Is That Bengaluru Project RERA Registered? How to Verify Before You Book
MoHUA's RERA FAQ says a promoter must register a project before any advertising, marketing or booking, and that SMS and email count as advertisements. Projects up to 500 sq m or eight apartments are exempt, the Authority must decide within 30 days, and non-registration can cost up to 10% of project cost.
A Bengaluru buyer scrolling through property listings on a Sunday evening sees a launch offer arrive by SMS, then a follow-up email with a brochure, then a call from a sales executive offering a site visit. Before any of that goes further, there is one fact worth establishing: is this project registered with the real estate regulator, and if so, what does the registration actually say?
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs answers the basic questions in its July 2025 FAQs on the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. Read together, its answers on registration, advertising, exemptions and the regulator's website give a buyer a short verification routine worth completing before a site visit.
The short answer. MoHUA's FAQ says that under Section 3(1), the promoter must register the project "before any advertising, marketing, booking, selling, offering for sale, or inviting persons to purchase," and that SMS and email solicitation count as advertisement. Projects of up to 500 square metres of land or up to eight apartments, inclusive of all phases, are exempt. The Authority must decide an application within 30 days, failing which the project "shall be deemed to be registered." The trade-off: a registration number confirms the project is on the regulator's books, but it is not an endorsement, so the buyer still has to read what the promoter has declared.
When must a Bengaluru project be registered?
Before it is marketed. The FAQ says that "As per Section 3(1), the promoter is required to register its project with the respective Real Estate Regulatory Authority before any advertising, marketing, booking, selling, offering for sale, or inviting persons to purchase in the project." In a separate answer, it states that "The promoter can advertise his project for sale after the project has been registered with the Regulatory Authority."
That order matters for a buyer. If a project is being advertised or booked, it should already have a registration. The FAQ also says that all projects within a "planning area" require registration, and that the Authority may, with the local authority's permission, direct a promoter to register a project beyond the planning area "in the interest of allottees."
Does an SMS or email count as an advertisement?
Yes. The FAQ answers this directly: "As per section 2(b), any medium adopted in soliciting for sale, including SMS and emails, is covered under the definition of advertisement." A WhatsApp-style message or promotional email for a Bengaluru project is solicitation, and the registration rule applies to it in the same way as to a hoarding or a newspaper advertisement.
The promoter also answers for what the advertisement says. The FAQ states that under Section 12, "the promoter is responsible for the veracity of all information contained in the advertisement and the prospectus," and that in case of loss due to false information, "the promoter is liable to make good the loss sustained due to the same." Keeping copies of the messages and brochures you receive is a simple habit with real value later.
Which projects are exempt from registration?
Three categories, under Section 3(2). The FAQ lists them as projects "where the area of land proposed to be developed does not exceed five hundred square meters or the number of apartments proposed to be developed does not exceed eight, inclusive of all phases"; projects "where the promoter has received completion certificate for a real estate project prior to commencement of this Act"; and work "for the purpose of renovation or repair or re-development which does not involve marketing, advertising selling or new allotment of any apartment, plot or building."
For Bengaluru buyers looking at smaller apartment buildings, the first exemption is the one to check. The words "inclusive of all phases" mean that the count covers the whole development, not one block at a time. If a building falls within the exemption, the RERA protections tied to registration do not attach in the same way, and buyers should rely more heavily on title checks and local approvals. Our report on a Karnataka High Court case on a shifted park in J P Nagar 8th Phase shows why layout due diligence matters.
| Question | What MoHUA's FAQ says | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| When to register | Before any advertising, marketing, booking, selling or offering for sale | Section 3(1) |
| What counts as advertising | Any medium soliciting a sale, including SMS and emails | Section 2(b) |
| Small project exemption | Land up to 500 sq m or up to eight apartments, inclusive of all phases | Section 3(2)(a) |
| Time for the Authority to decide | 30 days, else deemed registered | Section 5 |
| Penalty for not registering | Up to ten percent of the estimated project cost | Section 59 |
How long does registration take, and what is deemed registration?
Thirty days. The FAQ says that "The Regulatory Authority is required to register the project within 30 days of the application having been received by the Authority, if the same is in compliance with the Act and the Rules and Regulations." It adds that under Section 5, "in case the Authority fails to take a decision within the said period of 30 days the project shall be deemed to be registered."
If an application is incomplete, the FAQ says the Authority may give the promoter a chance to complete it, and that it "has the power to reject the application, only after giving an opportunity to the promoter of being heard." The FAQ also says that under Section 4(3), the Authority "has to operationalize a website for submitting applications for registration of projects and make the entire process online."
What does the registration record tell a buyer?
The promoter's own declarations, including the completion date. The FAQ says that under Section 5(3), "the validity of the registration granted to a project shall be the period declared by the promoter under section 4(2)(l)(C), at the time of making the application for registration, within which he would complete the project." That declared period is a date a buyer can hold the promoter to.
The Authority's website is also a record of trouble. Under Section 34, the FAQ says the Authority must maintain a website for public viewing of all registered projects, "details of promoters with photographs of promoters," and "details of projects in case of revocation of registration or where any project penalized under the Act." A Bengaluru buyer checking a project such as Urbanrise The Living Wave on Sarjapur Road can search the Karnataka regulator's site for the project and its promoter, and look for any penalty or revocation entries.
Section 11, the FAQ adds, requires the promoter to update project information on the Authority's website, with certain information updated "on quarterly basis, in order to make an informed choice by the buyer."
Registration can also be extended or revoked, and both show up as changes a buyer should notice. The FAQ says Section 6 allows extension in case of force majeure, and also "under reasonable circumstances, without the fault of the promoter, which shall not be more than a maximum period of 1 year." On revocation, it says the Authority can revoke registration under Section 7 for specified violations, but only "as a last resort" and "after providing a reasonable opportunity of being heard."
What happens if a promoter sells without registering?
Penalties linked to project cost. The FAQ says that under Section 59, a promoter who fails to register a project where registration is obligatory "shall be liable to a penalty upto ten percent of the estimated cost of the real estate project." For consistent default or non-compliance with the Authority's directions on registration, it says the promoter "shall be liable to additional fine of ten percent of the estimated cost of the real estate project or imprisonment upto 3 years or both."
Once a project is registered and later completed, the certificates that close it out are a separate check. Our explainer on the difference between an OC and a CC covers that stage.
How should a Bengaluru buyer verify a project in ten minutes?
- Ask the promoter or agent for the RERA registration number, and note it from the brochure or advertisement.
- Search the Karnataka real estate regulator's website for that number and confirm the project and promoter names match.
- Note the completion date the promoter declared at registration, which sets the registration's validity.
- Check whether any extension of registration has been recorded, and on what ground.
- Look for penalty or revocation entries for the project and for the promoter.
- If no registration exists, ask whether the project claims an exemption under Section 3(2), and verify the land area and number of apartments, inclusive of all phases.
- Keep copies of every SMS, email and brochure, since the FAQ treats them as advertisements the promoter answers for.
Frequently asked questions
Can a builder advertise a Bengaluru project before RERA registration?
No. MoHUA's RERA FAQ says that under Section 3(1), the promoter must register the project with the Regulatory Authority before any advertising, marketing, booking, selling, offering for sale or inviting persons to purchase. It also states that the promoter can advertise the project for sale only after it has been registered.
Which small projects do not need RERA registration?
MoHUA's FAQ says that under Section 3(2), registration is not required where the land proposed to be developed does not exceed five hundred square metres, or the number of apartments does not exceed eight, inclusive of all phases. Projects completed before RERA commenced and certain repair or redevelopment work are also exempt.
What is deemed registration under RERA?
According to MoHUA's FAQ, Section 5 requires the Authority to decide on a registration application within 30 days of receiving it. If the Authority fails to take a decision within that period, the project shall be deemed to be registered. Rejection is possible only after giving the promoter an opportunity of being heard.
What penalty applies if a promoter does not register a project?
MoHUA's FAQ says that under Section 59, a promoter who fails to register a project where registration is obligatory is liable to a penalty of up to ten percent of the estimated project cost. Continued default can attract an additional fine of ten percent or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
This article explains the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' general FAQs for information only and is not legal advice. The FAQ itself notes it is not a final interpretation of the Act.
Last updated 2026-11-09. PropNewz Team.
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