RERA Registration for Builders: Which Projects Are Exempt
Not every construction project falls under RERA — the Act draws a specific size line, and projects below it, along with a handful of other defined categories, sit outside mandatory registration entirely.
The core registration threshold
A real estate project generally requires RERA registration if it involves land area exceeding 500 square metres, or the number of apartments proposed to be developed exceeds 8 (counting all phases) — meeting either condition alone is sufficient to trigger the registration requirement; a project doesn't need to breach both thresholds.
What is specifically exempted
- Projects where the promoter has received a completion certificate before the relevant RERA notification date in that state.
- Renovation, repair, or re-development work that does not involve marketing, advertising, selling, or new allotment of apartments/plots to buyers.
- Projects below the 500 sq m / 8-apartment threshold, unless the relevant state's rules have prescribed a lower threshold (states have some rule-making latitude and a few have set more stringent local thresholds).
Why registration matters so much for a buyer
A registered project comes with a defined RERA registration number, a specific completion timeline the promoter has committed to and disclosed, mandatory escrow protection for buyer funds (see our related article), and a regulatory forum (the state RERA Authority) to pursue delay/deficiency claims against. An unregistered, below-threshold project doesn't carry these specific statutory protections in the same form — buyers of smaller projects need to rely more heavily on the strength of the builder-buyer agreement itself and general consumer/contract law.
What registration actually requires from the promoter
A registering promoter must disclose project details (land title, encumbrances, approved layout plans, proposed completion timeline), deposit the required percentage of buyer funds into a project-specific escrow account, and file periodic project-progress updates with the RERA Authority — registration is not a one-time formality but an ongoing disclosure and compliance obligation for the life of the project.
Practical due diligence for a buyer
Before booking in any project, checking the project's RERA registration number on the relevant state RERA Authority's website (which typically discloses registration status, promoter details, and project timeline) is a basic, accessible first step — a buyer should be cautious of any project claiming RERA-exempt status without a clear, verifiable basis for that exemption.