Finin2min legal and practice guide • 15 October 2026
RERA rules and regulations by state — operative law and practical guidance
An operative state rulebook should cover project registration fees, agent registration, forms, project-bank certificate format, prescribed interest computation, agreement-for-sale template, complaint and appeal procedure and reporting cadence. These are not automatically interchangeable between Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi and other jurisdictions.
Exceptions, state rules and legal consequences
The central Act must be read first for non-negotiable statutory rights. For example, the 10% agreement threshold arises in section 13; a rule can prescribe procedural forms but should not be paraphrased as removing the requirement. Conversely, an interest calculation depends on the correctly prescribed rate in the particular state rather than the bare central section 18 text.
Practical application
Where an authority posts a PDF labelled amended rules, log publication versus gazette commencement dates, identify replaced schedules, and check whether later orders temporarily adjusted a form submission. States can change portal tools without rewriting the central Act.
Worked example
Illustration: an investor compares a Lucknow flat and a Pune flat. The legal question “may the promoter market an unregistered non-exempt project?” is central; the application fee, account mechanics and precise interest-rate computation must be checked against each state’s operative rules.
How to prepare a compliant evidence trail
- Keep jurisdiction-tagged rule editions and amendment timeline
- Match every form to the correct regulator and project type
- Test prescribed calculations using the current state wording
- Review court cases on validity when a rule is contested
Common errors to avoid
- Assuming national uniformity for interest rate or fees
- Citing a draft consultation as final law
- Ignoring an amendment inserted into a schedule rather than the main rule
Decision point and edge case
Every state rule reference should be traceable to an official page or signed document, with version date and the exact section implemented. A fee/interest table must never be populated with invented national defaults. Where the regulator has changed a portal interface but no new rule has been located, describe it as a filing-process change rather than asserting that Parliament changed the Act.
State instrument selection
Start with the project location, not the promoter’s registered office. Identify the state law/rules for that territory and the RERA Authority with jurisdiction over the project. Then retrieve separate sources for project registration, agent registration, complaints, appeals, rate of interest, separate-account audit, public quarterly updates, and the model sale agreement. Mark any information that comes only from a portal help page rather than a legal instrument, and verify all operative amendments.
A useful rule comparison table has fields for state, rule number, prescribed form, fee, statutory source link, instrument effective date and reviewer validation. A project in Uttar Pradesh can require digital REG-1/REG-2/REG-3 certificate procedures at a specific reporting quarter; a promoter in Maharashtra may face a different project-bank account architecture. The national section 4 requirement is the common starting point, but these state-specific details must be documented independently.
Reader question
Can a buyer use a Maharashtra interest formula for a UP complaint? Only if the controlling UP law/order actually calls for it; otherwise use UP rules.
Primary legal sources
RERA: Rules, regulations and instruments
Operating instruments that sit below or alongside the Act.
| Instrument | Reference / type | Coverage | Finin2min note |
|---|---|---|---|
| State/UT General Rules | Rules | Registration, forms, fees, complaints and administration | State-specific |
| State/UT Agreement for Sale Rules | Rules | Model agreement and mandatory clauses | State-specific |
| Authority Regulations | Regulations | Portal, QPR, certificates, hearings and practice | Authority-specific |
| Removal of Difficulties Order, 2016 | Order | Shifted certain matters from regulations to prescribed rules | Central order |
| State circulars and directions | Circulars | Project accounts, certificates, advertising and extensions | Track by project state |
| State appellate rules | Rules | Appeal form, fees and procedure | State-specific |
Source discipline
This page is an editorial navigation layer. The linked official Act, rule, regulation, notification, circular, portal instruction or judgment remains controlling.