The process of buying and selling real estate properties can be unsafe. Keeping this in mind, the Indian Government passed the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) Act on 1st May 2017. It helps buyers in the real estate sector to avoid mistakes and resolve disputes.

Are you willing to find out more about the RERA Act in Maharashtra? Then, keep reading this article to get a complete overview.

Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) aims to govern and monitor Maharashtra's entire real estate sector. It states that no real estate agent can advertise, book or sell any real estate property without registering under Maharashtra RERA or MahaRERA.

With this Act, buyers can find genuine sellers by checking if they have a registration under RERA. Moreover, if there are property-related disputes between buyers and sellers in Maharashtra, this Act helps dissolve it and make losses while dealing with such properties.

The demand and popularity of real estate as an asset and possession is evident across India, and Maharashtra is no exception. Ever since this act came into effect, the MahaRERA has declared certain rules and mandates for every Maharashtra resident when dealing with real estate properties. Some important rules of RERA in Maharashtra are as follows -

• Every real estate project and agent of Maharashtra must be registered under MahaRERA, or they will be considered illegal.
• While selling flats, plots and buildings, sellers must maintain transparent relationships with buyers.
• Both parties associated with a deal must resolve their internal disputes through a dispute settlement method as facilitated by this Act. Further, this Act will intervene if they fail to do so.
• This Act will create an appellate tribunal for dispute resolution. Buyers can approach it to resolve disputes if there is no internal solution.
• This Act shall protect customers, allottees, real estate agents and promoters, and others associated with real estate transactions. If it identifies anyone who might be trying to bring losses upon others, it will take legal steps against the concerned party.
• When it comes to developing and promoting real estate, this Act will provide recommendations to appropriate government authorities. In addition, it will hold the final verdict in many cases.

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Once you are done with your account creation, you can move ahead with your property registered under the RERA rules of Maharashtra. Here are the steps to do so -

Step 1: Visit the official website for MahaRERA registration. Enter the username and password you created earlier to log in.

Step 2: Click on "Registration Details" from the left panel. You will have to enter personal details like address and contact details here.

Step 3: Click on "Save" after entering this detail. Next, you can add your project details by clicking on “Add Project.”

Step 4: Click on the “Save” button. Click on “Document upload” and enter the required documents.

Step 5: Finally, you can select the “Confirm and Proceed” option to complete the payment process.

While completing the registration of projects under the Maharashtra RERA Act, applicants must submit some documents. Here is the list of documents you should keep handy during this period -

• ID proof like PAN Card
• Copy of a legal title report
• Verified copy of encumbrance specifics
• Copies of layout approval and the building plan approval
• Proforma of the allotment letter
• Certifications such as Form 1, 4, 3 and 5
• Certificates of graduation

If you are confused about the process of registering under RERA in Maharashtra, the following steps will help you out -

Step 1: Visit the official website for MahaRERA registration. When the login page opens, click on “New Registration”.

Step 2: This will open your online registration form for RERA. You will have to choose your user type from three options: Promoter, Real estate agent and Complainant.

Step 3: After selecting the real estate agent option, fill out this form. Select Maharashtra from the drop-down state list, and choose a username and password.

Step 4: Enter your mobile number and email ID. Click on “Create User” to submit this form.

Step 5: Verify your email ID by clicking on an activation link you will receive in your email. Then, you will complete your agent registration, and you can log in to your account.

You must produce the following documents to complete your registration process as an agent under the MahaRERA Act.

• ID proof like PAN Card of individual applicants and all the members, directors, and chairman in case of organisations
• Association memorandum
• Articles of incorporation
• Self-certified copies of letterheads and rubber stamp
• Income Tax Return documents for the last three years
• Registration particulars, including bye-laws

Now, you must be wondering about the charges to be paid. The registration fees for RERA in Maharashtra are discussed in the following table.

Some changes and modifications have been made to the RERA Act over the years.

• As of June 2022, there are over 36,662 projects of promoters. About 73% of these are not completed even though registered. The remaining 26% are completed, and 1% of these are not registered.
• MahaRERA recently listed complaints against about 3,600 projects from six revenue divisions of Maharashtra. These included such projects where the complaint hearing was complete or yet to be scheduled. However, homebuyers felt that merely listing projects without describing the complaints would not help them make informed decisions. Hence, the authorities have decided to make amendments to this issue.
• MahaRERA has announced new checks while agents register their projects. These try to address issues related to rejections of project applications. These will help authorities learn whether a project has any encumbrances, titles or deviations for the agreed model. Through these checks, they can also find out about the legal titles, ownership and other details of the projects.

You can search for the registered projects on MahaRERA website. Here are the steps to do so -

Step 1: Visit the official website of MahaRERA. Select “Registration” from the top menu.

Step 2: Click on “Registered Projects”. This will redirect you to an external website of MahaRERA.

Step 3: Enter the project name, promoter’s name or RERA Maharashtra number. Press Enter to check its details.

If you wish to find out about an agent registered under RERA, you can follow the steps listed below -

Step 1: Visit the official website of MahaRERA. Select “Registration” from the top menu.

Step 2: Click on the option "Registered Real Estate Agents" option. It will redirect you to an external website of MahaRERA.

Step 3: Enter the agent’s name or registration number here. It will display the particular agent’s details.

If you wish to check such projects whose RERA registration has been cancelled, you can do so with the following steps -

Step 1: Visit the official website of MahaRERA. Bring the cursor to the “Registration” option.

Step 2: From the drop-down list, click on “Projects - Registration revoked or Ab initio void”.

Step 3: It will redirect you to an external website of MahaRERA. You can click on “View Revocation order” to view the revocation certificate of a project.

MahaRERA ensures a legitimate way for homebuyers to find properties on the website. In this process, they should be able to make an informed decision by avoiding such properties under complaints or disputes. Here are the steps to file a complaint against properties or agents.

Step 1: Visit the official website for MahaRERA registration. When the Login page opens, click on “New Registration”.

Step 2: You will have to choose Complainant as the user type. Enter information like contact details, username and password.

Step 3: Click on “Create User” to submit the form. Now, log in with the credentials.

Step 4: Go to “My profile” from the left panel under “Accounts”. Submit the required documents.

Step 5: Select the “Complaint Details” tab. Go to “Add New Complaints”.

Step 6: Enter details like the division, RERA project name, RERA number of the agent, and agent name. Fill in the respondent’s name, and address details after entering the additional information.

Step 7: Upload scanned documents as required. Pay the applicable fees after submitting the request.

If you need to check the progress report of a project, the following steps will be effective on the MahaRERA website.

Step 1: Visit the official website for MahaRERA registration. Log in with your credentials or create a new account.

Step 2: Click on “Search Project Details". On the next page, select the "Registered Projects" radio button. Next, enter the project name or promoter name, and click on search.

Step 3: It will display all the projects registered under RERA and their progress details.

There are several benefits of the RERA Act of Maharashtra. These are as follows.

• Increases Transparency in Real Estate Transactions: There was a clear lack of transparency in real estate, causing the buyers to face losses from the developers regarding property possession. In addition, promoters and developers often end up publishing non-factual advertisements, making false promises to the buyers of these properties. However, this issue has been addressed largely with the introduction of RERA. Here, the buyers get to see all the details about projects and agents on the website, allowing them to make informed decisions.
• Adheres to Law and Order: The Indian Government has strict laws and regulations regarding developing or selling real estate properties. Previously, there was a weaker system monitoring whether agents followed the laws. However, with MahaRERA, developers and agents have no scope of doing anything illegal. However, any non-compliance can cause imprisonment or a financial penalty.
• Simplifies the Process of Property Purchase: MahaRERA has a simple and user-friendly website, making it easier for users to find properties and purchase them per their requirements. Homebuyers learn all about properties, their owners and agents from this website. As a result, they can make the right decisions and avoid errors and mistakes in this process. It also reduces the time for purchasing properties than a traditional offline method.
• Increases Accountability: With the introduction of MahaRERA, developers and agents must take accountability as per law. They must deposit 70% of all funds paid towards a particular project while developing a single account. This fund is mainly used for construction or the cost of land. Moreover, they must report the progress of a particular project periodically to the regulatory authorities to keep them updated on these.
• Increases Trust and Faith: MahaRERA has contributed to enhancing the trust and faith of property buyers towards the process and developers. They can now get properties at a right price without any chance of making losses. Moreover, the properties will be authentic and free of disputes, and customers will not find false promises in the advertisements.

Hopefully, now you know all about the RERA Act in Maharashtra. It has a website to maintain a safe and transparent method of building and selling real estate properties. It is a move of the Government to ensure benefits for property buyers. However, you need to check the steps and documents before planning to register on this website.