Homebuyers 'Taken for a Ride': Over 75% of State RERAs Fail to Publish Annual Reports

Alleging that several state real estate regulators are failing to meet their statutory obligation of publishing annual reports regularly, homebuyers’ body Forum for People’s Collective Efforts (FPCE) said on February 13 that over 75% of state RERA authorities across India have either never published annual reports, discontinued them, or are not up to date.

The forum emphasized that unless there is credible data to show that the sector has improved post-RERA in terms of timely delivery, fairness, and adherence to commitments, “we are merely firing in the air. Innocent homebuyers will continue to be taken for a ride, this time aided by RERA.”

FPCE pointed out that in the absence of reliable annual report data, awareness programmes create a “false impression that RERA registration itself is a guarantee of timely completion” and promised amenities. “In reality, homebuyers are being taken for a ride by RERA itself, in a very organised and structured manner,” the forum said.

In a statement, FPCE highlighted non-compliance with Section 78 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. “Despite clear statutory obligations and repeated directives from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, more than 75 per cent of State RERA Authorities across India have either never published annual reports, discontinued publication, or are not up to date,” FPCE said and asked the ministry of housing and urban affairs to issue fresh directions to all RERA authorities to publish annual reports in the prescribed format.

Seven major states (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Goa) have never published a single annual report since RERA's implementation, the association said. Nine states, which initially published reports, have discontinued publication (including major markets like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana), FPCE added.

The ministry should urge state governments to use powers under Sections 82 and 83 of the Act to take strict action against erring authorities. “A new section should be introduced empowering the central government to remove any authority or its members if central government directions are not obeyed,” FPCE said.

The association argued that the annual report data is not only vital for homebuyers to assess system credibility, but is equally necessary for both state and central governments to frame effective policies, design incentivisation schemes, and develop tax policy frameworks.

RERA has become a mere badge of honour for builders to sell projects without responsibility: FPCE. “Unless we have credible data proving that after RERA the sector has improved in terms of delivery, fairness, and keeping its promises, we are merely firing in the air. Innocent homebuyers will continue to be taken for a ride—this time aided by RERA, which has become a mere badge of honour for builders to sell projects without any consequent responsibility to honour the provisions of the Act,” said Abhay Upadhyay, president, FPCE.

The Amitabh Kant Committee Report documented a staggering backlog of legacy stalled projects: approximately 4.12 lakh stressed dwelling units nationwide, with 2.40 lakh units concentrated in NCR alone, and an overall project value impact of about ₹4.08 lakh crore, the homebuyers' body noted.

It is important to track actual completion of projects, not just the number of registrations. This massive failure occurred despite a booming real estate sector before RERA. “If we continue to monitor only the number of projects registered under RERA without tracking actual completion, we are setting ourselves up for the same disaster,” warned Upadhyay. “Five or ten years from now, another committee will report a fresh set of stalled projects while homebuyers continue to suffer. What matters is not how many projects are registered, but how many are actually completed on time with promised facilities and amenities.”