Who Can File a TGRERA Complaint? Section 31 for Hyderabad Flat Buyers
Section 31 of the RERA Act lets any aggrieved person, including an association of allottees or a registered voluntary consumer association, complain to TGRERA. The 60-day disposal target, interim orders, pre-registration buyers and what builders can do in return.
Two hundred flat owners in one Hyderabad gated community, one shared grievance, and a builder who answers nobody individually. Does each family have to file its own case with the Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority? Section 31 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 answers that, and the answer is more generous than most buyers expect: an association of allottees can be the complainant itself.
The short answer. Section 31(1) lets any aggrieved person file a complaint with the Authority or the adjudicating officer for a violation of the Act, its rules or regulations, against a promoter, an allottee or a real estate agent. The Explanation says "person" includes an association of allottees and any voluntary consumer association registered under any law. Section 29(4) asks the Authority to dispose of matters within 60 days, recording reasons if it cannot. The trade-off: a collective complaint carries weight and shares the effort, but it moves at the pace of the group's paperwork and decisions, and the same Section 31 also lets a builder complain against a buyer.
Who counts as an aggrieved person under Section 31?
Anyone with a grievance about a violation of the Act. The text of the RERA Act hosted by TG RERA says that any aggrieved person may file a complaint with the Authority or the adjudicating officer, as the case may be, for any violation or contravention of the provisions of the Act or the rules and regulations made under it, against any promoter, allottee or real estate agent.
Three things in that sentence matter for a Hyderabad buyer. First, the complaint is about a violation of the Act, the rules or the regulations, not about any disagreement at all. Second, it can go either to the Authority or to the adjudicating officer, depending on what you are asking for. Third, the list of people who can be complained against includes allottees and agents as well as promoters.
The Explanation to Section 31(1) then widens the word "person" to include the association of allottees or any voluntary consumer association registered under any law for the time being in force. That is the provision that lets a group act as one complainant.
Section 31(2) adds that the form, manner and fees for filing are as specified by regulations. Check the current form and fee on the TG RERA portal on the day you file rather than relying on an older guide.
| Who wants to file | Can file under Section 31? | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| An individual allottee | Yes, as an aggrieved person | Section 31(1) |
| An association of allottees | Yes, included in "person" | Explanation to Section 31(1) |
| A registered voluntary consumer association | Yes, included in "person" | Explanation to Section 31(1) |
| A promoter or real estate agent, against a buyer | Yes, if aggrieved and with an interest in the registered project | TG RERA FAQ, Section 31 |
| A buyer whose agreement predates project registration | Yes, for violations of the Act, rules or regulations | TG RERA FAQ |
Can a residents' association file one complaint for everyone?
Yes, that is exactly what the Explanation provides for. Because "person" includes an association of allottees, the association can be the complainant on a common issue. A shared defect in the common areas, a missing facility promised in the agreement, or the builder's failure on an obligation owed to all owners are typical examples of issues that affect everyone in the same way.
A collective complaint has practical advantages. One set of documents covers the common facts, one representative deals with hearings, and the cost of preparing the case is shared. The Authority also sees the scale of the problem in a single filing rather than in scattered individual cases.
There are limits to keep in mind. An issue that is specific to one flat, such as one family's delay interest or a defect inside one apartment, is usually better framed by that allottee, because the facts and the numbers belong to that household. One workable approach is a common complaint on shared issues, with individual owners filing on their own claims. Agree the scope inside the association before anyone files, so the two tracks do not contradict each other.
If the association has not yet been formed or registered, the voluntary consumer association route in the same Explanation is a second option, provided the organisation is registered under a law in force.
What if you signed your agreement before the project was registered?
You can still complain. The TG RERA FAQ for its website says the Authority empowers any aggrieved person to file a complaint with respect to a registered real estate project, and that this includes an allottee whose agreement was executed before the project was registered with TG RERA.
The same answer carries a qualification. TG RERA's authority is to adjudicate violations and contraventions of the Act and the rules and regulations made under it. In other words, your complaint has to be framed around something the Act covers. If your grievance is purely a contract dispute with no link to a provision of the Act, expect questions about whether RERA is the right forum.
If you are an early buyer, the date on your agreement does not, by itself, shut you out.
How quickly is TGRERA meant to decide?
Within 60 days, with reasons recorded if it cannot. Section 29(4) of the Act says the questions that come up before the Authority shall be dealt with as expeditiously as possible and that the Authority shall dispose of them within sixty days from the date of receipt of the application. Where that is not possible, the Authority must record in writing its reasons for not disposing of the application within that period.
Applications to the adjudicating officer for compensation have a parallel target. Section 71(2) says the adjudicating officer shall deal with such an application as expeditiously as possible and dispose of it within sixty days from receipt, again recording reasons in writing if that does not happen.
Treat both as statutory targets with a reasons requirement attached, not as a promise about your own case. Hearings, replies and adjournments can stretch the timeline, but the reasons requirement means delay has to be explained on the record.
Can TGRERA act before the final order?
Yes, through interim orders. Section 36 says that where, during an inquiry, the Authority is satisfied that an act in contravention of the Act, rules or regulations has been committed and continues to be committed, or is about to be committed, it may by order restrain any promoter, allottee or real estate agent from carrying on that act until the conclusion of the inquiry or until further orders. It can do so without giving notice to that party where it considers this necessary.
For buyers, interim relief is most relevant when something irreversible is about to happen, for example a change that would affect a common area. The TG RERA FAQ points complainants to Section 36 for the procedure on interim relief. PropNewz has covered how interim orders work in more detail in our explainer on Section 36 interim orders.
What can the builder do in return?
Section 31 cuts both ways. The TG RERA FAQ says a promoter or a real estate agent can also file a complaint against a buyer, because an aggrieved person having any interest in the registered real estate project can file under Section 31. If you have stopped paying instalments in protest, for instance, expect that the builder may use the same route.
Orders can also be appealed. The TG RERA FAQ says any person aggrieved by a direction, decision or order of TG RERA or an adjudicating officer may appeal to the Appellate Tribunal within sixty days under Section 43(5). Where a promoter appeals, the proviso to Section 43(5) says the appeal shall not be entertained unless the promoter first deposits at least thirty per cent of the penalty, or a higher percentage the Tribunal decides, or the total amount payable to the allottee including interest and compensation, or both, before the appeal is heard. Our guide to the Section 43(5) pre-deposit explains what that deposit means for a buyer waiting on money.
On the question of consumer courts, the TG RERA FAQ says there is no bar on a buyer filing in a consumer court. It explains that Section 79 bars civil courts from matters the Authority or the Appellate Tribunal can determine, and that the proviso to Section 71 lets a complainant withdraw a complaint on matters under Sections 12, 14, 18 and 19 from the consumer forum and file it with the Authority.
What should you assemble before filing?
A clean file helps whether you complain alone or through an association. Work through this list.
- Note the project's TG RERA registration number and download its registration details from the portal.
- Identify the exact provision of the Act, rules or regulations you say was violated, and the date it started.
- Decide whether you are asking the Authority for a direction or the adjudicating officer for compensation.
- If the issue is common, confirm the association is registered and has authorised a representative to file.
- Collect the agreement for sale, payment receipts and every written exchange with the builder.
- Check the current form, manner and fee on the TG RERA portal, since Section 31(2) leaves these to regulations.
- Keep a dated record of each hearing so you can follow the 60-day target and any reasons recorded.
If you are still choosing a project in west Hyderabad, such as Brigade Barcelona in Neopolis, Kokapet, write down its registration number on the day you book. Every step above starts from that number. And if you want to argue the case yourself, our earlier piece on filing a RERA complaint without a lawyer covers who can represent you.
Frequently asked questions
Can a flat owners' association file a TGRERA complaint?
Yes. The Explanation to Section 31(1) of the RERA Act says that "person" includes an association of allottees or any voluntary consumer association registered under any law in force. An association can therefore file as the complainant on a common issue, while individual owners can still file on claims specific to their own flats.
Can a Hyderabad buyer complain if the agreement predates RERA registration?
Yes. The TG RERA FAQ says any aggrieved person can complain about a registered real estate project, including an allottee whose agreement was executed before the project was registered. TG RERA's authority is to adjudicate violations of the Act and its rules and regulations, so frame the complaint around a specific provision.
How long does TGRERA have to decide a complaint?
Section 29(4) of the RERA Act says the Authority shall deal with questions as expeditiously as possible and dispose of them within sixty days from receipt of the application. If it cannot, it must record its reasons in writing. Section 71(2) sets the same sixty-day target for compensation applications before the adjudicating officer.
Can a builder file a RERA complaint against a buyer?
Yes. The TG RERA FAQ says a promoter or a real estate agent can also file a complaint against a buyer, because any aggrieved person having an interest in the registered real estate project can file under Section 31. Section 31(1) itself lists allottees among those a complaint can be made against.
Last updated 2026-10-24. PropNewz Team.
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