Start with the completion date declared on the state RERA portal, because that is the date with legal weight rather than the one in the brochure. Then put your position in writing, check whether an extension was granted, and read your agreement's delay clause before deciding anything.
Key facts
- The declared completion date on the RERA portal is the reference point, not the brochure date or a verbal assurance.
- Authorities can grant extensions in defined circumstances. Check the portal rather than relying on what you are told.
- Your agreement governs compensation. Delay clauses differ between developers and are often asymmetric.
- Do not stop paying by default. Withholding instalments can put you in breach — take advice first.
- RERA complaint processes are designed to be accessible without a lawyer, though one helps in complex matters.
- Written records matter more than anything else. Verbal updates from a sales team are not evidence.
- Portals: rera.tn.gov.in, rera.telangana.gov.in, rera.karnataka.gov.in.
What does the declared completion date actually mean?
It is the date the promoter filed with the state authority when registering the project, and it is the date against which delay is measured. It is not the same as the date in the brochure, the date the sales team mentioned, or the date in an email from site.
This distinction is the single most useful thing to understand when a project slips. Buyers frequently argue from a brochure date that has no standing, while the filed date — which does — sits unexamined on a public portal. Start there.
Two things to check at the same time. First, whether the authority has granted an extension: extensions are permitted in defined circumstances and they change the date you are measuring against. Second, which registration covers your specific tower or phase, since phases are often registered separately with different dates.
What should I do, and in what order?
Six steps. The order matters, because some of them are hard to undo.
| Step | What it involves | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Check the declared completion date | On the state RERA portal, not the brochure | This is the date with legal weight. Everything else follows from it. |
| Write to the developer | In writing, referencing the RERA registration and declared date | Creates a record. Verbal updates are not evidence of anything. |
| Ask whether an extension was granted | Authorities can extend declared dates in defined circumstances | An extension changes your position. Check the portal rather than taking the developer's word. |
| Read your agreement | Specifically the delay compensation and termination clauses | Your agreement sets out what you are owed and on what terms. It varies. |
| Keep paying or stop, deliberately | Not by default | Stopping payments can put you in breach. Take advice before you withhold anything. |
| File with the state authority | Through the RERA complaints process | This is what the regime exists for. Filing is designed to be accessible without a lawyer. |
Note the fifth step particularly. The instinct when a project is delayed is to stop paying, and it is often the wrong first move: depending on your agreement and the stage of construction, withholding can put you in breach and weaken your position considerably. If you are considering it, take advice before you act rather than after.
What am I entitled to when a project is delayed?
Broadly, the regime contemplates two directions, and which is available to you depends on your agreement and your state's rules.
Continue and claim compensation for the delay. You stay in the project and seek compensation, usually calculated as interest on amounts you have paid, for the period of delay. Your agreement should specify the rate and basis; where it is silent or unfair, the authority may apply its own standard.
Withdraw and seek a refund with interest. You exit the project and seek the return of what you have paid, with interest. This is the stronger remedy and correspondingly harder and slower to obtain.
What determines which is realistic for you: the terms of your agreement, how long the delay has run, whether an extension was granted, the developer's financial position, and what you actually want. A refund from a developer in difficulty can take years to collect even when ordered.
Entitlements, interest rates and procedures differ by state and change over time, and your agreement governs much of this. Nothing here is legal advice — take your agreement to a lawyer before relying on any of it.
How does a RERA complaint actually work?
The process is deliberately designed to be usable by individuals rather than only by lawyers, though the detail varies by state.
In broad outline: you file a complaint with the state authority against the promoter, citing the project registration and setting out the facts and what you are seeking. There is a filing fee. The authority gives both sides an opportunity to be heard, and issues an order. Orders can be appealed to an appellate tribunal.
What makes complaints succeed, in practice: a clear written record from early on, the declared date from the portal rather than a brochure, copies of every payment made, and a specific ask rather than a general grievance. What makes them drag: incomplete records, reliance on verbal assurances, and vagueness about what outcome you want.
Groups matter. Where many buyers in the same project are affected, a coordinated approach is usually more effective than individual complaints filed separately. It also spreads the cost of advice.
Check your own state's portal for the current filing procedure and fee: rera.tn.gov.in, rera.telangana.gov.in or rera.karnataka.gov.in.
How do I reduce the risk of this happening again?
Delay risk is never zero on an under-construction purchase, but it is far from uniform across developers. Four things genuinely narrow it.
- Check the delivery record before buying. Ask for the occupancy certificate dates of a developer's last three completed projects and compare them against the completion dates declared on RERA for those projects. The gap between declared and actual is the most informative number available about a developer.
- Read the delay clause before signing, not after a delay. Many agreements are asymmetric — generous to the developer when they are late, strict on you when you are. That asymmetry is negotiable more often than buyers assume.
- Prefer later-stage construction if delay risk worries you. A project at structural completion carries materially less risk than one at foundation, and a finished one with an occupancy certificate carries almost none.
- Keep records from day one. Every payment, every written communication, every site-visit photograph with a date. The cost is near zero and the value, if things go wrong, is very high.
Questions buyers ask
Answered from this page's own research. Last reviewed 3 November 2026 by the PropIQ World research desk.
What date is a project delay measured against?
The completion date the promoter declared when registering the project on the state RERA portal — not the brochure date, not a verbal assurance, and not an email from site. Check the portal for your project, and check whether an extension has been recorded, since extensions change the date you are measuring against.
What should I do first when my project is delayed?
Open the state RERA portal and note three things: the declared completion date, whether any extension has been granted, and which registration covers your specific tower or phase. Then write to the developer, in writing, referencing the registration and the declared date. Verbal updates create no record.
Should I stop paying instalments if the project is delayed?
Not by default, and not without advice. Depending on your agreement and the construction stage, withholding payments can put you in breach and weaken your position considerably. It is sometimes the right move, but it is a decision to take deliberately with advice rather than as an instinctive response.
What can I claim when a project is delayed?
Broadly two directions, depending on your agreement and state rules. You can continue in the project and seek compensation for the delay, usually calculated as interest on amounts paid. Or you can withdraw and seek a refund with interest, which is the stronger remedy and correspondingly harder and slower to obtain.
Can a developer get the completion date extended?
Yes. State authorities can grant extensions in defined circumstances, and an extension changes the date against which delay is measured. Check the portal for whether one has been recorded rather than relying on what the developer tells you, and note the revised date if so.
How does a RERA complaint work?
You file against the promoter with the state authority, citing the project registration, setting out the facts and stating what you are seeking. There is a filing fee, both sides are heard, and the authority issues an order which can be appealed to an appellate tribunal. The process is designed to be usable without a lawyer, though one helps in complex matters.
What makes a RERA complaint more likely to succeed?
A clear written record kept from early on, the declared date taken from the portal rather than a brochure, copies of every payment made, and a specific ask rather than a general grievance. What makes complaints drag is incomplete records, reliance on verbal assurances, and vagueness about the outcome sought.
Is it better to complain as a group?
Usually, where many buyers in the same project are affected. A coordinated approach tends to be more effective than individual complaints filed separately, and it spreads the cost of legal advice. It also makes it harder for a developer to settle quietly with the most vocal individuals.
How do I check a developer's delay record before buying?
Ask for the occupancy certificate dates of their last three completed projects and compare those against the completion dates they declared on RERA for the same projects. Both halves are independently verifiable on the state portal, and the gap between them tells you more than any brand or brochure.
Can I avoid delay risk entirely?
Only by buying a completed property with an occupancy certificate, where there is nothing left to delay. Short of that, later-stage construction carries materially less risk than a project at foundation, and a developer with a good declared-versus-actual record carries less than one without.