East Bengaluru buyer answers

What happens if my project's RERA registration has lapsed?

By Gaurav Mongia, acre&key · Published 17 Oct 2026 · Updated 17 Oct 2026

Direct answer: A RERA registration is valid only for the completion period the builder declared, plus any section 6 extension (capped at one year in aggregate for reasons other than force majeure). If it lapses or is revoked, section 8 lets the Authority, after consulting the appropriate Government, arrange the remaining work, including through the association of allottees. Section 18 protects you.

Disclosure: acre&key’s advice is free to buyers; we are an authorised sales partner for some projects and may be paid by the developer.

Verify with your lawyer: This page explains the RERA Act as published, not legal advice. Have your own property lawyer review the documents for your specific flat before you sign, pay or file anything.

You open the project page on the Karnataka RERA portal and the completion date has already passed. Or a neighbour forwards a notice saying the registration has been revoked. Both are worrying, but they aren't the same thing, and nothing in sections 5 to 8 of the Act cancels your agreement for sale. Here's what the Act says and what to do next.

How long is a RERA registration valid?

Section 5(3) says the registration "shall be valid for a period declared by the promoter under sub-clause (C) of clause (l) of sub-section (2) of section 4 for completion of the project or phase thereof". In other words, the builder picks the completion date when applying, and the registration runs until then (RERA Act, s.5). In a multi-phase project each phase has its own date, so check the one for your phase (why one project can have several RERA numbers).

So a lapsed registration usually means the declared completion date passed without the project being completed or extended.

Can the builder extend it?

Yes, within limits. Section 6 allows the Authority to extend registration on the promoter's application "due to force majeure", defined as war, flood, drought, fire, cyclone, earthquake or any other calamity caused by nature affecting the project.

A proviso adds a second route: the Authority may, "in reasonable circumstances, without default on the part of the promoter", extend registration for reasons recorded in writing, but that extension "shall, in aggregate, not exceed a period of one year". An application can't be rejected without a hearing.

The central RERA FAQ hosted on the K-RERA site reads section 6 the same way: extension for force majeure, and separately "under reasonable circumstances, without the fault of the promoter, which shall not be more than a maximum period of 1 year" (RERA FAQ, Q38). The form and fee for an extension are left to the Rules (Q39).

On the portal, check whether an extension has been granted and to what date. A project can look lapsed when an extension was granted but you haven't seen the order yet. If it was extended, see what a RERA extension means for you.

What is the difference between lapse and revocation?

• Lapse happens when the validity period ends without completion or extension.
• Revocation is an active decision under section 7. The Authority can revoke on a complaint, on its own, or on the competent authority's recommendation, if the promoter defaults under the Act, breaks the terms of its approvals, engages in unfair practices (including false statements about standards or approvals) or commits fraud. It must first give at least 30 days' written notice and consider the promoter's reply. The central RERA FAQ calls revocation "a last resort" (Q40).

Section 7(3) lets the Authority keep the registration in force on new conditions instead of revoking it, "in the interest of the allottees". Section 7(4) lists what follows revocation: the promoter is debarred from accessing the Authority's website for that project and named in the list of defaulters, other States' authorities are informed, the bank holding the project account is directed to freeze it, and the Authority facilitates the remaining work under section 8. The Act lets the Authority later de-freeze that account "towards facilitating the remaining development works". For how that account works, see RERA's 70% rule for project money.

Karnataka RERA's own FAQ adds that the Authority's website must show "details of projects in case of revocation of registration" (K-RERA FAQ, Q9), so a revocation should be visible on the portal.

What happens to the project after lapse or revocation?

Section 8 puts the next step with the Authority. "Upon lapse of the registration or on revocation", it may consult the appropriate Government "to take such action as it may deem fit including the carrying out of the remaining development works by competent authority or by the association of allottees or in any other manner".

Two provisos protect buyers:

• no order under section 8 takes effect until the appeal period has passed; and
• on revocation, "the association of allottees shall have the first right of refusal for carrying out of the remaining development works".

That right sits with the association, so on a delayed project it helps to form or join one early. See how apartment association handover works under RERA.

Does a lapse cancel my agreement?

Nothing in sections 5 to 8 says so. Section 11(4)(a) keeps the promoter responsible for its obligations under the Act and "to the allottees as per the agreement for sale" until conveyance. Section 18(1)(b) expressly covers a promoter who can't give possession "due to discontinuance of his business as a developer on account of suspension or revocation of the registration".

If possession is delayed beyond the agreement date, section 18(1) lets you withdraw and claim a refund with interest and compensation, or stay in and receive interest for every month of delay. Section 19(4) also gives a right to refund with interest where the promoter can't give possession "due to discontinuance of his business as a developer on account of suspension or revocation of his registration".

What should I do if my project's registration has lapsed?

1. Check the portal carefully. Note the original completion date, any extension orders and any revocation notice.
2. Ask the builder in writing whether an extension has been applied for and on what grounds.
3. Compare progress with the quarterly updates the promoter must post under section 11(1).
4. Talk to other buyers. Under section 31, an association of allottees can file a complaint as a "person", and on revocation the association has first right of refusal on the remaining work.
5. Get legal advice on your options under sections 18 and 19 before you stop payments. Section 19(6) still requires you to pay as the agreement says, and section 19(7) charges interest on late payments.
6. File a complaint if needed. Here is how to file a complaint with Karnataka RERA.

Should I book in a project whose registration is close to lapsing?

Be careful. A completion date that's weeks away while the building is far from finished means either an extension is coming or the project will lapse. Ask for the extension order before paying, and read how to check a project on the Karnataka RERA website for what else to look at.

Frequently asked questions

Is a lapsed RERA registration the same as a cancelled project?

No. Lapse means the validity period ended without completion or extension. The Act doesn't cancel your agreement on lapse, and the Authority can act under section 8.

How long can RERA registration be extended?

Section 6 allows extension for force majeure, and separately, without promoter default, for reasons recorded in writing, not exceeding one year in aggregate.

Who completes a project after its registration is revoked?

The Authority decides under section 8, after consulting the appropriate Government. The association of allottees has the first right of refusal to carry out the remaining work.

Can I get a refund if the registration is revoked?

Section 19(4) gives allottees a right to refund with interest and compensation if the promoter can't give possession because its registration is suspended or revoked. Take legal advice on your case.

Should I stop paying instalments if the registration lapsed?

Not without legal advice. Section 19(6) still requires you to pay as the agreement says, and section 19(7) charges interest on delay. Use the Act's remedies instead.

References

1. Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, ss. 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 18, 19, 31. https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/resources/staticpage/Real_Estate_Act.pdf, accessed 17 Oct 2026.
2. RERA FAQs (Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, hosted by K-RERA), Q38 to Q41: https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/resources/staticpage/FAQ.pdf, accessed 17 Oct 2026.
3. Karnataka RERA FAQs, Q9: https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/resources/staticpage/KARNATKA_FAQs.pdf, accessed 17 Oct 2026.
4. Karnataka RERA portal (project search). https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/, accessed 17 Oct 2026.

This page explains public rules and processes. It isn't legal or tax advice. acre&key gives buyers advice for free. We are an authorised sales partner for some projects and may be paid by the developer.