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Housing Schemes

RERA Complaint: How to File, Fees and What Happens Next

File a RERA complaint online with your state authority under Section 31. The fee is ₹1,000 in most states we checked and ₹5,000 in Maharashtra.

AS

Written by Aarav Sharma

Published 12 October 2026·7 min read

On this page9 sections
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You file a RERA complaint with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority of the state where the project is located, under Section 31 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. Most states take complaints online. The fee is ₹1,000 in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Bihar, and ₹5,000 in Maharashtra. The Act asks the authority to decide within 60 days, or record why it could not.

Key facts

Item Rule
Law Section 31, RERA Act, 2016, plus your state’s RERA rules and regulations
Who can file Any aggrieved person, including an association of allottees or a registered consumer association
Against whom A promoter (builder), an allottee or a real estate agent
Decision time 60 days from receipt, for both the Authority (Section 29(4)) and the adjudicating officer (Section 71(2)); reasons must be recorded for any delay
Appeal To the state Appellate Tribunal within 60 days of receiving the order (Section 44(2))
Unpaid amounts Recoverable as arrears of land revenue (Section 40(1))
Civil courts Barred from matters the Authority or adjudicating officer can decide (Section 79)

For what RERA covers and what it does not, read our explainer RERA Explained: What It Protects and What It Does Not. This page is about filing and following a complaint.

Who can file and against whom

Section 31 lets any aggrieved person complain about a breach of the Act, the rules or the regulations. In practice, most complaints come from homebuyers against builders. An association of allottees or a registered voluntary consumer association can also file, which helps when many buyers in one project face the same problem.

States differ on unregistered projects. MahaRERA takes Section 31 complaints only against registered projects. For an unregistered project, you first report it through its free Source Information route. Gujarat’s form lets you leave the registration number blank. Find your state’s regulator on our RERA authority by state page.

Grounds: delay, refund, interest, defects

ItemDetails
Late possession.Under Section 18(1), if the builder does not hand over by the date in the agreement for sale, you can withdraw and get your money back with interest and compensation. If you stay in the project, the builder must pay interest for every month of delay until possession.
Project stopped.The same refund right applies if the builder’s registration is suspended or revoked, or the business is discontinued.
Defects after possession.Section 14(3) makes the builder fix structural and workmanship defects reported within five years of handover, free and within 30 days. If the builder fails, you can claim compensation.
False promises.Section 12 covers loss from incorrect statements in an advertisement, brochure or prospectus.
Defective title.Section 18(2) gives compensation for loss caused by a defect in the land title.

Which rate of interest?

Each state’s rules set the rate. Haryana’s rules fix it at State Bank of India’s highest MCLR plus two percentage points. SBI’s highest MCLR was 8.80% from 15 September 2026, which puts the Haryana rate at 10.80% on that date. Check your own state’s rules for its rate. Haryana’s rules also require a refund, with interest and compensation, within 90 days of it becoming due.

Authority or adjudicating officer?

Claims for compensation or interest under Sections 12, 14, 18 and 19 go to the adjudicating officer, a serving or former district judge (Section 71). Other breaches go to the Authority. Most state forms follow this split:

State Complaint to Authority Claim before adjudicating officer Fee
Uttar Pradesh Form M Form N ₹1,000 each
Haryana Form CRA Form CAO ₹1,000, plus ₹10 per annexure
Punjab Form M Form N ₹1,000 each
Bihar Form M Form N ₹1,000 each
Rajasthan Form N Form O ₹1,000 each
Maharashtra Form A Form A (same form) ₹5,000 plus applicable charges

Other states set their own forms and fees, so check your state’s RERA rules before paying.

How to file a RERA complaint online

  1. Open your state RERA website and find the Complaints section.
  2. Create an account. Bihar and several other states verify your mobile number by OTP.
  3. Choose the complaint type. MahaRERA and UP RERA first ask whether you want conciliation; choose Yes to try mediation or No to go straight to a complaint.
  4. Enter the project registration number, your unit number, the price, the amount paid, and the dates of allotment, agreement and promised possession.
  5. Write a short statement of facts and list the relief you want, such as refund with interest, delay interest or repair of defects.
  6. Upload your documents as PDFs.
  7. Pay the fee online. Save the complaint number or transaction ID.

Haryana still asks for paper copies. After registering online and paying, you deliver three sets of the registration form, typed complaint, annexures and fee proof by hand or post. You also attach a certificate that you sent a signed copy to the builder.

Documents to attach

  • Allotment letter and agreement for sale
  • Payment receipts and bank statements showing what you paid
  • Letters and emails with the builder about delay or defects
  • Any brochure or advertisement you rely on
  • Photos of defects and the possession letter, for defect claims
  • Your ID and address proof

MahaRERA also asks for a convenience set of your key documents of no more than 20 pages. UP’s Form M asks you to declare that the same matter is not pending before any court or other authority.

Hearing, order and timelines

The authority issues notice to the builder and lists the case for hearing. Notices usually go to your registered email and portal dashboard, so check them often. Hearings may be in person or online; Punjab, for example, hears cases over video.

The 60-day decision limit in the Act is often missed. The authority must record its reasons when that happens. You can track the case through your state’s complaint status search. UP RERA, for instance, asks for your complaint number and a captcha. Our UP RERA complaint status guide shows those steps in detail.

If you disagree with the order, appeal to the state Appellate Tribunal within 60 days of getting a copy. A builder who appeals against an order to pay you must first deposit at least 30% of the penalty, or of the total amount payable to you, under Section 43(5).

Enforcing the order and recovering money

  1. Wait for the time the order gives the builder to pay.
  2. If the builder does not pay, file an execution application on the state portal. UP RERA has an Order Execution page for this.
  3. The authority can issue a recovery certificate. Under Section 40(1), the district administration then recovers the money as arrears of land revenue.
  4. A builder who ignores the Authority’s orders faces a daily penalty of up to 5% of the project cost (Section 63). Ignoring a Tribunal order can mean up to 10%, or jail of up to three years (Section 64).

Section 88 says RERA adds to other laws rather than replacing them, so a consumer commission may be another option. For large claims or complex title disputes, a property lawyer can help you pick the forum.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the RERA complaint fee?

₹1,000 in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and Rajasthan, and ₹5,000 plus charges in Maharashtra. Haryana adds ₹10 per annexure.

Can I file a RERA complaint online?

Yes, in most states, through the complaints section of the state RERA website. Haryana also needs three paper copies after online registration.

How long does RERA take to decide a complaint?

The Act says 60 days, but the authority can take longer if it records the reasons in writing. Many cases take longer.

Can I complain about an unregistered project?

It depends on the state. MahaRERA hears complaints only against registered projects, but you can report an unregistered one free through Source Information.

What is the RERA complaint form called?

Form M in UP, Punjab and Bihar; Form CRA in Haryana; Form A in Maharashtra. Compensation claims use a separate form in most states, such as Form N or Form CAO.

How do I check UP RERA complaint status?

Use Complaint Status on up-rera.in with your complaint number and the captcha. If you lost the number, use Get Complaint Number with your transaction ID or registered email and mobile.

What if the builder does not pay after the order?

File for execution. The amount can be recovered as arrears of land revenue, and the builder can be fined for not complying.

Sources

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