If you are buying an apartment or plot in Hyderabad from the US, UK, UAE, or anywhere else abroad, you have probably seen "RERA registered" used as a selling point in nearly every project brochure. It should matter to you — but not in the way most marketing implies. RERA registration is not a stamp that says "safe to buy." It is a disclosure and accountability framework that makes certain information verifiable from a distance, which matters enormously when you cannot walk the site yourself. Understanding what RERA actually requires, and what it does not cover, is the difference between doing real due diligence and just trusting a logo on a webpage.
What RERA actually is
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act was passed by Parliament in 2016, with core provisions taking effect from May 1, 2016, and state-level rollout following through 2017. Telangana implements it through its own state authority, commonly referred to as TG-RERA. The Act's intent is straightforward: force promoters to disclose what they are building, when, under what approvals, and hold them to it — with a formal complaint route if they don't.
- Applies to promoters (developers), real estate agents, and buyers as defined parties with specific obligations
- Administered at the state level — Telangana's authority handles registration, complaints, and the appellate process for projects in the state
- Every registered project gets a public listing with a unique RERA registration number that must appear on all advertisements and sale documents
When a project must register
Not every project falls under RERA. Registration is mandatory when a project crosses either of two thresholds:
- The land area is 500 square meters or more, OR
- The project involves 8 or more apartments, counting all planned phases
Projects below both thresholds, or those that received sanctions before the Act's cutover and are already complete, may legitimately fall outside RERA's scope. That is why "non-RERA" does not automatically mean something is wrong — it may simply mean the project is too small, or too old, to require it.
The 70% escrow rule — why it matters for your money
One of RERA's more consequential provisions requires promoters to deposit 70% of amounts collected from buyers into a separate, project-specific escrow account. Withdrawals from that account are meant to be tied to certified construction progress, not released on demand. For an NRI buyer, this is one of the few mechanisms that reduces the risk of your payment being diverted to fund a different project entirely — a risk that is very hard to detect from overseas until it's too late.
What a RERA registration actually gets you
- Standardized disclosure of promoter details, layout approvals, land title status, and sanctioned plans — all viewable on the state RERA portal
- Carpet area defined and communicated in a standardized way, closing off a common source of disputes over what you're actually paying for
- Quarterly project progress updates that the promoter is required to file
- Interest or refund remedies if possession is delayed beyond the committed date
- A grievance route through the state RERA authority and Appellate Tribunal, which is generally faster than pursuing a civil suit
- Restrictions on what can be claimed in advertisements and brochures, with liability for misleading claims
What RERA registration does NOT do
This is the part that gets glossed over in marketing. RERA registration confirms that a promoter has filed certain disclosures and is subject to certain obligations. It does not independently verify that the underlying land title is clean, that every local approval is in fact valid, or that the project will be delivered without issues. We've seen registered projects with unresolved title questions and litigation history — registration didn't prevent the dispute, it just meant the disclosures were on record. Registration reduces information asymmetry; it doesn't eliminate risk.
Buying in a RERA-registered project: what to actually check
- Look up the project's registration number directly on the TG-RERA portal — don't rely on the number printed in a brochure without confirming it independently
- Cross-check the specifications, amenities, and timelines in marketing material against what's actually filed with the authority
- Confirm the carpet area quoted in your booking form and agreement matches the RERA filing, not just the builder's brochure figure
- Check the quarterly progress filings against the payment stage you're being asked to pay for
Buying in a non-RERA project: what to actually check
Non-RERA doesn't mean skip due diligence — it means you have to do manually what RERA would otherwise have forced into the open.
- Establish clearly why the project is exempt (size, completion date, phase timing) rather than assuming it's a red flag or a non-issue
- Obtain the completion certificate or occupation certificate directly, since there's no portal filing to fall back on
- Get an independent legal opinion on title, encumbrances, and chain of ownership before any advance payment leaves your account
- Verify HMDA/DTCP layout approval and building permission independently, matching survey numbers to the specific unit you're buying
The checks that apply either way
Regardless of RERA status, certain fundamentals don't change:
- Confirm the land falls within the stated planning jurisdiction (HMDA, DTCP, or municipal limits) and matches the sanctioned layout
- Trace the ownership and title flow back through prior transactions, not just the immediate seller
- Validate that plan sanctions and building permissions correspond to what's actually being constructed on the ground
- Tie every payment milestone to a verifiable, inspectable stage of construction — not a date on a calendar
- Get physical or video verification of the actual site progress before wiring the next installment, since you can't drive past and check yourself
For NRIs specifically, RERA's real value is that it converts things you'd otherwise need boots on the ground to verify — promoter credentials, approvals, fund usage, progress — into information you can pull up from a portal in a different time zone. That's genuinely useful. But it's a floor, not a ceiling. The verification work of confirming title, matching approvals to the actual unit, and tying payments to real progress still has to happen, RERA registration or not.
This is general information based on the RERA framework as it applies in Telangana and is not legal or tax advice. Registration status, exemptions, and portal details can change, and your specific transaction may have nuances this doesn't cover. Talk to a REvalu advisor before you commit to a project or release a payment.
