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RERA

RERA Act 2026: Implementation Date, Effective Date and Changes

RERA took effect in part on 1 May 2016 and fully on 1 May 2017. In 2026 the 2016 Act still applies; Section 68 was amended from 7 May 2026.

AS

Written by Aarav Sharma

Updated on 17 September 2026·6 min read

On this page9 sections
Credsir RERA guide cover with a house icon

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, or RERA, took effect in two stages: the sections that set up regulators on 1 May 2016, and the remaining 32 sections, including compulsory project registration, on 1 May 2017. In 2026 the same Act applies, with one change so far: from 7 May 2026, an allottee who ignores an Appellate Tribunal order can no longer be jailed.

RERA Act dates at a glance

Event Date
Bill passed by Rajya Sabha 10 March 2016
Bill passed by Lok Sabha 15 March 2016
President’s assent 25 March 2016
Published in the Gazette as Act No. 16 of 2016 26 March 2016
Commencement notification issued 26 April 2016
First set of sections in force (authorities, tribunals, rule-making) 1 May 2016
Remaining sections in force (registration, promoter duties, penalties) 1 May 2017
Deadline for ongoing projects without a completion certificate to register Within 3 months of 1 May 2017
Section 68 amended by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 7 May 2026
Amendment rules notified for Delhi and six Union territories 3 July 2026

What came into force on 1 May 2016

The Central Government brought these parts in first so that states could build the machinery before the obligations started:

  • Section 2 (definitions)
  • Sections 20 to 39 (the Real Estate Regulatory Authority)
  • Sections 41 to 58 (the Central Advisory Council and the Appellate Tribunal)
  • Sections 71 to 78 (adjudicating officers and finance)
  • Sections 81 to 92 (rule-making and other provisions)

From that date each “appropriate Government” had deadlines. Under Section 84 it had six months to notify its RERA rules. Under Sections 20 and 43 it had one year to set up the Regulatory Authority and the Appellate Tribunal, with an interim authority allowed in the meantime. For a state, the appropriate Government is the state government; for Union territories without a legislature, it is the Central Government.

What came into force on 1 May 2017

This is the date most people mean by “RERA implementation date”. The second notification brought in:

  • Sections 3 to 19: registration of projects and agents, duties of promoters, and rights and duties of allottees
  • Section 40: recovery of interest, penalty or compensation as arrears of land revenue
  • Sections 59 to 70: offences and penalties
  • Sections 79 and 80: bar on civil courts and cognisance of offences

From 1 May 2017, a promoter must register a project with the state authority before advertising, booking or selling any unit in it. Ongoing projects that had no completion certificate had three months to register. Projects that had a completion certificate before RERA began do not need to register.

Key rules in the Act

The Act has 10 chapters and 92 sections. The rules below apply across India; state rules add fees, forms and local detail.

Rule Section What it says
Registration exemption 3(2) Land up to 500 square metres, or up to 8 apartments across all phases
Separate project account 4(2)(l)(D) 70% of money collected from buyers kept for land and construction cost
Decision on registration 5 Within 30 days, or the project is deemed registered
Structural defects 14(2) Promoter liable for 5 years from possession; must fix within 30 days
Delayed possession 18 Buyer can exit with a full refund plus interest, or stay and get interest for every month of delay
Complaints 29, 31 Authority should decide within 60 days, or record why it could not
Appeals 44 Appellate Tribunal should decide within 60 days of filing

For what these rights mean for a home buyer, and what RERA does not cover, read RERA explained.

Penalties under RERA

Default Section Maximum penalty
Promoter does not register a project 59 10% of estimated project cost; repeated default adds another 10% or up to 3 years’ jail, or both
Promoter breaks Section 4 or other provisions 60, 61 5% of estimated project cost
Agent does not register 62 ₹10,000 a day, up to 5% of the unit’s cost
Promoter ignores Appellate Tribunal order 64 10% of project cost or up to 3 years’ jail, or both
Agent ignores Appellate Tribunal order 66 10% of the unit’s cost or up to 1 year’s jail, or both
Allottee ignores Appellate Tribunal order 68 Penalty up to 10% of the unit’s cost (jail removed from 7 May 2026)

RERA Act in 2026: what has changed

Section 68 decriminalised. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (Act 8 of 2026) amended Section 68. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs brought the change into force from 7 May 2026 by notification S.O. 2287(E). Before, a buyer who did not comply with a tribunal order faced up to a year in jail, a fine, or both. Now the buyer faces only a monetary penalty of up to 10% of the unit’s cost.

Rules for Delhi and Union territories amended. On 3 July 2026 the ministry listed amendment rules for Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Ladakh on its unified RERA portal. States amend their own rules separately.

More amendments under discussion. In a Lok Sabha reply on 30 July 2026, the ministry said it had consulted homebuyers, developers and state authorities over the past year on standard operating procedures and “amendments needed in the Act”. No further amendment had been notified when we checked on 17 September 2026.

Supreme Court criticism. In February 2026 the Supreme Court criticised how state RERA authorities work and said states should rethink how they are constituted. The remarks did not change the law; the Act and every state authority continue to operate.

How far RERA has been implemented

At the Central Advisory Council meeting on 4 September 2025, the ministry reported these national figures:

  • 35 states and Union territories had set up a Regulatory Authority.
  • 29 had an Appellate Tribunal and 27 had appointed adjudicating officers.
  • 1,51,113 projects and 1,06,545 agents were registered.
  • 1,47,383 complaints had been disposed of.

The same meeting launched the unified portal at rera.mohua.gov.in, which links to every state authority. To find your state’s website and search a project, use our RERA authority by state list, or see a worked example in the MahaRERA project search guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the RERA implementation date?

RERA was fully implemented on 1 May 2017, when project registration, promoter duties and penalties came into force. The sections that set up the authorities and tribunals started a year earlier, on 1 May 2016.

What is the RERA effective date?

The Act took effect in part from 1 May 2016 and in full from 1 May 2017. It was passed by Parliament in March 2016 and got the President’s assent on 25 March 2016.

Is there a new RERA Act in 2026?

No. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 still applies. The only change so far in 2026 is the Section 68 amendment in force from 7 May 2026, which removed jail for allottees.

How many sections and chapters does the RERA Act have?

The Act has 92 sections in 10 chapters. Chapter VIII, Sections 59 to 72, covers offences, penalties and adjudication.

Which projects do not need RERA registration?

Projects on land of up to 500 square metres, projects with up to 8 apartments across all phases, and projects that got a completion certificate before RERA began. Repairs or redevelopment that involve no new sale are also exempt.

Does RERA apply to projects started before 2017?

Yes, if the project did not have a completion certificate when the Act began. Such ongoing projects had to register within three months of 1 May 2017.

This page explains the law in general; for a dispute with a builder, take advice from a lawyer who practises before your state authority.

Sources

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