How to File a RERA Complaint 2026

Reviewed on 2026-06-20 by Dr. Shrawan Kumar Pathak.

A RERA complaint is your fastest legal route against a builder or property agent who breaks a promise on a registered project. You do not need a lawyer to start, you do not go to a regular court, and the whole filing happens online. This guide walks you through the rights you can enforce, the exact filing steps, and what to do if your order is ignored.

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, lets you complain about almost any failure on a RERA-registered project. Common grounds include:

• Delayed possession. The builder missed the handover date in your agreement.
• Refund with interest. You want to exit a stalled project and get your money back.
• False advertising. The brochure or sample flat does not match what was delivered.
• Plan deviation. The carpet area, layout, or amenities differ from the sanctioned plan.
• Construction defects. Cracks, seepage, or poor workmanship within the defect-liability period.
• Agent misconduct. A registered agent misled you or took money without authority.

Under Section 31, any aggrieved person, a buyer, an allottees' association, an agent, or even a promoter, can file against the other party. The only condition is that the project must be registered with RERA (or legally required to be). Before you file, confirm the registration on your state portal, the way our guide on how to check a RERA project explains.

RERA gives you two doors, and picking the right one matters.

This is the main door. Use it when you want possession, a refund with interest, an injunction, or a direction to the builder to fix something. Under Section 18, if the builder fails to hand over on time, you may either withdraw and claim your money back with interest, or stay in the project and claim interest for every month of delay. The Authority hears the matter and passes a binding order.

If you are claiming compensation for loss or mental agony as a money figure, that part goes to the Adjudicating Officer under Section 71, not the Authority. Many state portals let you tick this in the same complaint form, but the claim is decided separately. Read our companion guide on possession delay remedies for how interest and compensation work together.

The process is broadly the same across India, even though each state runs its own portal and prescribes its own form and fee.

Filing happens on the state RERA website, not the central Ministry site. The Ministry's hub at rera.mohua.gov.in links out to every state authority. Search for “[your state] RERA” and confirm you are on the official .gov.in or state-government domain.

Create a login with your name, email, and mobile number. Verify the one-time password, then choose the option to file a new complaint under Section 31.

States use different form labels (Form M, Form A, or a numbered online form) but the fields are similar. Enter the project's RERA registration number, the promoter's name, your booking details, the relief you want, and a short, dated account of what went wrong. Keep it factual.

Upload the allotment letter or agreement to sell, all payment receipts and bank statements, the brochure, your written complaints to the builder, and any reply. Clear scans win cases.

Pay the complaint fee online. The amount is set by your state's RERA Rules, not the central Act, and is usually a modest figure of a few thousand rupees. Confirm the exact fee on your state portal before paying. Save the acknowledgement and complaint number.

Figure: step-by-step flow. If a step stalls, use the grievance or RTI route shown.

The Authority issues a notice to the builder or agent and fixes a hearing date. Hearings are often held online, so you can attend from home. You present your side, the other party replies, and the Authority may ask for more documents. It then passes a reasoned order, which can direct a refund with interest, possession by a date, a penalty, or compensation. The law sets a 60-day target for disposal, though busy benches can take longer. Track your case number on the portal.

Winning is not the end. If the builder does not comply, you have layered remedies.

• Execution as a decree. A RERA money order can be recovered like a court decree. Dues are often recovered through the District Collector as arrears of land revenue.
• Appeal to the Tribunal. If you disagree with the order, appeal to the Real Estate Appellate Tribunal under Section 43 within 60 days. Note that a builder who appeals a money order must first deposit 100 per cent of the amount ordered, a rule upheld by the Supreme Court.
• High Court. A further appeal lies to the High Court under Section 58 within 60 days, but only on a question of law.
• Grievance or RTI. If your complaint is not even being listed, raise a grievance on the authority's portal or on CPGRAMS. A state RERA is a public authority, so you can also file an RTI asking the status of your complaint and the action taken on it.

No. The online form is designed for citizens, and you may appear yourself, including at online hearings. A lawyer can help in complex refund or compensation matters, but is not required to file.

The fee is set by your state RERA Rules and is usually only a few thousand rupees, far cheaper than a civil suit. Check the exact figure on your state portal before you pay, as it varies between states.

RERA covers registered projects and projects that were legally required to register. If the builder dodged registration, that itself is a violation you can complain about, and you may also approach a consumer forum. Confirm the status first.

The law sets a 60-day target for the Authority to decide, but the real time depends on the bench's workload and how many hearings the matter needs. Keep evidence ready to avoid adjournments.

Yes, but they travel different routes. Interest and refund or possession are decided by the Authority under Section 31, while a money compensation claim is adjudicated under Section 71. Most portals let you raise both in one filing.

The order is enforceable like a decree, and dues can be recovered as arrears of land revenue through the Collector. You can also appeal to the Appellate Tribunal, where a builder must deposit the full ordered amount before being heard.

For registered real estate projects, RERA is usually faster and more specialised. For some claims you may still choose a consumer commission, but you cannot pursue both for the same relief at the same time.

• https://rera.mohua.gov.in/
• https://blog.ipleaders.in/rera-complaint-procedure-2026-step-by-step-guide/
• https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-rera-pre-deposit-promoters-appeal-435-newtech-promoters-and-developers-pvt-ltd-vs-state-of-up-185428

For a deep walkthrough of one common scenario, see our guide on a builder delay of flat possession RERA complaint. You may also want to read about sale deed versus agreement to sell and stamp duty charges before you buy.