MahaRERA Places 1,244 Pune Housing Projects Under Abeyance, Blocking Sales and Bookings

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The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has declared 1,244 real estate projects in Pune district as “under abeyance,” halting their ability to conduct new sales or accept bookings due to non-compliance with mandatory RERA requirements. The move is part of a broader crackdown across the state, where a total of 4,904 projects have been placed under abeyance.

These projects have either failed to upload required Occupancy Certificates (OC), Form 4, or apply for deadline extensions after the expiry of their original completion dates. As a result, MahaRERA has frozen related bank accounts and blocked registration of new agreements between developers and homebuyers.

Several buyers have found themselves stuck after investing fully in projects that remain incomplete. In many cases, construction progress is below 20 percent even after more than a decade of delay. Despite favorable orders from MahaRERA in some instances, buyers report that refunds and compensation have yet to be issued.

According to the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, developers are obligated to update project details on the RERA portal, submit Form 4 through certified engineers and architects, and upload occupancy documentation. Failure to comply leads to a project being placed under abeyance, with further consequences including suspension of registration.

In the Pune region alone, a total of 3,406 lapsed projects have been identified out of the 10,773 flagged across Maharashtra. This places Pune second only to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region in terms of non-compliant projects. Earlier this year, 628 projects in Pune had already been placed under abeyance. That number has now nearly doubled.

MahaRERA has also issued show-cause notices to developers. In response to non-compliance, the authority suspended registration of 1,905 projects in the first quarter of 2025. Developers of these projects now face penalties of up to ₹50,000, and their financial and administrative operations are restricted.

Buyers are now calling on MahaRERA and the state government to ensure faster resolution of complaints and to help recover their investments. Many are pushing for either project completion through alternate agencies or timely refunds with compensation.

Despite over 50,000 projects registered with MahaRERA since its inception in 2017, the regulatory body continues to face a growing backlog. As of June 2025, over 7,300 complaints remain unresolved. Consumer rights advocates argue that additional adjudicating officers and regional benches are urgently needed to strengthen the authority’s capacity.

Industry experts warn prospective buyers to conduct thorough due diligence before investing, including checking the current status of a project on the MahaRERA portal. Legal recourse under Section 18 of the RERA Act remains a critical tool for those affected by delayed possession or undelivered commitments.