Every builder’s brochure now carries a K-RERA number, and most buyers take it as a stamp of safety. It is worth knowing exactly what that number does and does not promise, because the answer is more useful than the reassurance.
What RERA is
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act came into force in 2016 and Kerala set up its own authority, K-RERA, in 2020. Any residential or commercial project with more than eight units or more than 500 square metres of land must be registered before the builder can advertise, book or sell. Registration is not a formality; the builder must file approved plans, title documents, the project timeline and a declared completion date, all of which become public.
What it actually protects
Your money is ring-fenced. Seventy per cent of everything you pay must go into a separate escrow account for that specific project, and can only be drawn for that project’s construction and land cost, certified by an engineer, architect and chartered accountant. This is the single most important protection. Before RERA, money from one project routinely funded another.
You buy on carpet area. The price must be quoted on carpet area, the floor space inside your walls, not “super built-up” area padded with a share of corridors and lobbies. Compare carpet area to carpet area between projects; nothing else is like for like.
The completion date is binding. The date the builder declares at registration is a commitment. If it is missed, you are entitled to interest on what you have paid, or to withdraw with a full refund plus interest.
Structural defects are the builder’s problem for five years. Any structural defect or defect in workmanship reported within five years of handover must be rectified by the builder at no cost, within 30 days.
You have somewhere to go. Complaints go to K-RERA, which can order refunds, interest, and penalties, and whose orders are enforceable. It is faster and cheaper than a civil court.
What was promised must be delivered. The plans and specifications filed at registration cannot be changed without the consent of two-thirds of the buyers.
What it does not protect
It does not judge quality. RERA registration means the paperwork is in order. It says nothing about whether the builder builds well. Two registered projects can differ enormously in construction quality and the regulator will not tell you which is which. That judgement is still yours, and the only reliable evidence is the builder’s completed buildings, a few years on.
It does not guarantee the timeline. It penalises a missed date; it does not prevent one. A builder can register a project with an optimistic date and pay the interest. Look at whether the builder’s previous projects were delivered when promised.
It does not check the land in depth. The builder files title documents, but RERA does not conduct an independent title investigation. For any significant purchase, have your own lawyer examine the title. This costs a few thousand rupees and is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.
It does not cover everything. Projects below the size threshold, and some older projects that were substantially complete before the Act, sit outside it.
It does not manage the building after handover. Once the owners’ association takes over, RERA’s role is largely done. How the building is maintained in year five depends on the association and, if they are still involved, the builder.
How to check a project in five minutes
- Go to the K-RERA website and search the registration number from the brochure.
- Confirm the project name, promoter name and location match what you were shown.
- Note the declared completion date. Compare it with what the sales team told you.
- Look at the quarterly progress updates the builder is required to file. If they are missing or stale, ask why.
- Check whether there are complaints listed against the promoter.
If a builder cannot give you a K-RERA number, or the number does not match the project, walk away. There is no version of that conversation that ends well.
Our position
All Arya Bhangy projects that fall under the Act are registered, and the K-RERA number is on each project page on this site. We would rather you checked than took our word for it.