What should I check before booking a flat in Pune?

Registration and approvals, the title record, litigation against the project and the promoter, the real carpet-area price against registered sale agreements, the agreement clauses, and the location's Development Plan. The checklist below walks each one in order.

How do I verify the MahaRERA registration for the exact phase and wing?

Ask the sales team for the MahaRERA registration number in writing, then check it on maharerait.maharashtra.gov.in. Confirm the status is live, note the promised completion date, and make sure the number matches the phase and wing you are buying — not just the project name.

Which approvals matter beyond MahaRERA registration?

Look for the Commencement Certificate issued for your specific floor, the sanctioned building plan and layout matching the floor plan shown to you, environmental clearance if the plot size triggers it, and fire, lift and electrical approvals for towers nearing possession.

How do I confirm the builder or seller actually owns the land?

Read the Advocate's Title Report (Form 1) in full, check the 7/12 extract or Property Card for the current owner, and review a search report covering at least the last 30 years of the chain of title. If the builder is not the landowner, verify the Development Agreement and Power of Attorney too.

What land-record problems should scare me away?

A mortgage not committed to release before your registration, pending NA conversion, an active land-ceiling or tenancy claim on the survey number, or any 'other rights' entry on the 7/12 extract. Each of these can delay or derail your title.

How do I find out if a builder or project has litigation?

Search MahaRERA by project number and by promoter name, read every order PDF, run an eCourts search on the promoter's registered company, check NCDRC and consumer forums for delay or deficiency complaints, and look up NCLT and IBBI listings for insolvency proceedings.

What is RERA carpet area and why does pricing depend on it?

RERA carpet area is the net usable floor area inside the flat, measured wall-to-wall. Builders sometimes quote rates on built-up or super built-up area, which makes the flat look cheaper. Compute the rate per square foot on carpet area yourself from the total cost.

What payment schedule is legally allowed under RERA?

RERA Section 19(4) says the builder can demand only a percentage linked to the stage of construction. Avoid plans that front-load most of the payment before substantial progress, and never pay more than 10% before the Agreement for Sale is registered.

What clauses must the Agreement for Sale include?

A clear possession date with a quantified delay-compensation clause, symmetric penalties on the builder and buyer, a specification annexure with actual brand names and grades, a five-year defect-liability period, and a timeline for society formation and land conveyance.

What is the standard compensation if possession is delayed?

Under RERA, the builder typically owes interest on the amount paid at the State Bank of India highest marginal cost of lending rate plus two percent. Make sure the agreement matches this and is not watered down.

How do I check a location for hidden risks?

Verify the sanctioned Development Plan for road widening or reservations on the plot, confirm whether the area falls under PMC, PCMC or a gram panchayat, check the water source and summer supply, and drive the weekday commute at 9am rather than measuring distance on a map.

Should I speak to existing residents before buying?

Yes. Ask about water pressure and tanker dependency, lift and maintenance quality, whether amenities were handed over on time, and how the builder handled defects after possession. Their experience is usually more honest than the sales lounge.

Can I use this checklist for a resale flat?

Most of it, yes. Skip the RERA registration section for an older completed building and add the society's no-dues certificate, share certificate transfer, the Occupancy Certificate and the previous owner's paid property-tax and maintenance receipts.

Is the due-diligence checklist really free?

Yes. The PDF costs nothing and there is no payment step. We ask for a mobile number so an advisor can call once and offer to run the checks on your shortlist — also free.

How long does proper due diligence take on a Pune project?

A careful buyer working alone needs roughly a full day: about twenty minutes on the MahaRERA portal, a few hours on title and search documents with an advocate, and a weekday visit to the location and commute.

Buyer guide · Pune

The Pune property due-diligence checklist

39 checks across registration, title, litigation, price, the agreement and the location — the same sequence we run before we let a buyer sign anything. Read it here, or take the printable PDF to the sales lounge.

Free download

Take all 39 checks with you

A printable A4 PDF with a tick box against every line, plus a notes page for the project name and RERA number. Built for the sales lounge, not the sofa.

4 PAGES · A4 · NO PAYMENT

Tick nothing on trust. Every line below can be evidenced by a document, a public portal or a written confirmation. Anything a developer will not put in writing counts as unanswered — not as a yes.

Section 01

Registration & approvals

Everything here is public. If a sales team will not put it in writing, that is the answer.

MahaRERA registration number obtained in writing, for the exact phase and wing you are buying.
Registration verified on maharerait.maharashtra.gov.in — status live, completion date noted.
Commencement Certificate issued for the floor your flat sits on, not just the podium.
Sanctioned building plan and layout match the floor plan you were shown in the lounge.
Environmental clearance in place for projects above the applicable plot threshold.
Fire NOC and lift/electrical approvals on file for towers nearing possession.

Section 02

Title & land record

The single most expensive thing to get wrong, and the least likely to be discussed.

Advocate's Title Report (Form 1) read in full, including the 'observations' paragraph.
7/12 extract or Property Card checked for the current owner and any 'other rights' entries.
Search report covering at least the last 30 years of the chain of title.
Mortgage on the land identified, with a written commitment on release before your registration.
Development Agreement and Power of Attorney verified where the builder is not the landowner.
Non-Agricultural (NA) order in place; no pending land-ceiling or tenancy claim on the survey number.

Section 03

Litigation & builder history

MahaRERA is only one of five places a dispute can be sitting.

MahaRERA complaint and order search run twice — by project number and by promoter name.
Each order PDF actually read: interim, complied, withdrawn or a possession-delay direction.
eCourts search on the promoter's registered company name for civil and criminal matters.
NCDRC / consumer forum record checked for delay and deficiency complaints.
NCLT and IBBI listings checked for any insolvency proceeding against the promoter.
Delivery record of the last five completed projects: promised date versus actual possession.

Section 04

Price, area & payment

Negotiate against registered numbers, not the rate card.

Registered sale agreements from the last six months inside the project pulled and compared.
Carpet area confirmed as RERA carpet area in writing — not built-up, not super built-up.
Rate per sq ft on carpet computed yourself from the total, including all one-time charges.
Full cost sheet obtained: floor rise, parking, club, infra, MSEB, water and legal charges.
GST position confirmed (under-construction versus ready with Occupancy Certificate).
Stamp duty, registration and any metro cess budgeted at current Maharashtra rates.
Payment schedule is construction-linked and matches Section 19(4) of the RERA rules.

Section 05

Agreement & possession

Read the clauses that only matter when something goes wrong.

Draft Agreement for Sale reviewed before paying more than 10% of the consideration.
Possession date written as a date, with the delay-compensation clause quantified.
Penalty on the builder for delay is symmetric to the interest you pay on late instalments.
Specification annexure lists brands and grades, not 'or equivalent' throughout.
Defect-liability period of five years from possession stated explicitly.
Common areas, amenities and their handover to the society scheduled in the agreement.
Formation of the society and conveyance of land timeline recorded in writing.

Section 06

Location & everyday livability

The part a site visit on a Sunday morning will never show you.

Sanctioned Development Plan checked for road widening, reservations or a DP road on the plot.
Jurisdiction confirmed — PMC, PCMC or gram panchayat — and its effect on tax and water supply.
Water source verified: municipal line, borewell or tanker dependency in summer.
Commute driven at 9am on a weekday, not measured on a map.
Metro, ring road or highway work nearby checked for both upside and years of dust.
Adjacent open plots checked for what is sanctioned to be built there next.
Existing residents in an occupied phase asked about water, lifts, maintenance and handover.

PDF · 39 CHECKS · FREE

Questions buyers ask

What should I check before booking a flat in Pune?: Registration and approvals, the title record, litigation against the project and the promoter, the real carpet-area price against registered sale agreements, the agreement clauses, and the location's Development Plan. The checklist below walks each one in order.
How do I verify the MahaRERA registration for the exact phase and wing?: Ask the sales team for the MahaRERA registration number in writing, then check it on maharerait.maharashtra.gov.in. Confirm the status is live, note the promised completion date, and make sure the number matches the phase and wing you are buying — not just the project name.
Which approvals matter beyond MahaRERA registration?: Look for the Commencement Certificate issued for your specific floor, the sanctioned building plan and layout matching the floor plan shown to you, environmental clearance if the plot size triggers it, and fire, lift and electrical approvals for towers nearing possession.
How do I confirm the builder or seller actually owns the land?: Read the Advocate's Title Report (Form 1) in full, check the 7/12 extract or Property Card for the current owner, and review a search report covering at least the last 30 years of the chain of title. If the builder is not the landowner, verify the Development Agreement and Power of Attorney too.
What land-record problems should scare me away?: A mortgage not committed to release before your registration, pending NA conversion, an active land-ceiling or tenancy claim on the survey number, or any 'other rights' entry on the 7/12 extract. Each of these can delay or derail your title.
How do I find out if a builder or project has litigation?: Search MahaRERA by project number and by promoter name, read every order PDF, run an eCourts search on the promoter's registered company, check NCDRC and consumer forums for delay or deficiency complaints, and look up NCLT and IBBI listings for insolvency proceedings.
What is RERA carpet area and why does pricing depend on it?: RERA carpet area is the net usable floor area inside the flat, measured wall-to-wall. Builders sometimes quote rates on built-up or super built-up area, which makes the flat look cheaper. Compute the rate per square foot on carpet area yourself from the total cost.
What payment schedule is legally allowed under RERA?: RERA Section 19(4) says the builder can demand only a percentage linked to the stage of construction. Avoid plans that front-load most of the payment before substantial progress, and never pay more than 10% before the Agreement for Sale is registered.
What clauses must the Agreement for Sale include?: A clear possession date with a quantified delay-compensation clause, symmetric penalties on the builder and buyer, a specification annexure with actual brand names and grades, a five-year defect-liability period, and a timeline for society formation and land conveyance.
What is the standard compensation if possession is delayed?: Under RERA, the builder typically owes interest on the amount paid at the State Bank of India highest marginal cost of lending rate plus two percent. Make sure the agreement matches this and is not watered down.
How do I check a location for hidden risks?: Verify the sanctioned Development Plan for road widening or reservations on the plot, confirm whether the area falls under PMC, PCMC or a gram panchayat, check the water source and summer supply, and drive the weekday commute at 9am rather than measuring distance on a map.
Should I speak to existing residents before buying?: Yes. Ask about water pressure and tanker dependency, lift and maintenance quality, whether amenities were handed over on time, and how the builder handled defects after possession. Their experience is usually more honest than the sales lounge.
Can I use this checklist for a resale flat?: Most of it, yes. Skip the RERA registration section for an older completed building and add the society's no-dues certificate, share certificate transfer, the Occupancy Certificate and the previous owner's paid property-tax and maintenance receipts.
Is the due-diligence checklist really free?: Yes. The PDF costs nothing and there is no payment step. We ask for a mobile number so an advisor can call once and offer to run the checks on your shortlist — also free.
How long does proper due diligence take on a Pune project?: A careful buyer working alone needs roughly a full day: about twenty minutes on the MahaRERA portal, a few hours on title and search documents with an advocate, and a weekday visit to the location and commute.

Still have a specific question?

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Send us a project name. We check MahaRERA, run a 15-year builder litigation search, read the title record and send the findings in writing — free, on any Pune project. See how we publish it on our project pages.