A Powai buyer spotted a glossy hoarding for a new tower, complete with a RERA number printed in small type at the bottom corner. Most buyers glance at that number and feel reassured. This one did something better: she typed it into the MahaRERA portal. The registration was real, but the promised completion date and the approvals on record told a more cautious story than the brochure, and the project had complaints filed against it. She negotiated differently because of what the public record showed. That is the quiet power of MahaRERA verification: the truth about a Mumbai project is published, and it is free to read.

The short answer. Before you pay any advance on a Mumbai project, verify its MahaRERA registration yourself on the official portal, not just the number on the hoarding. A genuine registration reveals the promoter, the sanctioned approvals, the committed completion date and any complaints, all in one place. The trade off buyers ignore is a few minutes of reading against a multi year commitment. A registration number is only meaningful once you have opened the record behind it and confirmed that the promoter, the approvals and the completion date all match the flat you are actually being sold.

What is MahaRERA and why does registration matter?

MahaRERA is the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority, the state body set up under the national real estate law to bring transparency and accountability to property projects. Developers in Maharashtra are required to register qualifying projects with MahaRERA before advertising or selling them, and those registrations are published for anyone to verify. For a buyer, this changes the balance of information: instead of trusting a brochure, you can read the promoter's own filed commitments.

Registration also brings real obligations for the developer. Registered promoters are bound to the timelines and disclosures they file, and the law requires a large share of the money collected from buyers, commonly cited as seventy percent, to be kept in a separate project account so it is used for that project rather than diverted elsewhere. These protections only work for you if the project is actually registered, which is exactly why verification comes first.

It is worth understanding the threshold too. Very small plots and developments below the size the law specifies may not require registration, so the absence of a number is not always sinister on a tiny project. For the apartment and township projects most Mumbai buyers are looking at, however, registration is expected, and a missing registration on a project of any real scale is a reason to stop and ask questions rather than press ahead.

How do I verify a project on the MahaRERA portal?

The process is straightforward and free. Go to the official portal at maharera.maharashtra.gov.in, open the registration menu and choose registered projects, then search by the project name, the developer name or the district. You can also search using the registration number itself. Mumbai project registration numbers typically begin with the prefix P51900, so a number in that form for a city project is a useful first sanity check, though you should still open the full record rather than trusting the format of the number alone.

Once you open the project record, do not stop at confirming it exists. Read what it says. The record sets out the promoter behind the project, the approvals and sanctioned plans on file, the declared completion date and the quarterly progress the developer has reported. This is the difference between a box ticking check and genuine due diligence.

Pay particular attention to the quarterly progress updates that promoters are expected to file. A project that reports steady progress in line with its timeline is behaving as the regulation intends. One whose updates are stale, or whose reported progress lags far behind the completion date on file, is telling you something the sales team will not. These updates are among the most useful and least read parts of the whole record.

What exactly should I read on the project page?

Focus on the details that affect your risk. Confirm the promoter named on MahaRERA matches the entity you are dealing with, because a mismatch between the marketing brand and the registered promoter is worth questioning. Check the declared completion date against what the sales team is telling you verbally, since the filed date is the one that carries weight. Look at the approvals and plans on record, and note whether the project shows any complaints or legal proceedings.

The table below turns this into a simple checklist of what to read and why each item matters.

Does a RERA number on an advertisement guarantee a safe project?

No, and this is the most important misconception to clear up. A registration number printed on a hoarding or brochure tells you the project has been registered, but it does not by itself tell you the project is on schedule, dispute free or exactly as advertised. The number is a key to the record, not a certificate of quality. The value comes from opening that record and reading it, which is the step most buyers skip.

Treat the number as an invitation to verify rather than a reason to relax. If a project cannot show a valid, matching registration on the official portal, that is a serious problem. If it can, your job is to read what the registration actually discloses.

How does MahaRERA verification fit with my other checks?

RERA verification sits alongside, not instead of, your legal and document checks. The MahaRERA record tells you the project is registered and what the promoter has committed to, while your own title search, approvals review and certificate checks confirm the property itself is clean and lawful to occupy. Read them together. Our guide on the difference between an occupancy and a completion certificate explains why the approvals side of the picture matters just as much as registration.

It also helps to know your rights as a buyer once you are dealing with a registered project, because the law gives you specific protections on delays, defects and disclosures. Our explainer on homebuyer rights under RERA sets these out in plain language so you know what you can hold a promoter to.

What should I do if the registration does not check out?

If you cannot find the project, if the registration has lapsed, or if the details on record do not match what you are being sold, slow down. None of these is automatically fatal, but each is a question that deserves a documented answer from the promoter before any money moves. A registration that has expired, for example, needs a clear explanation and evidence of its current status.

Where the record shows complaints or a completion date that has already passed without handover, weigh that seriously and consider professional advice. The whole purpose of a public regulator is to let you see these signals early, while you still have the freedom to walk away.

Keep a simple record of your own checks. Save the project page, note the registration number, the promoter name and the completion date you read, and date your note. If a dispute ever arises, this contemporaneous record of what the official portal disclosed on the day you relied on it is far more useful than a hazy memory of a sales conversation.

A seven step MahaRERA verification checklist

Run these before you commit to any Mumbai project.

1. Note the RERA registration number from the advertisement or the sales team.
2. Open the official MahaRERA portal and search registered projects by name, developer or number.
3. Confirm the registration exists and is current, not lapsed or expired.
4. Check the registered promoter matches the entity actually selling to you.
5. Read the declared completion date and compare it against verbal promises.
6. Review the approvals, plans and any complaints or legal proceedings on record.
7. Combine this with your own title, approvals and certificate checks before you pay any advance.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a Mumbai project is registered with MahaRERA?

Go to the official MahaRERA portal, open the registration menu and select registered projects, then search by project name, developer name, district or registration number. Mumbai project numbers typically begin with P51900. Confirm the registration exists and is current, and read the promoter, approvals and completion date on the record rather than trusting the number on the advertisement alone.

Does a RERA number mean the project is safe to buy?

Not on its own. A registration number confirms the project is registered, but it does not guarantee the project is on time, dispute free or exactly as advertised. The number is a key to the public record, not a quality certificate. The real protection comes from reading the disclosures, complaints and committed completion date before you commit money.

What does MahaRERA registration require of a developer?

A registered promoter must file project details, approvals and a completion timeline, and is bound to the commitments on record. The law also requires a large share of buyer money, commonly cited as seventy percent, to be kept in a separate project account. These obligations protect buyers only when the project is genuinely registered, which is why verification comes first.

What if the project is not on the MahaRERA portal?

Treat a missing or lapsed registration as a serious warning sign and pause before paying anything. Qualifying projects must be registered before they are advertised or sold, so an absent record raises a question the promoter must answer in writing. Ask for the current registration status with evidence, and take professional advice before you part with any advance.

Last updated 2026-08-17. PropNewz Team.