How to check a builder's RERA registration in Telangana

Under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, a builder in Telangana has to register a project with the state's RERA authority before advertising it or taking a booking. Very small projects are exempt: land of up to 500 square metres, or up to eight apartments counting all phases. Checking the registration yourself takes about five minutes and it is the first thing to do with any project you are shown.

What registration gives you

A registered project has its approvals, sanctioned plans, completion date and promoter details on a public website, and the promoter has to upload progress reports every quarter. You can compare what the sales team tells you with what the builder has filed with the regulator.

If a project that needs registration does not have it, treat that as a reason to walk away. You have no filed completion date to hold the builder to, and no public record of the approvals.

How to check

1. Ask the builder for the RERA registration number before you visit the site. It should also be printed on the brochure and advertisements.
2. Open the Telangana RERA website, rera.telangana.gov.inand choose "Search Registered Projects and Agents".
3. Search by project name or by the promoter's name. Use the name on the registration certificate. The marketing name is sometimes different.
4. Open the listing and read four things: the registration number, the validity dates, the approvals and sanctioned plans, and the completion date the builder has committed to.
5. Download the approvals, the sanctioned plan and the other filed documents, and keep them.

What should make you stop

• The name on the portal does not match the name in the brochure. Ask why, and match the survey number and address before you go further.
• The registration has passed its validity date. Ask the builder for the extension order from the authority, and do not pay until you have seen it.
• The quarterly progress reports are missing or old. That often goes with a site that is behind schedule.
• The plan on the portal shows fewer towers, floors or amenities than the one you were shown.

Three habits that help

In a large project, check every phase. The Act treats each phase as a separate project with its own registration, so a valid number for phase 1 says nothing about phase 2.

Do not rely on the brochure or the sales pitch for anything you can check on the portal.

Keep everything in writing: emails, receipts and the documents you downloaded. If there is a dispute later, these are what you will need.

If you want a second pair of eyes on a project's RERA record, book a call with a relai advisor.