.