How to Verify a Project RERA Registration in 2026 - A Step-by-Step Guide
You finalized a property, the down payment is ready, and you are about to walk into the seller’s office to sign the builder-buyer agreement. But have you checked RERA? Did you verify the project on the RERA portal? Remember, an informed buyer never misses that. No matter how lucrative the deal is, don’t initiate any payment or sign a paper before you check the project and builder details on the RERA website in 2026. Wondering how to check RERA registration? Then, continue reading. The Star Estate guide covers the importance of RERA, buyer and seller rights under RERA, and more.
What Is RERA?
RERA, i.e., the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, was passed by the Indian Parliament as a law to make real estate transactions more transparent. It focuses on eliminating the problems property buyers in India face, including delayed possession, diverted funds, and mismatched carpet areas. The law gives a fair chance to buyers and sellers to present their side of the story legally in case of any dispute.
Features of RERA Act 2016
Registration of every project over 500 sq. m. (or 8+ units) with the state authority before marketing or selling it is mandatory.
Builder must deposit 70% of buyer payments in a separate escrow account, used only for that project.
Builder must disclose layout plans, approvals, and land title on the public RERA portal.
Publish quarterly progress reports so buyers can track construction progress.
Builders face penalties for missing the declared completion date.
RERA Act 2016 is applicable in all States and Union Territories in India. However, each of these entities has a separate RERA body. For example, Maharashtra has MAHARERA, Karnataka has KRERA, and Uttar Pradesh has UP RERA. However, the fundamental principle remains unchanged; that is, nothing of a defined sort, including residential and commercial properties anywhere in India, can be sold without it holding a RERA registration.
The property buyers across India must check their State RERA website to verify the builder, promoter, and project RERA registration number.
Why RERA Registration Matters for Property Buyers in India in 2026
RERA registration protects buyers’ rights in the Indian real estate market.
Escrow protection: the initial payment you made is only allowed to be used for the same project. The seller cannot divert funds to any other projects or to resolve debt issues.
Timeline accountability: the buyers are eligible to receive a full or partial refund of the payment depending upon the scenario as a penalty on the seller for jumping possession timelines.
Grievance redressal: property purchase disputes go to the state RERA authority and then to the RERA Tribunal Appellate instead of a regular civil court.
Sale Price according to carpet area: pricing must be based on carpet area, not the older, inflated “super built-up” figure.
A joint report by Knight Frank India and NAREDCO found that RERA has made a genuine impact. It reshaped buyers’ behaviour and also made builders accountable. The Act has moderated speculative pricing and helped restore consumer trust, drawing in roughly $26 billion in private equity inflows into Indian real estate since 2017.
Step-Wise Process to Verify a Project on RERA
Step 1: Visit Your State RERA Portal
RERA registration is a state-specific matter. Therefore, start by visiting the portal. UP RERA (up-rera.in) for Uttar Pradesh, MahaRERA for Maharashtra, K-RERA for Karnataka, and so on.
Step 2: Go to “Registered Projects”
On the homepage, look for “Registered Projects” or “Project Status” under the Projects or Services menu. This opens the searchable database that every state RERA maintains.
Step 3: Search Using Project, Builder, or RERA Number
Search the following details
Project name
Builder/Promoter/developer name
Location or district
RERA registration number (if you already have it from the brochure)
Step 4: Review the Project Details
The listing will show RERA details; check the project's RERA registration number, promoter details, sanctioned layout, land title status, and completion timeline. Keep the brochure handy to cross-check the details shared by the sales representative.
Step 5: Download the RERA Certificate
Most portals let you download the certificate and quarterly progress reports directly. These documents may be required at the time of loan disbursement and possession.
RERA Verification Checklist
Before you pay any booking amount, confirm the following details:
The Project appears under ‘Registered Projects’ on the official state RERA site.
RERA registration number matches the one on the brochure and sale agreement.
Sanctioned layout plan matches what's being marketed to you.
Declared completion date matches your builder-buyer agreement.
Escrow account details are disclosed on the portal.
No unresolved complaints listed against the promoter.
Quarterly progress reports are being filed regularly.
Check for Missing Details on the RERA Website — Red Flags to Watch For
Not every listing on a RERA portal is equally trustworthy just because it appears there. Watch for these gaps:-
No quarterly progress report filed in 2+ quarters — a sign of stalled construction or non-compliance.
Mismatched promoter name between the portal and your sale agreement.
Missing or expired registration validity date.
Non-disclosure of the escrow account number.
Complaints listed and unresolved against the promoter or project.
Layout plan on the portal doesn't match marketing material.
If you spot any of these, don't rely on verbal reassurance from the sales team. Raise it in writing or walk away.
RERA Rules for Builders in 2026 Property Buyers Must Know
Most buyers, when looking for how to check RERA registration, only focus on the buyer side of the process. But remember it is a two-way journey. While the RERA Act protects property buyers, it also gives sellers the guidelines to follow. It binds every seller and promoter to register with the state's statutory authority before they are ready to advertise the property for sale. Check for builder RERA details before you sign a real estate deal in 2026.
Registration Requirements
Section 3 bars a promoter from advertising, marketing, booking, or selling a single unit until the project is registered with the state RERA. It is the first thing to know when you commence the process to verify project on the RERA portal.
Any agent facilitating the sale needs their own RERA registration. An unregistered agent cannot legally broker the deal. A RERA website check for the agent's credentials is worth doing alongside the project in 2026.
Layout plans, statutory approvals, land title status, and the promoter's past project track record must all be published on the state RERA portal. These details exactly lets buyers verify project on RERA before signing documents for property purchase.
The registration is mandatory only for projects above 500 sq. m. or with more than eight apartments; smaller developments fall outside its scope.
Coverage spans residential apartments, villas, and plotted developments, as well as commercial projects. Including under construction or freshly launched projects. This is why you must know how to check RERA registration; as it let you know what you are buying.
The 70:30 Escrow Account Rule
This clause of the RERA Act 2016 unarguably protect buyer’s interest in the finest manner.
Builders must route 70% of everything collected from buyers into a dedicated escrow account, ring-fenced strictly for that project's construction and land costs. Using it for anything else amounts to contempt of the Act.
The balance 30% reaches the promoter only once an engineer, an architect, and a chartered accountant jointly certify that real construction progress has been made, closing the old loophole where one project's collections diverted for something else.
State wise RERA Body in India to Check RERA Registration Number
As said earlier that each State and Union Territory operates its own regulatory authority and portal. It is the one-stop checkpoint to verify project details in 2026.
In Maharashtra, MahaRERA handles registrations through maharera.mahaonline.gov.in.
In Uttar Pradesh, buyers rely on UP RERA at up-rera. in.
In Karnataka, developers, sellers, and project listings are available on rera.karnataka.gov.in.
In Haryana, RERA registration number check can be done by visiting hareraggm.gov.in.
Delhi (NCT) maintains its own portal that is rera.delhi.gov.in
Telangana buyers can verify project RERA details on rera.telangana.gov.in.
Tamil Nadu has its official RERA portal, rera.tn.gov.in.
Gujarat property buyers can check RERA registration details at gujrera.gujarat.gov.in.
West Bengal has HIRA, with the URL hira.wb.gov.in.
Rajasthan runs its checks through rera.rajasthan.gov.in.
Kerala buyers can verify projects on the RERA portal i.e., rera.kerala.gov.in.
Punjab State has rera.punjab.gov.in to check builder, project, and seller details.
How to move forward with the Purchase if Project isn't RERA Verified
It is a red flag for property buyers in India, and one should immediately pause the deal. If a project doesn't show up on the official RERA portal, connect with the developer or seller to ask for the RERA registration number. Once received, cross-check it by visiting the RERA portal.
However, a recently launched phase or a project may not be available on RERA. It takes time for the authority to process the registration application for allocating a number. But, the case is not the same for a project older than one year or half-done construction.
If the developer or seller can’t provide a RERA registration number, then ask them for the reason for its unavailability. RERA registration is not required for properties below the 500 sq. m. or eight-unit threshold.
For high-rise apartments and commercial properties with more than a specified area coverage, RERA registration is mandatory. It makes the builder-buyer agreement enforceable, protects buyers’ payments through the escrow mechanism, and gives you, the buyer a route to the RERA authority if things go wrong.
Buyer’s Takeaway - If the project is not listed on the RERA portal, then the wiser path is to wait until the builder actually registers the project. It lets you verify the project on RERA and safeguards you from being duped for money. Otherwise, you can walk away from the deal and explore RERA-verified property listings. After all, no offer or scheme is more lucrative than owning a lawfully binding immovable asset.
Talk to Star Estate Before You Sign Anything
A RERA check tells you a project is registered or not. It doesn't tell you whether the builder actually delivers on time, whether the locality will hold its value, or whether that escrow account is being run the way it should be. That gap is where most buyers get stuck, and it's exactly where Star Estate steps in. Beyond confirming RERA status, our team tracks builder track records, construction pace, and resale demand across India.
If you're evaluating a project and want more than a registration number to go on, talk to a Star Estate advisor for a free consultation on RERA-verified,thoroughly vetted projects in the preferred region.