Before You Pay: RERA Verification for International Buyers in India
RERA checklist for international buyers in India. Verify registration, approved plans and quarterly reports, and watch for promoter red flags.
To verify a project's RERA status, we recommend going to the state RERA portal (or the Unified portal where linked) and searching by project name, promoter name or RERA registration number. Confirm the entry shows active registration, approved plans and up-to-date quarterly reports. If any of these are missing or inconsistent, we treat the project as higher risk until the gaps are resolved.
TL;DR:
- Verify that a project's RERA registration is active, contains approved plans, and has up-to-date quarterly reports before proceeding with purchase decisions.
- Use the official state RERA portal to cross-check registration number format, project status, and filings, avoiding unofficial or mirror sites to prevent fraud.
- Inspect the promoter's RERA record for multiple projects, timely filings, and unresolved complaints to assess credibility, as a patchy promoter history raises risks.
- Recognize red flags such as expired registration, missing reports, or no project entry at all, which indicate potential non-compliance or unregistered projects.
- Consider professional due diligence services to reconcile portal data with sale documents and uncover issues that could significantly alter buying decisions.
Where to find the correct RERA portal and how to reach it
The state portal where the property sits is the authoritative source for that project. India does not run a single national RERA database: each state regulator maintains its own registered-projects list, and a Unified RERA page, where one exists, mostly serves as a directory that links out to the correct state site rather than holding the records itself.
Reaching the right portal takes a few careful steps, since fraudulent mirror sites do exist:
- Search for the official government domain for the state regulator rather than clicking the first paid or unofficial result.
- Look for menu labels such as "registered projects" or "search project details" on the homepage.
- Check that the site displays a government emblem, contact address and a grievance or complaint section.
- Confirm the portal shows a recent update timestamp on project listings rather than static, unchanging pages.
- Avoid any third-party aggregator claiming to be the "official RERA search" for a state.
Once on the correct portal, the project search typically accepts a project name, promoter name or the RERA registration number itself, and any of the three should bring up the same record.
Exactly what to check on a project's RERA record
A project's listing on the portal carries several fields worth checking in sequence, since each one tells us something different about the project's standing.
- Registration number and status. Confirm the number format matches the state's own pattern, and check whether the status reads as active rather than expired or revoked.
- Approved plans and sanctioned area. Compare the layout and saleable area shown on the portal with what the promoter has quoted in sale documents.
- Promised completion date and quarterly filings. Check that progress reports have been filed up to the latest quarter, not just at registration.
- Linked promoter entries. Look for other projects tied to the same promoter and any orders or complaints recorded against them.
- Documentary back-up. Where portal entries look thin or unclear, request the registration certificate and sanctioned plans directly from the promoter in writing.
Pro Tip: Keep a dated screenshot of the portal record each time you check it, since project status and filings can change between viewings.
How to verify the promoter (builder) is registered and credible
A promoter's own portal entry matters as much as the project's, since a project can look clean while the developer behind it has a patchy record elsewhere.
- Search the promoter's name on the portal to see every project registered under it, not just the one being marketed.
- Cross-check the promoter name and any registration number printed on brochures or sale agreements against what the portal actually shows.
- Look for a pattern of timely quarterly filings across the promoter's other projects, since one clean project can sit alongside several lapsed ones.
- Check whether any orders, penalties or unresolved complaints are recorded against the promoter rather than just the single project.
- Treat a promoter with multiple stalled or deregistered projects as a reason for deeper checks, even where the project in question looks compliant today.
Common red flags on RERA searches and what they usually mean
Certain patterns on a RERA search point to the same underlying problems again and again.
- Expired or inactive registration despite active marketing usually points to non-compliance or to selling units after registration has lapsed.
- Missing or out-of-date quarterly progress reports raise the likelihood of construction delay or, in some cases, diverted project funds.
- Mismatched or generic-looking registration numbers in brochures or listings often signal unauthorised promotion rather than a genuine clerical error.
- No project entry at all, despite the promoter's claim of registration, is the clearest signal to escalate and stop further instalments.
A missing quarterly report is often the earliest warning sign of schedule slippage, and consecutive missed quarters deserve escalation rather than a wait-and-see approach.
If a project is not on RERA or shows problems: practical next steps
Finding a gap on the portal is not the end of the process, since several concrete steps can still clarify where a project actually stands.
- Request the promoter's RERA registration certificate and sanctioned plans in writing, then check both against the portal entry.
- If the discrepancy persists, lodge a complaint on the state RERA portal, attaching the sale agreement, payment receipts and any brochure claiming registration.
- Withhold further payments until the registration question is resolved, and treat this as the point to bring in legal or independent due-diligence support.
- Use the portal's complaint tracker to follow progress, and note the regulator's published contact details for direct follow-up where the tracker stalls.
A professional's checklist: what due diligence teams check beyond the basics
Professionals reviewing a project for a buyer tend to run three checks that casual searches often skip: confirming the registration number follows the state's own coding pattern, reconciling filings across several quarters rather than reading only the latest one, and reading the full text of any complaint or order rather than just noting that one exists.
The reason is straightforward: a portal entry and a promoter's own disclosures can both look fine in isolation while still disagreeing on area, completion date or payment schedule. Reconciling the two, alongside bank or escrow paperwork where relevant, is where inconsistencies tend to surface. Our own reviews at NITARYA have covered many property decisions, and a significant share have turned up issues significant enough to change the buyer's decision.
Treating RERA findings as part of a buying decision
In our view, an expired registration or a missing quarterly report for several consecutive quarters is a deal-stopper until the promoter produces fresh documentary proof, while a single late filing or a minor address mismatch is usually resolvable. Current quarterly reports and active status matter more than any brochure. We have seen a portal gap on completion date alone shift a recommendation from proceed to pause pending clarification.
— Neerraj
A targeted alternative: professional due diligence for India purchases
Reading a RERA record correctly takes practice, and reconciling it against a promoter's own paperwork takes longer still when you are buying from outside India. We built our India property due diligence service around exactly that gap: a structured review of a project's registration, promoter history and regulatory disclosures before any capital changes hands.
Our reviews cover:
- Before-buying checks on registration status, promoter history and sanctioned plans.
- Reconciliation of portal entries against sale agreements and payment schedules.
- A written decision file setting out what we found and what it means for your purchase.
Across numerous property decisions reviewed, a notable share of evaluations have surfaced deal-changing issues the buyer had not been told about. Where you would rather have a specialist run these checks than do it alone, our due diligence services are the practical next step.
FAQ
How do I check RERA project details online?
Visit the official RERA portal for the state where the project is located and search by project name, promoter name or registration number. The record should show registration status, approved plans, the promised completion date and the latest quarterly progress report.
How can I get a RERA certificate in India?
A RERA registration certificate is issued to the promoter by the state regulator once the project's documents, including sanctioned plans and title papers, have been approved. Buyers do not apply for this certificate themselves; instead, they request a copy from the promoter and verify it against the portal entry.
Is RERA approved yet for every project?
Not every project carries RERA registration, since smaller developments can fall outside the Act's scope in some states, and some promoters market units without registering at all. An unregistered project loses the statutory protections that registration provides, so its absence from the portal is itself a significant finding.
How do I check if a builder is registered in India?
Search the builder's name directly on the relevant state RERA portal to see every project registered under that promoter. Compare any registration number printed on sale documents with what the portal shows, and check for complaints or orders recorded against the promoter's other projects.
What should I do if a project isn't listed on the RERA portal?
Request the promoter's registration certificate and sanctioned plans in writing, then raise the discrepancy directly with the state regulator through its complaint form. Until the registration question is resolved, it is sensible to pause further payments.
Authoritative portals and documents to consult
- Your state's official RERA portal, for searching registered projects and promoter records directly.
- MahaRERA's published document checklist, for the registration forms and disclosures promoters submit.
- The Telangana RERA portal's complaint section, as an example of how to lodge and track a grievance.
- Our NITARYA India due-diligence service, for a professional review before you commit funds.
