MahaRERA issues mandatory guidelines for project advertisements

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With immediate effect, in the interest of homebuyers, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has made it mandatory to publish the project's MahaRERA registration number, QR code and regulator's website in a font size equivalent to or larger than the project's contact details.

Apart from this, it will also be compulsory to print the regulatory details in a colour as well as on the top right quadrant of the advertisement, for better visibility, said MahaRERA officials.

Enforcing the latest guidelines, MahaRERA issued a circular on April 8 which has come into force with immediate effect and all the developers are requested to update their advertisements accordingly, the officer said.

"If a violation is found, the developer will be penalised up to Rs 50,000. Subsequently, 10 days will be allowed to take correction measures. The action will be as per the clauses stated in the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 and the violation will be viewed as a "continuous violation of the instructions", the official added.

It has often come to the notice of MahaRERA that the project's registration number, QR Code and website address that these details are displayed at non-prominent spots of the advertisement, apart from burying the same in small font sizes and usage of light colour. Such a practice undermines MahaRERA's objective of transparency and consumer protection. Improper positioning along with illegible font size and QR Code makes it challenging for the homebuyer to understand if the project is MahaRERA registered or not. The objective is to enable flat purchasers to get the project's relevant details available at a single click and this purpose gets defeated.

The latest circular will be applicable on all advertisement mediums including newspapers, leaflets, booklets, electronic media, banners, hoardings, social media, WhatsApp and similar messaging platforms, etc, said the insider

MahaRERA urges all the stakeholders, especially the developers to cooperate and comply with the latest guidelines that have far reaching benefits in ensuring transparency of the real estate sector.