Is it mandatory for a project to be RERA registered in Karnataka?

Yes. Any project with more than 8 units or covering more than 500 square metres must be registered with K-RERA before it can be marketed or sold.

How do I check if a project is RERA registered?

Search the project name or registration number directly on rera.karnataka.gov.in, which lists approvals, promoter details, unit status and any pending complaints against the project.

What can I do if my builder delays possession?

You can file a complaint with K-RERA, which can order compensation for the delay, interest on your payments, or a full refund, depending on what you seek and what the case warrants.

Does RERA cover resale properties?

No. RERA applies to under-construction projects sold directly by developers, not to resale transactions between individual owners.

What happens if a builder sells a project without RERA registration?

Selling an unregistered project that requires registration is a violation of the Act, and can attract penalties on the builder. Any agreement signed for such a project also carries no RERA protection for the buyer, which is why verifying registration status before booking is important.

RERA Karnataka: Complete Guide to K-RERA Rules, Registration & Buyer Protections

by Prachi Sharma•7 Jul 2026•4 min read

RERA Karnataka: What Homebuyers Need to Know

RERA Karnataka, officially the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA), was set up under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 to bring transparency and accountability to the state's real estate sector. Before RERA, buyers had little recourse against delayed possession, misleading brochures, or builders diverting funds from one project to another. K-RERA changed that by making registration, disclosure and escrow accounts legally mandatory. If you are buying property in Bengaluru, checking a project's RERA status should be one of the first things you do, not an afterthought.

What K-RERA Does

Registers real estate projects and agents before they can be marketed, advertised or sold in any form
Requires builders to disclose full project details on the public portal, including layout plans, government approvals, land title status, and the promised completion timeline
Mandates that 70% of buyer funds collected for a project be kept in a separate escrow account, to be used only for that project's construction and land costs, preventing builders from diverting money to other developments
Requires builders to update construction progress on the K-RERA portal quarterly, giving buyers a way to track actual progress against promised timelines
Provides a dedicated grievance redressal forum, the K-RERA Adjudicating Officer, for complaints relating to delayed possession, false advertising, structural defects, or non-compliance with the sanctioned plan
Publishes project and agent registration details, along with any past complaints against them, publicly on rera.karnataka.gov.in

Who Needs to Register

Any project with more than 8 units, or covering more than 500 square metres of land, must be registered with K-RERA before a single unit can be marketed or booked
Real estate agents facilitating the sale of RERA registered projects must also register separately as RERA agents
Registration must be renewed if a project is not completed within its originally sanctioned timeline
Projects that are already fully complete with an occupancy certificate at the time of sale generally fall outside RERA's registration requirement, since RERA is designed to regulate the sale of under-construction inventory

Why This Matters Before You Buy

An unregistered project cannot legally be sold, advertised, or booked, and any agreement signed for one carries no RERA protection
The RERA registration number should appear on every advertisement, brochure, and sale agreement for the project. If it doesn't, that alone is a red flag worth asking about
You can verify a project's approvals, promoter track record, unit-wise sale status and any pending complaints directly on the K-RERA portal before booking, rather than relying solely on what a sales executive tells you
If possession is delayed beyond the date promised in the agreement, RERA entitles you to either compensation for the delay or a full refund with interest, at your choice
RERA also restricts how much a builder can collect before executing a registered sale agreement, protecting buyers from being asked for large upfront payments with no legal paperwork in place

How to File a Complaint

Complaints can be filed online at rera.karnataka.gov.in, or in person at the K-RERA office in Bengaluru
A nominal filing fee applies, generally a few thousand rupees depending on the nature of the complaint
You will need your booking documents, payment receipts, the registered sale agreement, and any written correspondence with the builder as supporting evidence
K-RERA is required under the Act to dispose of complaints within 60 days of filing, though in practice, timelines can run longer depending on case load and complexity
If you are dissatisfied with K-RERA's order, you can appeal to the Karnataka Real Estate Appellate Tribunal (KREAT) within the prescribed period

Common Situations RERA Helps With

Possession delayed well beyond the date committed in the sale agreement
Actual carpet area delivered is smaller than what was promised and paid for
Amenities advertised in the brochure, such as a clubhouse or swimming pool, were never built or delivered
Builder demanding payments outside the agreed construction-linked payment schedule
Project stalled midway with no clear communication from the developer on revised timelines

Always cross-check a project's RERA number on the official portal before making any payment, and keep a copy of the registration certificate along with your other property documents.