Last reviewed: 20 August 2026. Every promoter eventually asks the same question before a launch: do I actually need to register this project? The rule is simpler than most people expect — land area above 500 sq m OR more than 8 units, whichever comes first — but the OR condition and the phase-by-phase treatment trip up more projects than the basic rule itself. Registration has to be in place before a single advertisement, hoarding, WhatsApp brochure, or booking, not just before possession.
RERA Applicability Checker
Applies the OR condition correctly — crossing either the land-area or unit-count threshold triggers mandatory registration.
The OR condition, illustrated
| Project | Land area | Units | Registration required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact plot, dense layout | 450 sq m | 12 units | Yes — crosses the 8-unit threshold |
| Large plot, few large units | 700 sq m | 4 units | Yes — crosses the land-area threshold |
| Small plot, few units | 400 sq m | 6 units | No — under both thresholds |
| Just above both | 520 sq m | 9 units | Yes — crosses both |
Why the phase-by-phase rule matters more than it looks
A developer planning a 20-unit project sometimes tries to structure it as three phases of 6-7 units each, hoping each phase individually stays under the 8-unit line. RERA authorities look at whether phases are genuinely independent developments or an artificial split of one project — and where the split looks engineered purely to avoid registration, the combined project is treated as one for applicability purposes. Structure phasing around genuine construction/sale logistics, not around dodging the threshold.
What non-registration actually exposes you to
Advertising, marketing or booking an unregistered project when registration was required is a direct violation from day one of that activity — not something that only matters at possession. Penalties for a promoter can run up to 10% of the estimated project cost, and continued violation can escalate to imprisonment under the Act. If you're close to either threshold, the safer default is to register rather than argue the exemption after the fact.
Worked example: a redevelopment project with fresh sales
A housing society redevelops its existing building, offering each of its 15 existing members a new flat and additionally constructing 10 extra flats to sell to outside buyers to fund the project. Because this involves marketing and selling new units to outside buyers — not just handing existing members their rebuilt flats — the renovation exemption does not apply. With 25 total units well above the 8-unit threshold, the developer/promoter needs MahaRERA registration before advertising or booking the outside-buyer units. Redevelopment projects with a fresh-sale component like this are exactly where the exemption gets misapplied most often — treat the whole project as assessable rather than assuming the members' portion is automatically exempt, and get the specific structure confirmed with us before relying on any exemption.
Frequently asked questions
Is it 500 sq m OR 8 apartments, or does a project need to cross both?
Either one is enough to trigger mandatory registration — it's an OR condition, not AND. A project on a 450 sq m plot with 12 small units still needs registration because it crosses the 8-unit threshold, even though it's under 500 sq m. Equally, a project on a 700 sq m plot with only 4 large units needs registration because it crosses the land-area threshold, even with few units.
We're building in phases — does each phase need its own registration?
Yes. Under RERA, each phase of a project is treated as a standalone project and needs its own separate registration if it independently crosses either threshold, or if the combined project across all phases does. You cannot structure a large development as several small phases purely to dodge registration on each individual phase — the regulator looks at whether phases are genuinely independent or artificially split.
We're only renovating an existing building, not selling new units — do we still need to register?
No — Section 3 of the RERA Act exempts renovation, repair or redevelopment work that does not involve marketing, sale, or new allotment of units. The moment that redevelopment starts involving fresh sale or allotment of units (a common scenario in redevelopment projects offering additional units to outside buyers, not just existing society members), the exemption stops applying and registration becomes mandatory.
What happens if we advertise or book units before registering?
It's a direct violation — RERA requires registration before any advertisement, marketing, brochure, hoarding, WhatsApp promotion, or booking, not just before possession or sale deed execution. Promoting an unregistered project (when registration was required) exposes the promoter to penalties that can run up to 10% of the estimated project cost, and repeated violation can extend to imprisonment under the Act.
Does RERA registration apply only to residential projects?
No — the 500 sq m / 8-unit thresholds apply to both residential and commercial real estate projects. A commercial project (office space, retail, mixed-use) crossing either threshold needs the same mandatory registration as a residential apartment project.
Our project is below both thresholds — is there any benefit to registering voluntarily?
It can help with buyer confidence and financing — many banks and buyers now expect or explicitly ask for a RERA registration number even on smaller projects, since it signals structured escrow-account handling of buyer payments and standardised disclosure. It's not mandatory below the thresholds, but for some developers it's worth the modest extra compliance for the credibility it buys with buyers and lenders.
Who actually needs to register — the builder, the landowner, or both?
The 'promoter' as defined under RERA, which typically means whoever is developing, constructing, marketing and selling the project — this can be the builder, a landowner developing their own land, or a joint-development arrangement between the two, depending on how the specific project is structured. In joint-development and redevelopment arrangements, get the promoter designation clarified in the development agreement itself so registration responsibility and liability are unambiguous.
We handle MahaRERA project registration, promoter compliance (QPR, Form 5) and notice/complaint responses end to end.
RERA compliance services Talk to usThis checker reflects RERA applicability rules as reviewed on 20 August 2026. Phase-splitting scrutiny, promoter designation in joint-development arrangements, and state-specific procedural rules add complexity this tool doesn't model — confirm your exact project structure with us before a launch decision. Related reading: MahaRERA Project Registration: Process, Fees, Timeline, Documents Required for MahaRERA Project Registration and MahaRERA Compliance for Promoters.