A RERA-registered project has disclosed its approvals, plans, timeline and promoter details to the state RERA authority, and buyers can complain there. A project that needs registration but is unregistered cannot lawfully be advertised or sold. Small projects below the Act's thresholds, and projects completed before it, can be lawfully unregistered.
Side by side
Factor
RERA registered project
Unregistered project
Disclosure
Approvals, plans, timeline on the RERA website
None required
Advance cap
Up to 10% before a registered agreement for sale
No statutory cap
Escrow of buyer funds
A share must go to a separate project account
No
Carpet area
Must be stated in the agreement
As written
Delay remedies
Interest or refund under the Act
Civil courts and consumer forums
Defect liability
Five years for structural and workmanship defects
As the contract says
Lawfully unregistered if
Not applicable
Below the land or unit thresholds, or completed before the Act
When RERA registered project matters
For any new project above the thresholds, check the registration number on the state RERA website before paying anything.
When Unregistered project matters
If a project is unregistered, find out why. If it should be registered, do not buy. If it is exempt, rely on the approvals and title checks yourself.
In more detail
The Act requires registration of projects on land over 500 square metres or with more than eight apartments, though states can lower these thresholds. Ongoing projects without a completion certificate when the Act began also had to register.
Registration is not a quality guarantee. It is disclosure plus remedies. Read the registration page: approvals, the declared completion date, and any complaints.
Is it safe to buy in a project without RERA registration?
Only if it is lawfully exempt, such as a small project or one completed before the Act, and the title and approvals check out. A project that should be registered cannot lawfully be sold.
Which projects must register under RERA?
Projects on land over 500 square metres or with more than eight apartments, unless the state sets lower thresholds.
How do I check a RERA number?
On the state RERA authority's website, or with the lookup on this site.
Sources
Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, sections 3, 4, 13, 14 and 18
A plain-language summary, not legal or tax advice. Rules set by states differ and change; check the current position for your property.