Homebuyers in Uttar Pradesh may find it easier to seek relief against builders and face lower charges for property transfers following a new set of changes introduced by the Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP RERA).
UP RERA has notified the 10th amendment to its General Regulations, 2019, bringing in measures designed to strengthen consumer protection, enhance transparency, and streamline the grievance redressal process under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016.
Homebuyers Can Now Approach RERA Even If a Project Is Not Registered
One of the biggest changes concerns buyers of projects that are not registered with RERA.
Until now, there was uncertainty over whether homebuyers in such projects could approach the authority for relief. Under the amended regulations, UP RERA has clarified that complaints from allottees of unregistered projects will be heard by its benches after determining whether the project was required to be registered under the law. If the authority concludes that registration was mandatory, it will separately initiate proceedings to ensure the project is brought under the RERA framework while also deciding the buyerโs complaint on its merits.
UP RERA said it will soon introduce a dedicated feature on its online portal through which buyers of unregistered projects can submit complaints using Form-M.
Cap On Transfer Charges
The amendments also regulate the processing fees developers can charge when a flat is transferred.
If the allottee dies and the property is transferred to a family member, the promoter can charge a maximum processing fee of โน1,000, subject to submission of documents such as the death certificate, succession certificate and no-objection certificates from other legal heirs.
For transfers to individuals outside the family, the processing charge has been capped at INR 25,000.
The authority has also clarified that developers cannot insist on executing a fresh sale agreement or lease deed in such cases. Instead, the transfer will be recorded through an endorsement on the existing agreement, with the promoter updating official records accordingly. (Source: News18.com)
