How to Check if a Project Is RERA Registered

Before you pay a builder a single rupee, there's a five-minute check that can save you years of trouble: look the project up on your state's RERA website. Since 2017, almost every real estate project of any size has to be registered with the state authority before it can be advertised or sold, and the registration comes with a public web page full of information about the project. It's free, it's public, and most buyers never look.

This guide explains how to find a project, what to look at on its page, what the warning signs are, and what to do if the project isn't registered at all. It's equally useful if you've already bought and want to see what your builder has been telling the authority.

Why the check matters

Under Section 3 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, a developer can't advertise, market, book, sell or offer to sell any unit in a project that needs registration until it's registered. That makes the registration number a basic test of whether the developer is playing by the rules.

But the page behind the number is even more useful. Developers have to disclose approvals, plans, land title, the declared completion date, the number and carpet area of units, and much more, and they have to update it every quarter. A developer who tells you one thing in the sales office and something else to the regulator has a problem, and you'll see it.

Step 1: Find the right authority

Registration is done by the authority of the state where the project is, not where the developer is based. So:

• Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, the Yamuna Expressway, Lucknow and the rest of Uttar Pradesh: UP RERA.
• Gurugram district: Haryana RERA, Gurugram.
• Faridabad, Sonipat and the rest of Haryana: Haryana RERA, Panchkula.
• Delhi: Delhi RERA.
• Bhiwadi, Neemrana and Jaipur: Rajasthan RERA.
• Mohali and Zirakpur: Punjab RERA.
• Elsewhere: the authority of that state.

Use the authority's official government website. Several private websites copy RERA data, and some are out of date or incomplete. When in doubt, search for the authority's name and check that you're on an official government site.

Step 2: Search for the project

Most portals let you search by:

• registration number, which should appear on every advertisement, brochure and the first page of the agreement;
• project name, which can be tricky because many projects have similar names or have been renamed;
• promoter (developer) name, which shows all their registered projects in the state; or
• district or location.

Start with the registration number from the advertisement or brochure. Then search by the developer's name too, to see their other projects and check that you're looking at the right one.

Step 3: Read the project page

Formats vary by state, but most project pages contain the same core information. Here's what to look at and why.

The promoter

The name, address and details of the developer, and of its directors or partners. Check that the company named matches the company on your agreement and receipts. In many NCR projects, a landowning company and a separate developer company are both involved; both may be listed. If the company you're paying isn't on the registration, ask why.

The registration number and validity

The date of registration and the period it's valid for. Registration usually runs until the declared completion date. If it has expired, look for an extension. A lapsed registration without an extension is a serious warning sign. See registration extension.

The declared completion date

This is the date the developer has told the regulator it will complete the project or phase. Compare it with the possession date the sales team is promising and with what's in the agreement. If the brochure says "possession in 2026" and the RERA page says "completion December 2029", the RERA date is the one the developer is legally committing to.

Approvals

The building plan, layout plan, environmental clearance, fire NOC and other approvals, with their dates. Look for the ones relevant to the stage of the project. A project being sold with no building plan approval uploaded deserves careful questions.

Land title

Documents showing the developer's rights to the land: ownership, a lease from a development authority, or a joint development agreement with the landowner. In Noida and Greater Noida, this is usually a lease from the development authority. If the land is subject to a mortgage or litigation, the page may show it.

Units and carpet area

The number of units, their types and their carpet areas. Check that the carpet area of the unit you're being offered matches. RERA requires sale on carpet area.

The separate project account

The bank account where 70% of buyers' money must be deposited. Payments should go into the account named in your agreement, which should match this.

Quarterly progress reports

The developer's updates every quarter on construction progress, bookings, approvals and the status of the project. Look at the trend over time, not just the latest report.

Annual audit reports

Where filed, the chartered accountant's report on whether the project account was used properly.

Professionals

The names of the architect, structural engineer and contractors. Useful if you want to check their track record.

Litigation and complaints

Some portals show pending cases about the land or the project, and complaints filed with the authority. Others let you search orders separately.

Step 4: Look for warning signs

• No registration number on advertisements or brochures. Required by law for registered projects; its absence suggests the project isn't registered.
• A registration number that doesn't match the project, phase or developer you're dealing with.
• "Pre-launch" or "expression of interest" offers, asking for money before registration. These are prohibited by Section 3, whatever they're called.
• A completion date far later than the sales team's promises.
• Missing quarterly reports, or reports that haven't changed in a year.
• Progress that doesn't match the site. If the report says 80% and you can see bare columns, believe your eyes and ask questions.
• Expired registration with no extension.
• Missing approvals for the stage of construction.
• A different bank account from the one you're asked to pay into.
• Many complaints and unpaid orders against the developer.
• Insolvency proceedings against the developer before the NCLT, which you can check separately.

One warning sign doesn't necessarily mean a project is bad. Several together should make you think hard before paying.

Step 5: Check the developer's other projects and record

Search the developer's name on the portal to see all its registered projects in the state. Look at whether earlier projects were completed on time, whether they have occupancy certificates, and how many complaints and orders are against them. Most authorities publish their orders online; search for the developer's name. A developer with dozens of unpaid orders is a very different risk from one with a clean record.

Also check the company's status and any insolvency proceedings. A developer already before the NCLT, or with group companies in insolvency, is a red flag for any new purchase. See our guide on builder insolvency.

Step 6: Check the agent

If you're buying through a broker or channel partner, check that they're registered with the authority too. Agents dealing in registered projects need their own registration under Section 9. An agent who isn't registered, or who sells unregistered projects, is a warning sign. See agent registration.

Step 7: Save what you see

Take screenshots or download the key parts of the project page, with the date: the registration details, the completion date, the approvals and the latest quarterly report. If there's a dispute later, a record of what the developer told the regulator when you bought can be very useful. Repeat this every few months while the project is under construction.

Phases and partial registration

Large projects are often registered in phases, each with its own registration number, completion date and project account. Make sure you're looking at the phase your unit is in. A developer may have registered phase 1 years ago, while the tower you're being offered is in phase 3, which has a different completion date, or isn't registered yet.

In townships and plotted developments, the same applies: different pockets may be registered separately. Check the specific registration for your unit, tower or plot.

Projects that started before 2017

Projects that were under construction on 1 May 2017 without a completion certificate had to register as "ongoing projects". If you bought in such a project before 2017, its RERA page will often show a completion date declared at the time of registration, which may be years later than your agreement's possession date. That later date doesn't override your agreement for the purpose of your claims: authorities have generally held that the buyer's due date is the one in the agreement. The Supreme Court confirmed in Newtech (2021) that the Act applies to these projects. See our guide on projects started before 2017.

What if the project isn't registered?

First, check whether it needed to be. Registration isn't required where:

• the land is 500 square metres or less, or there are eight units or fewer, counting all phases (some states set lower limits);
• the project had a completion certificate before the Act came into force; or
• it's renovation or repair without new sales.

If the project should have been registered and isn't:

• Don't pay if you haven't already.
• If you've paid, you can complain to the authority. It can penalise the developer heavily, up to 10% of the estimated project cost under Section 59, and you can seek a refund. Consumer and civil remedies may also be available.
• Act with other buyers if many have paid.

See unregistered projects.

For small projects that genuinely don't need registration, such as a builder floor on a small plot, the RERA check doesn't apply, but you should still check the sanctioned plan, the completion certificate and the title. Disputes there go to the consumer commission or civil court.

If you've already bought

The RERA page is a powerful tool for existing buyers too. Use it to:

• track real construction progress through quarterly reports;
• see whether the developer has applied for an extension, and why;
• check whether the occupancy certificate has been uploaded;
• see what the developer has disclosed about the project account and audits; and
• gather evidence if you need to file a complaint. The developer's own filings are hard for it to dispute.

See our guide on documents for a RERA complaint.

An example

Here's a made-up example. Rohan sees an advertisement for a new tower in Greater Noida West, "possession in 2027", with a booking amount of Rs 5 lakh and a special price for this week only. The advertisement carries a RERA number.

He looks it up on UP RERA's website. The number belongs to the developer's phase 2, registered in 2022, with a declared completion date of March 2029, not 2027. The tower he's being offered is listed in phase 2. The quarterly reports show the structure at 20%, and the last report was filed eight months ago. The building plan approval is uploaded; the environmental clearance is shown as applied for. Searching the developer's name, he finds phase 1 was completed two years late and there are around 40 orders against the developer for delay, most of them paid.

None of this means Rohan shouldn't buy. But he now knows that the realistic completion date is 2029 or later, that the developer is behind on filings, and that it has a record of delays but does pay orders. He negotiates a lower price, checks the agreement's possession clause, and pays only into the project account named on the RERA page.

A quick checklist

1. Find the registration number on the advertisement or brochure.
2. Look it up on the official authority website for the state.
3. Check that the developer, project, phase and tower match.
4. Note the declared completion date and compare it with what you're told.
5. Check the key approvals.
6. Check the land title documents.
7. Check the carpet area of your unit.
8. Note the project bank account.
9. Read the last few quarterly reports.
10. Search the developer's other projects and orders against it.
11. Check the agent's registration.
12. Save screenshots with dates.

Reading quarterly reports properly

Quarterly progress reports are the most revealing part of a project page, and the most often ignored. A few tips for reading them:

• Look at several quarters, not one. Progress that moves steadily from 20% to 30% to 40% tells a different story from progress stuck at 55% for six quarters.
• Look tower by tower. Many reports break progress down by building. Your tower may be well behind the average.
• Compare common facilities. Roads, sewage treatment, water and the clubhouse often lag behind the towers. They matter for the occupancy certificate and for living there.
• Check the bookings. If very few units are sold, the developer may struggle to fund construction from sales.
• Check the financial information, where the format includes it: money collected from buyers, money spent on the project, and withdrawals from the project account. A large gap between collections and spending deserves questions.
• Check pending approvals. Reports often list approvals still awaited, which can explain, or predict, delays.
• Note missed quarters. A developer that stops filing is often a developer in difficulty.

Checks beyond the RERA portal

The RERA page is the starting point, not the whole picture. Depending on where you're buying, also consider:

• The development authority's records. In Noida, Greater Noida and the Yamuna Expressway, the land is usually leased from a development authority, and developers' unpaid land dues have held up occupancy certificates and registries. Ask the developer, and if possible the authority or the residents' association of earlier phases, about the dues position.
• The licence in Haryana. Private colonies and group housing are developed under licences from the Department of Town and Country Planning. Check that the licence is valid and has been renewed, and whether any action has been taken against it.
• Company records. The developer's filings with the Registrar of Companies show its directors, its financial statements and charges (mortgages) registered against its assets, including the project land.
• Insolvency. Check whether the developer or a group company is before the NCLT.
• Court cases. Online court records can show litigation involving the developer or the land.
• The land records and an encumbrance check, for title and mortgages, especially for plots and in states where land records are central, such as Bihar, Karnataka and Telangana.
• Earlier buyers. Residents of the developer's completed projects can tell you more about delays, quality and maintenance than any brochure.

A lawyer can carry out these checks quickly as part of an agreement review. See agreement review.

Checking a resale purchase

If you're buying from an existing buyer before possession, the RERA check is just as important. Look up the project as above, and also:

• confirm with the developer, in writing, that the seller is the allottee of record and what the seller has paid and still owes;
• check the transfer charges the developer will levy, against the agreement (see transfer charges);
• find out whether the seller has filed any RERA complaint or holds an order for delay interest, and agree in writing who keeps it; and
• check the project's progress and the developer's record as carefully as if you were buying new, because you'll inherit the same risk.

Checking a ready-to-move property

For a completed project, the RERA page should show the occupancy or completion certificate. If it doesn't, ask why. A "ready" flat without an occupancy certificate can mean problems with registration, utilities and resale, and may indicate deviations from the approved plans. See our guide on possession without OC. Also check whether the residents' association has been formed and whether the developer has handed over maintenance, since unresolved handover disputes can affect you as a new owner.

When the portal itself is unclear

State portals differ in how much they show and how easy they are to use. Some upload scanned documents that are hard to read; some show summaries only. If you can't find something you need, ask the developer for it directly, in writing. A developer that won't show you its approvals or its RERA filings is telling you something. Lawyers can also request certified copies of documents filed with the authority in appropriate cases.

Plots and plotted colonies

Plotted developments above the threshold need registration just like apartment projects. For a plot, the RERA page should show the approved layout plan, the licence or approval for the colony, the internal development works promised (roads, drainage, water, power, parks) and their timeline. Check that your plot number and size appear in the approved layout, and that the plot isn't in a pocket marked for a later phase that hasn't been registered. Plots sold on agricultural land without conversion or layout approval, often marketed with words like "farm plots" or "investment plots", usually aren't registered at all, and buyers have far fewer protections. See plot buyers' rights.

If a plot seller can't show you a registration number or an approved layout, walk away.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I check if a project is RERA registered?

On the official website of the RERA authority for the state where the project is, by registration number, project name or developer name.

Does a RERA number mean the project is safe?

No. It means the developer has registered and disclosed information. You still need to read the page, check the developer's record and review the agreement.

Which completion date matters, the RERA date or the agreement date?

For your claims against the developer, the date in your agreement generally governs. The RERA date is the developer's commitment to the regulator.

Can a builder take a booking before RERA registration?

No. Section 3 prohibits advertising, booking or selling before registration for projects that require it, whatever the offer is called.

My project's registration has expired. What does that mean?

The developer should have applied for an extension. A lapse without extension can lead to penalties and action against the project, and is a warning sign for buyers.

Do small projects need RERA registration?

Not if the land is 500 square metres or less or there are eight units or fewer, counting all phases, unless the state has set lower limits.

Can I complain if a project wasn't registered?

Yes, if it should have been. The authority can penalise the developer and you can seek a refund.

A general guide to checking real estate project registration under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. Each state's portal works differently and formats change; always use the official authority website. This article isn't legal advice for your specific situation.