Verifying a Project on the Karnataka RERA Portal: A Practical Walkthrough

A number printed on a hoarding proves nothing by itself. It counts only when the same number turns up on the regulator's website with matching details. K-RERA, the Karnataka regulator, runs a public search that charges nothing and needs no account, and this guide explains how to use it before putting money into a Bangalore home.

The Rule Behind the Number

Section 3 of the Act prevents a promoter from marketing, taking bookings for or selling a flat or plot before the project is registered. Two small cases are excused: a plot of land measuring not more than 500 sq m, and a project with no more than eight flats counting every phase. Anything bigger that is offered to the public needs a number.

A big township is registered in parts, and each part carries its own number. Advertising must print that number together with the Authority's web address.

Five Steps at the Portal

Use these steps as the portal works in October 2026. The whole routine takes only a few minutes.

1. Type the portal's address into the browser, rather than tapping a link supplied by the seller's team.
2. Choose the search page for projects from the top menu.
3. Type in whatever is at hand, which can be the registration number, the name of the project or the promoter company.
4. Add district and taluk when the name is shared by several projects.
5. Match one row with the project being sold, and open it.

The name field is picky. A brand name may not be the filed name, since the entry could be filed under the landowner's company or a phase label. Searching by number or promoter therefore often works where the brand fails.

Decoding the Row

Before opening any record, the row shows a lot. Status and number show if the project has approval, and the number should appear on every payment document. The promoter column names the company that signs the sale agreement.

An approval date shows from when bookings were lawful. There are two completion dates: the original commitment made at registration, and the proposed date now. The extension columns show whether extra time was granted under the COVID-19 relief, under section 6 or by another order, and a link takes the reader to cases against the project.

Put the two completion dates side by side to see slippage at a glance. A date already in the past, with no extension after it, means the registration has expired. In that case a clear answer in writing from the builder comes before any payment.

Inside the Record

A detailed record opens as tabs, one for each part of what the promoter has disclosed.

• Promoter Details tells who is behind the company, who its directors are and what else it has registered or launched in five years
• Land Details gives the survey numbers, names any co-promoter or landowner and flags land disputes
• Project Details gives tower and unit counts, approvals obtained and planned amenities
• Bank Details identifies the project account where buyer payments belong
• Uploaded Documents holds the approved plan, the commencement certificate, a title report and the draft sale agreement
• Complaints counts the cases on this project and on the promoter overall
• Modification of Plan Details notes revisions made to the approved plan once registered
• Quarterly Updates tracks work on the structure, finishing, infrastructure and amenities every quarter

Four quick cross-checks

These matter most. Make sure the survey numbers in Land Details agree with the schedule in the sale agreement. See that the account in Bank Details is the one on the demand letter. Confirm the flat is covered by the units listed, and that the newest quarterly update is for the quarter just over.

What Registration Does and Does Not Do

With a number comes a set of safeguards. A promoter may take only 10% of the price before a written sale agreement is signed and registered. Seventy per cent of the money collected must be kept in a dedicated account for land and construction. A buyer can also take a complaint to K-RERA and ask for a refund, with interest, if there is delay.

The limits are worth knowing. The regulator vouches for none of title, build quality or price, and registered projects do run late. The progress reports and complaint totals count for as much as the number.

Typical Errors

Most buyers err by ending the check too soon. These are the usual slips:

• Taking a brochure's number on trust and never searching for it
• Verifying the brand when the phase or tower actually sold carries another number, or none
• Noting that a number exists but skipping the completion date and any extensions
• Ignoring complaints, and what the promoter has done on other projects
• Writing the booking cheque in favour of an unregistered firm

When Nothing Turns Up

Assume a project is unregistered if no name or number finds it, until shown otherwise. The words "RERA applied" mean an application only, with no protection attached. Section 59 allows a penalty of up to 10% of estimated project cost for selling without registration. The portal lets users report such projects and shows those under investigation.

The best response is to wait. Cash paid ahead of registration, whatever the receipt says, falls outside the advance cap and the dedicated account. Little is lost by a promoter close to approval taking the booking weeks later. Ask too whether the selling agent holds a K-RERA agent registration, which is public on the same website.