The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) has gained momentum in addressing consumer complaints, with State authorities resolving 1,16,300 cases as of November 28, 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Out of the total, Uttar Pradesh led with 38 per cent (44,602 cases), followed by Haryana with 20,604 cases (18 per cent) and Maharashtra with 15,423 cases (13 per cent, jointly accounting for 69 per cent of resolved cases nationwide, states ANAROCK Property Consultants.
Maharashtra dominates project registrations under RERA, constituting 36 per cent, while Tamil Nadu (16 per cent), Telangana (11 per cent), and Gujarat (7 per cent) follow.
In fact, registrations for projects and real estate agents under RERA have also been increasing steadily. Nationally, 116,117 projects and 82,755 real estate brokers were registered by November 28, 2023, marking a 63 per cent and 47 per cent growth, respectively, over the previous two years.
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“Resolving homebuyer concerns is one of the main functions of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, which it has been demonstrably fulfilling,” said Anuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Group. “More than 1.16 lakh consumer complaints have been handled by the various State and Union Territories’ RERA bodies, according to official data from MoHUA. Over the previous two years, the pace of project and real estate agent registrations was not slowed down,” he added.
Almost all States/UTs have notified rules under RERA. The North-Eastern State of Nagaland is still under process to notify its rules, while West Bengal – which earlier enacted its own legislation – was challenged on this by MoHUA before the Supreme Court. In March 2022, the apex court struck down the West Bengal Housing Industry Regulation Act, 2017 (WBHIRA), stating that it overlapped with RERA, which was enacted a law in the Parliament.
With 32 States/UTs having a functional Real Estate Regulatory Authority, Ladakh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Sikkim are yet to establish theirs. Real Estate Appellate Tribunals have been set up in 28 States/UTs, with Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, West Bengal, and Sikkim in progress.
Websites under RERA provisions are operational in 30 States/UTs, while Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur are in the process of implementation.
Moreover, adjudicating officers have been appointed in 26 States/UTs, with 10, including Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh yet to do so. The Supreme Court’s decision in March 2022 struck down the West Bengal Housing Industry Regulation Act, 2017, acknowledging its overlap with RERA.