Every serious buyer in the Tricity hears the same line from a sales desk: “Don’t worry, it’s RERA approved.” The only way to know is to look it up yourself. It takes about five minutes, costs nothing, and is the single cheapest piece of protection you will get before parting with a token amount.
Why RERA registration matters
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 requires promoters of most residential and commercial projects to register them with the state regulator before advertising or selling. Registration puts the project’s sanctioned plans, land details, promoter details and completion date on a public record, and makes the promoter answerable to the authority if things go wrong.
For buyers it unlocks specific rights: a registered agreement for sale, a cap on advance payments, interest or refund if the developer misses the committed date, and a formal complaint route. None of those are easy to enforce on a project that was never registered.
Step by step: checking a project on Punjab RERA
- Open the official site. Type rera.punjab.gov.in into your browser yourself. Do not click a link sent by the seller.
- Find the registered projects search. On the homepage, look for the option to search registered projects.
- Choose the district. This field is mandatory. Projects in Zirakpur and Mohali are listed under the Mohali (S.A.S. Nagar) district.
- Add the project name, promoter name or registration number. Any one of these is optional, but narrowing the search saves time. Complete the captcha and search.
- Read the result row. You will see the project name, promoter name, registration number and the date until which the registration is valid.
- Click “View”. This opens the full project page, where the details below should line up with what you were told.
The portal’s layout can change over time. If a menu has moved, the logic stays the same: district, name or number, then open the project’s own page.
What to check on the project page
| Check | What good looks like | Pause if |
|---|---|---|
| Promoter name | Matches the company on your booking form and agreement | A different company or LLP than the one taking your money |
| Project name and location | Matches the brochure and the site you visited | Different sector, village or khasra than advertised |
| Phase / tower | Your tower or phase is part of the registration | Only phase 1 is registered, but you are offered phase 2 |
| Validity date | Runs beyond the promised possession date | Expires before possession with no extension shown |
| Registration number | Matches the number in the brochure exactly, character by character | The number is missing from ads, or does not match |
| Sanctioned plans and documents | Approved layout and plans are uploaded | Nothing uploaded, or plans differ from what is being sold |
Registration numbers for Tricity projects usually look like PBRERA-SAS79-PR1288. Do not try to decode the parts. Just confirm the whole string matches what the developer gave you.
Red flags that should make you stop
- “RERA applied, number coming soon.” Wait until it is issued.
- A seller who cannot give a registration number, or gives one that fails the search.
- The registered promoter is a different entity from the one issuing receipts.
- Pressure to pay a large booking amount “before the price goes up”. The Act caps advances at 10% before a registered agreement for sale.
- Pre-launch offers on land that has no sanctioned plan.
Not registered? Don’t pay. The Punjab RERA website has a facility to report unregistered projects. Keep screenshots of the ad or message that promoted the project.
After registration: the other checks
RERA registration is the first filter, not the last. Before you book, also verify the title and revenue records, the approvals from the competent authority, the draft agreement for sale, and the bank position of the land. Our companion article lists the seven documents to demand before booking, and our RERA & legal guide explains your rights in more detail.
If you would rather not do this alone, our Property Check covers the registration, approvals and paperwork for a project you are considering.
