1. The completion date, and its history
Note the proposed completion date and how many times it has been extended. One extension with a stated reason is common. A pattern of extensions is information about the promoter, not just the project.
Field note · buyer protection
What a MahaRERA number proves, and what it doesn’t
A registration number on a brochure tells you a project was registered. It says nothing about whether the project is on schedule, whether the “ready” flat has its occupancy certificate, or whether the area in your agreement matches what was filed.
The short version. In December 2024 MahaRERA issued show-cause notices to 10,773 projects across Maharashtra, 3,406 of them in the Pune region, whose completion dates had passed with no occupancy certificate and no extension on record. Every one of them had a valid registration number. Read the project page, not the number.
Why it matters
Registration is the start of the record, not a verdict on it
What the number does
Under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, a promoter has to register a project with the state authority before advertising or selling it. That registration comes with obligations: a declared completion date, approved plans, carpet areas for each unit type, and quarterly updates on progress posted to the project’s page on the regulator’s website.
So the number is useful, but mainly as a key. It opens a public file that the developer was required to keep current. The brochure shows what the developer wants you to see. The MahaRERA page shows what the developer was required to file, and whether it was filed on time.
The December 2024 notices are the clearest illustration of the gap. Thousands of projects were registered, advertised with their numbers, and still sat past their own completion dates without an occupancy certificate or an extension.
The checks
Five things to read on the project page before booking
None of this needs a lawyer or a fee. It needs about twenty minutes and the registration number, on the MahaRERA project search.
2. The quarterly progress updates
Read the latest filings, and look for gaps. A missed quarter tells you as much as the figures in a filed one.
3. Complaints and litigation
Check complaints against this project, and against the promoter’s other registered projects. The pattern across a promoter’s book is usually more telling than any single case.
4. For a “ready” flat, the certificates
Confirm that the occupancy certificate and the architect’s completion certificate (Form 4) are actually uploaded. “Ready to move” on a hoarding is not the same thing.
5. Plans and carpet areas against your agreement
Match the approved plans and the declared carpet area for your unit type against the draft agreement. If the numbers differ, ask why before you pay anything further. The carpet area explainer shows why this figure matters most.
Then: what the delay would mean for you
If a project does run late, Section 18 of the Act gives the buyer a choice between withdrawing with a refund and interest, or staying on and being paid interest for each month of delay. Those rights are only as good as the dates written into your agreement.
This note explains public records and statutory provisions. It is not legal advice. Take a title opinion from your own advocate before committing to any purchase.
Questions
Common questions about MahaRERA registration
Does a MahaRERA number mean a project is safe to buy?
No. It means the project was registered. In December 2024 MahaRERA issued show-cause notices to 10,773 registered projects whose completion dates had passed with no occupancy certificate and no extension on record. The project page shows whether the developer is keeping to the dates and filings it declared.
Where do I check a MahaRERA project?
On the project search of the MahaRERA website, maharera.maharashtra.gov.in, using the registration number from the brochure or the agreement. The page lists the completion date, extensions, quarterly progress filings, approved plans and any complaints.
What should a ready-to-move flat have uploaded?
The occupancy certificate and the architect’s completion certificate (Form 4). If either is missing from the project page, ask for it before treating the flat as ready.
Send me the registration number.
I’ll read the project page with you and tell you what stands out, before you pay a token.