10 Red Flags Before Booking a Flat — A Checklist Built on RERA Records

Most bad purchases are visible in the paperwork long before possession is due. Here are ten checks — almost all can be done from official records.

1. No RERA number in the ad or brochure. Registered projects must display it.
2. "Pre-launch" or "soft launch" pricing. Selling before registration is not permitted for projects that must register.
3. Status not "approved" or "registered". Rejected, withdrawn, revoked or lapsed projects appear on the register too.
4. Completion date already passed with no extension. Check the extension certificate on the portal.
5. Promoter name differs from the agreement. The entity on the register must be the one you contract with.
6. More than 10% asked before a registered agreement. See the 10% rule.
7. Multiple Revenue Recovery Certificates against the promoter — past buyers were not paid what the authority ordered.
8. A spike in complaints on a single ongoing project.
9. Area quoted only as super built-up. Insist on carpet area.
10. Cash or personal-account payments. Pay only into the project account named in the agreement.

None of these alone proves a project will fail. Together, they tell you where to dig deeper. Start with the builder's profile in your city's top 100 list.

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