Before you book in Gurugram: a HARERA and paperwork checklist for under-construction homes

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act of 2016, and the Haryana rules made under it, give buyers of under-construction homes a set of protections. They only help if you check the right things before you pay. This checklist uses The Palatial as a worked example, but it applies to any registered project in Gurugram. It is general information, not legal advice. For a purchase of this size, have a property lawyer review the agreement.

1. Find the registration and match it to your tower

Every project, or phase of a project, that is sold before completion must be registered with the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority, Gurugram. The Palatial's Phase 1 is registered as RC/REP/HARERA/GGM/907/639/2025/10. Phases 2 and 4 have their own numbers.

Search the number on the HARERA portal. Then confirm which towers are covered by that registration. A project can have several registrations with different completion dates, and the one that matters is the one covering the tower you are buying in. Ask for the tower and phase in writing.

2. Read the completion date in the registration

The registration states the date by which the promoter has declared the phase will be completed. That is the date that counts for the promoter's obligations under the Act, not the date said in a sales conversation. If the agreement for sale shows a different possession date, ask why before signing.

3. Check the approvals attached to the registration

The registration page usually carries the licence issued by the Department of Town and Country Planning, the approved building plans and other approvals. Check that the licence is valid and in the name of the promoter or its collaborator. Look at the approved building plan for your tower, which is also the only reliable source for floor count and unit layouts. This is why we share sanctioned plans on request instead of redrawing them on our floor plans page.

4. Look at the quarterly progress updates

Promoters have to file periodic updates on construction progress and on the number of units booked. For a new launch these will show little, but for a phase that has been registered for a while they tell you whether work is moving in line with the declared date.

5. Understand carpet area

Under RERA, homes must be sold on carpet area, the net usable floor area within the walls of the home. Marketing often uses a larger figure. Ask for the carpet area of the exact unit, the area of balconies and any exclusive open terrace separately, and make sure the agreement states them.

6. Watch the 10% line

Section 13 of the Act says a promoter cannot take more than 10% of the cost of the home as an advance or application fee before a written agreement for sale is registered. If a payment schedule asks for more than that before the agreement is executed and registered, question it.

7. Read the agreement for sale, not only the allotment letter

Haryana has prescribed a model form of agreement for sale. The promoter's agreement should follow it, with project details filled in. Read the clauses on:

• possession date and the grace period, if any
• interest payable by the promoter for delay, and by you for late payment
• the specification schedule, which lists finishes and fittings
• the list of common areas and facilities
• parking allotment
• cancellation and refund terms

The Act makes the promoter responsible for structural defects and workmanship defects reported within five years of handing over possession. That period runs from possession, so keep records of any defects you report.

8. Price the whole purchase, not the base price

The base price is where the quote starts. On top of it you may pay GST on under-construction homes, stamp duty and registration charges at the time of the sale deed, and project charges such as preferential location charges, car parking, club membership and a maintenance deposit. The price list page lists what to ask about. Get a written cost sheet for the specific unit before you pay anything.

9. Check the escrow account

Promoters must deposit 70% of the money collected from buyers in a separate bank account for that project, to be used only for land and construction costs. The account details are part of the registration. Make payments to that account, by bank transfer or cheque, and never in cash.

10. Know who you are dealing with

Channel partners, including the team running this website, must also be registered with HARERA as real estate agents. Your booking and your payments are made directly with the promoter. A channel partner arranges information and site visits. Ask any agent for their HARERA agent registration, and read our disclaimer for how this site works.

Most of these checks take an evening. Doing them before the first payment is much easier than raising them after. If you want the Phase-wise details for The Palatial collected in one place, ask us and we will send them with the price sheet.