Last reviewed: 13 August 2026. In Maharashtra, the sequence is unforgiving: registration first, marketing second. Any project crossing 500 sq m of land or 8 apartments (counting every phase) must hold a MahaRERA registration before a single advertisement, hoarding, WhatsApp brochure or booking — and the penalty for jumping the gun runs up to 10% of the estimated project cost. This is the promoter's guide to getting registered properly on MahaCRITI, MahaRERA's integrated portal and since 11 May 2026 (Order 65A/2026) the only filing channel: the trigger test, the file, the fees, the 30-day clock, and the compliance rhythm that starts the day the certificate arrives.
The trigger test — run it before the brochure exists
Registration under Section 3 attaches to the project, not the promoter: land above 500 sq m or more than 8 apartments, inclusive of all phases — and each phase is treated as a standalone project requiring its own registration. Redevelopment counts. The only safe conclusion for a marginal project is the one you can defend in writing; our documents guide covers the threshold edge cases. And "marketing" is read widely — a channel partner's Instagram post is an advertisement.
The application, step by step
- Promoter profile on the portal. Constitution documents, PAN, past-project disclosures (five years — delivered, delayed, litigated; the register is public and buyers read it).
- Build the project file before touching the form. The full checklist is in our MahaRERA documents guide — the spine: land title chain with 7/12 extracts and title report, encumbrance disclosures, sanctioned plans and commencement certificate, apartment/plot inventory with carpet areas, project cost estimates and funding plan, proforma agreement for sale and allotment letter.
- Open the designated bank account first. The 70% collection account is disclosed in the application itself — and collections belong in it from the first covered rupee. Getting this architecture right at day zero is far cheaper than restructuring it at the first Form 5 audit.
- Certificates. The CA cost certification, architect and engineer certificates in the prescribed forms — the same Form 1/2/3 discipline that will govern every withdrawal later, so the opening numbers must reconcile with the books behind them.
- Pay the fee and submit. ₹10 per sq m of proposed land, minimum ₹10,000 and capped at ₹10 lakh — a 2,400 sq m project computes to ₹24,000, while a compact 800 sq m plot computing to ₹8,000 pays the ₹10,000 floor; large layouts hit type-wise caps the portal applies automatically.
- Scrutiny and queries. MahaRERA's scrutiny letters are specific — title gaps, plan-versus-promise mismatches, cost figures unmoored from certificates. Answer completely, inside the window given; half-replies restart nothing except your ageing.
- Certificate and number. The MahaRERA registration number must appear on every advertisement, along with the portal QR code per current MahaRERA orders. From this day the QPR clock and the annual Form 5 cycle run until completion.
What it costs to skip — the enforcement table
| Default | Exposure |
|---|---|
| Marketing/selling without registration (Sec 3 read with Sec 59) | Penalty up to 10% of estimated project cost; continued default adds imprisonment exposure |
| Advertisement without the registration number/QR | Show-cause and penalties; MahaRERA monitors portals and print actively |
| False or incomplete disclosures | Penalties under Sec 60 and a public scrutiny trail buyers can read |
| Post-registration defaults (stale QPRs, unfiled Form 5) | Data-driven flags, daily penalties, and ultimately suspension — sales stop mid-project |
Mistakes we see in registration files
- Marketing "soft launches" before the certificate — Section 3 has no soft-launch exception.
- Phases structured for approvals but not mirrored in RERA — each phase needs its own registration and its own account.
- Cost estimates in the application that the promoter's own books cannot support at the first Form 5.
- Timelines promised to RERA that contradict the sanctioned-plan reality — the quarterly comparison exposes it.
- The 70% account opened after collections began — a reconstruction job that gets harder every month.
Frequently asked questions
Which projects need MahaRERA registration?
Any project exceeding 500 sq m of proposed land area OR eight apartments, counting all phases — and each phase is registered as a standalone project. Registration must precede any advertisement, marketing, booking or sale. Redevelopment projects meeting the thresholds are covered.
What is the MahaRERA registration fee?
For housing projects, ₹10 per square metre of proposed land area subject to a minimum of ₹10,000 (reduced from the earlier ₹50,000) and a cap of ₹10 lakh, with the portal computing the exact amount automatically — the application computes the exact figure. Professional fees for assembling the file are separate from the statutory fee.
How long does MahaRERA registration take?
The Act contemplates a decision within 30 days of a complete application. Practically, the calendar depends on scrutiny: clean files with reconciled title, plans and certificates move fastest, while query cycles add weeks. The expensive delay is almost always a gap in the promoter’s own file.
When must the 70% designated account be opened?
Before the application — its details go into the registration itself, and collections from allottees belong in it from the first covered receipt. Withdrawals then follow the completion-proportion discipline certified through the Form 1/2/3 certificates and audited annually in Form 5.
What happens immediately after the certificate arrives?
The compliance rhythm starts: quarterly progress updates on the portal, the annual Form 5 chartered-accountant certificate within six months of financial-year end, certificate-backed withdrawals, and extension applications before expiry if timelines move. The certificate is the entry ticket, not the finish line.
Can a CA firm handle MahaRERA registration end to end?
The financial spine of the application is chartered-accountant work — cost estimates reconciled to books, the designated-account architecture, the CA certificates — and we coordinate the title, plan and professional-certificate inputs around it, file on the portal, handle scrutiny queries, and hand over into the QPR/Form 5 calendar we then run.
We build registration files that clear scrutiny — cost estimates reconciled to books, the 70% account architecture, certificates coordinated — and then run the QPR and Form 5 calendar that follows.
RERA Compliance Desk Bookkeeping & Accounting Talk to usThis article is general information as on 13 August 2026, based on the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, the Maharashtra rules and current MahaRERA practice. Fees, portal flows and orders change; the portal computation and current MahaRERA circulars prevail. Not professional advice — registration positions depend on project facts.