A home is likely the biggest purchase you’ll ever make. Before you look at layouts, views or offers, there’s one question that protects everything else: is the project registered under RERA?
What is RERA?
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 — RERA — was created to protect home buyers and bring transparency to real estate. In Maharashtra it is enforced by MahaRERA, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority.
Under the Act, residential projects above a minimum size — generally where the land is more than 500 sq m or there are more than eight apartments — must be registered with MahaRERA before the developer can advertise, book or sell any home in them. Every registered project gets a unique number that starts with P5, such as P51700047140.
What a RERA-registered project protects
1. Your money goes into building your home. Developers must keep 70% of the money collected from buyers in a separate bank account, to be used only for that project’s construction and land costs — not diverted to another project.
2. You pay for the carpet area you actually get. Homes must be sold on carpet area — the usable floor area inside your walls — so there’s no confusion over “super built-up” figures.
3. No large payment before a proper agreement. A developer can’t take more than 10% of the price as an advance before a registered agreement for sale is signed.
4. Your possession date is a commitment. The completion date declared to MahaRERA is binding. If possession is delayed, buyers can claim interest for the delay or a refund with interest.
5. The plans can’t be quietly changed. Major changes to the sanctioned plans need the consent of two-thirds of the buyers.
6. Five years of cover for structural defects. If a structural defect or workmanship problem appears within five years of possession, the developer must fix it at no cost to you.
7. Information is public — and a regulator is on your side. Approvals, plans, the completion date and progress updates are on the MahaRERA website, and buyers can file complaints directly with MahaRERA.
Red flags to watch for
- No registration number on the brochure, hoarding, website or advertisement.
- “Registration is in process” — booking or selling before registration isn’t allowed.
- A request for a large payment before a registered agreement.
- A number that doesn’t match the project name, location or developer on the MahaRERA website.
- An agent who isn’t registered with MahaRERA — agents need their own registration too.
How to check any project in two minutes
- Ask for the project’s MahaRERA registration number (it starts with P5).
- Visit the official MahaRERA website and search for that number — or scan the MahaRERA QR code on the project’s advertisement.
- Check that the project name, location and developer match.
- Look at the declared completion date, the approvals, and any complaints listed against the project.
- For a ready home, also ask for the Occupation Certificate — see our guide on what an OC is and why it matters.
RERA at TCJ
Every current TCJ project is registered with MahaRERA:
- Vivanta, Javsai, Ambernath West — P51700047140
- Arya & Ira, Godrej Hill, Kalyan West — P51700026854
We encourage every buyer to look these numbers up before booking — and we’re proud to have zero RERA complaints in our history. Both projects also have their Occupation Certificate, so you can see the finished home before you buy.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change — please confirm details for any specific property on the MahaRERA website or with your advisor.
