Specifications Swapped at Handover? How RERA Treats Fixtures, Fittings and Brands

The brochure said large format vitrified tiles, branded sanitaryware and a teak main door. At the pre-handover inspection, the floor is a smaller ceramic tile, the taps carry a brand nobody in the family has heard of, and the door is a laminated flush door. The builder's site engineer says the changes are minor and the quality is equivalent.

Whether a change like that is minor is not only a matter of opinion. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 deals with it directly, and it gives buyers firm ground to stand on. This guide walks through what the law says about specifications, what counts as a minor change, and how to document a swap before you accept the keys.

The short answer. Under Section 14(2)(i) of the RERA Act, once the specifications and the nature of fixtures, fittings and amenities have been disclosed to you, the promoter shall not make additions or alterations to them for your apartment without your previous consent, and the Explanation to that clause excludes a change to the fixtures or equipment from the meaning of minor additions or alterations. Defects in workmanship or quality reported within five years of possession must be rectified within thirty days under Section 14(3). The trade-off: the law is on your side once specifications are written down, but a vague specification sheet or a verbal promise gives you very little to hold.

What does RERA say about specifications?

Two things, in sequence. Section 14(1) says the proposed project shall be developed and completed by the promoter in accordance with the sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications as approved by the competent authorities. Section 14(2) then says that once the sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications, and the nature of the fixtures, fittings, amenities and common areas, are disclosed or furnished to the person who agrees to take the apartment, the promoter shall not make certain changes without consent.

For your own apartment, clause (i) is the one that matters. It bars any additions and alterations in the sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications and the nature of fixtures, fittings and amenities described therein in respect of the apartment agreed to be taken, without the previous consent of that person. The opening words of Section 14(2), notwithstanding anything contained in any law, contract or agreement, mean the rule applies regardless of what an agreement says, so a clause giving the builder a free hand should be read with that in mind.

Is a change of tiles or fittings a minor change?

Not under the Act's own definition. The proviso to Section 14(2)(i) allows the promoter to make minor additions or alterations required by the allottee, or minor changes necessary for architectural and structural reasons recommended and verified by an authorised architect or engineer, after proper declaration and intimation to the allottee.

The Explanation then says what minor additions or alterations exclude. The list includes structural changes, additions to area, changes in height, removal or cutting into walls, columns, beams and floors, changes to required access, and a change to the fixtures or equipment. That last phrase is the one buyers should underline. A swap of fixtures or equipment is outside the minor category, so the builder cannot rely on the minor change proviso to make it without your consent.

Some specification sheets name a brand followed by the words "or equivalent". If yours does, the question becomes what was disclosed to you as the nature of the fitting. Ask the builder in writing to show how the substitute matches the grade, size and finish promised, and keep the reply. If the answer is vague, that vagueness is itself useful evidence of what you were told.

Consent also needs to be real. A line buried in a handover form saying you accept all changes may not be the kind of previous consent the Act describes, so take advice before you sign one. If a builder asks you to approve a change, ask for a written description of what is being changed, why, and what you will receive instead, and decide only after you have seen it.

What if the change is to the building or common areas instead?

A different threshold applies. Section 14(2)(ii) bars any other alterations or additions in the sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications of the buildings or the common areas without the previous written consent of at least two-thirds of the allottees, other than the promoter, who have agreed to take apartments in that building. Its Explanation counts a person or family, or a company and its associated entities, as one allottee however many units they hold. Our explainer on layout changes inside your flat covers the consent process in more detail.

What can I do if I spot the swap only after moving in?

Use the defect window. Section 14(3) says that if any structural defect or any other defect in workmanship, quality or provision of services, or any other obligation of the promoter as per the agreement for sale, is brought to the promoter's notice within five years from the date of handing over possession, the promoter has a duty to rectify it without further charge within thirty days. If the promoter fails, the aggrieved allottee is entitled to appropriate compensation in the manner provided under the Act.

The phrase "any other obligations of the promoter as per the agreement for sale" is useful here. If your agreement or its annexed specification sheet names a brand, grade or material, delivering something else can be raised as a failure of that obligation, not only as a quality complaint. Write to the builder, attach the specification page and photographs, and keep proof of when the notice was sent.

If the builder does not respond, Section 31(1) allows any aggrieved person to file a complaint with the Authority or the adjudicating officer for contravention of the Act. Keep the specification sheet, the agreement, your notice, the builder's replies and dated photographs together, since those are what you will need to show.

Does the model flat count as a promise?

It can. Section 12 provides that where a person makes an advance or deposit on the basis of information in an advertisement or prospectus, or on the basis of any model apartment, plot or building, and sustains loss by reason of any incorrect or false statement included in it, the promoter shall compensate that person. A person who wishes to withdraw on that basis is to be returned the entire investment with interest. Photograph the model flat, including close shots of fittings and any labels, when you visit. Our piece on model flats and Section 12 explains this further.

How should you document specifications before you sign?

Get them in writing, with detail. Section 19(1) entitles the allottee to obtain information about sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications. Use that right before you sign, not after. A useful specification sheet names materials, sizes, grades and, where promised, brands or an equivalent standard. Vague phrases such as premium fittings or good quality tiles give you little to rely on later.

Make sure the sheet is annexed to, or referred to in, the agreement for sale you register. If you are comparing projects in East Bengaluru, such as Prestige Lavender Fields in Gunjur, ask each builder for the same level of detail so that you can compare specifications, not just prices.

What should you do at the pre-handover inspection?

Inspect against the paper. Take the specification sheet with you and check each line: flooring, wall finish, doors, windows, sanitaryware, kitchen platform, electrical fittings. Note every difference in writing on the inspection form and in an email to the builder the same day, with photographs. Do not sign a statement that you have accepted the flat in good condition while your objections are pending, unless your note of objections is attached to it.

1. Ask for a detailed specification sheet with materials, sizes, grades and brands.
2. Make sure the sheet is annexed to or referred to in the registered agreement.
3. Photograph the model flat and its fittings, including labels, when you visit.
4. Inspect the flat against the specification sheet line by line before handover.
5. Record every difference in writing and by email, with photographs, the same day.
6. Do not sign an unconditional acceptance while objections are pending.
7. Report defects found after possession within five years and track the thirty day clock.

Frequently asked questions

Can a builder change the tiles or fittings in my flat without asking?

Under Section 14(2)(i) of the RERA Act, once the specifications and the nature of fixtures, fittings and amenities are disclosed, the promoter shall not alter them for your apartment without your previous consent. The Explanation excludes a change to the fixtures or equipment from what counts as a minor alteration.

What counts as a minor change under RERA Section 14?

The proviso allows minor changes required by the allottee or needed for architectural and structural reasons, verified by an authorised architect or engineer and intimated to the allottee. The Explanation excludes structural changes, area or height changes, wall or column changes, access changes and changes to fixtures or equipment.

What if I discover poor quality fittings after moving in?

Section 14(3) says defects in workmanship, quality or provision of services, or other obligations under the agreement for sale, reported within five years of possession must be rectified by the promoter without charge within thirty days, failing which the allottee is entitled to appropriate compensation.

Does what I saw in the model flat bind the builder?

Section 12 says a person who pays an advance on the basis of a model apartment, advertisement or prospectus and suffers loss from an incorrect or false statement shall be compensated by the promoter, and one who withdraws gets the entire investment back with interest. Photograph the model flat to keep evidence.

Last updated 2026-10-30. PropNewz Team.