In a major crackdown on potential fraud within the real estate sector, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has initiated the verification of occupancy certificates (OCs) submitted for 3,699 lapsed housing projects across the state. This move follows earlier notices issued to over 10,700 projects that had failed to meet their completion deadlines. As part of its enforcement drive, MahaRERA had previously suspended the registration of 1,950 non-compliant projects and frozen their associated bank accounts due to the lack of response from developers.
Developers of 3,699 of these lapsed projects have since claimed that their residential schemes are complete and have uploaded OCs to the MahaRERA portal. However, after discovering that fraudulent documents had been submitted by certain developers in the Kalyan-Dombivli region, MahaRERA is now undertaking a detailed verification process to confirm the authenticity of these certificates. Letters have been sent to planning authorities across Maharashtra, requesting them to verify whether the submitted OCs were genuinely issued by their offices. These authorities have been given a 10-day window to respond. If no reply is received within that period, MahaRERA will consider the OCs valid by default and mark the projects as complete on its system.
The regulator has also made it clear that in the event of any future discrepancies, the responsibility—both financial and legal—will rest entirely with the planning authority that failed to provide accurate information. This step is seen as a crucial effort to restore transparency and accountability within the real estate ecosystem.
The 3,699 projects under scrutiny span across key regions in Maharashtra, including 1,819 in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), 1,223 in Pune, 273 in Nashik, 132 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 84 in Amravati, and 168 in Nagpur. Under the provisions of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, developers are required to register all housing projects with MahaRERA before offering them for sale. Furthermore, during the construction phase, developers must upload quarterly progress reports and annual audit updates. Once a project is completed, an occupancy certificate issued by the planning authority must be uploaded for MahaRERA’s review. Only after the regulator verifies and accepts the OC is the promoter allowed to withdraw the remaining funds from the designated project account.
MahaRERA also mandates developers to specify a clear project completion date at the time of registration. If the project is not finished within this timeframe, the developer is required to seek an extension or apply for deregistration in case the project is deemed unviable. The regulator’s latest action comes as a stern warning to both developers and planning authorities, reinforcing the importance of due diligence, proper documentation, and regulatory compliance in ensuring the integrity of Maharashtra’s real estate market.
Source: TOI
