Quick answer Before you book a flat in Mohali, Zirakpur, Kharar or Panchkula, check the project on the RERA website (registration, approvals, completion date, litigation, progress reports), visit a project the builder has already delivered, search RERA complaints against the builder, have a lawyer check the land title, and pay no more than 10% before a registered agreement — only into the project’s account. Our property risk checker walks you through all 19 points.
Most problems buyers face in the Tricity — delays, stalled towers, title disputes, surprise charges — could have been spotted before the booking cheque. None of these checks needs a lawyer to start; most take an evening online and one site visit. Here is the order to do them in.
1. Check the project on RERA
Every residential or commercial project above the size threshold must be registered with RERA before it is advertised or sold. Search it yourself on rera.punjab.gov.in (Mohali, Zirakpur, Kharar, Dera Bassi, Lalru, New Chandigarh) or haryanarera.gov.in (Panchkula).
| On the RERA page | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Registration number and promoter | Same name as on your allotment letter and agreement |
| Completion date | On or before the possession date you are promised |
| Approvals and plans | Layout and building plans uploaded and matching the brochure |
| Litigation | No court case or stay on the land or project |
| Quarterly progress | Recent updates with photos — stale updates are a warning sign |
2. Check the builder
- Visit a delivered project. Talk to residents about delays, quality and how complaints were handled.
- Compare dates. When was the occupancy certificate issued compared with the promised possession date?
- Search RERA orders. A few complaints are normal for a large builder; many unpaid refund or delay-interest orders are not.
3. Check the land and approvals
Ask for copies of the title documents, the approved layout and building plans, and the change-of-land-use (CLU) letter where the land was agricultural. Check the owner’s name in the land records — see our Punjab land records guide — and have a property lawyer do a title search. For plots and colonies, read what buyers should know about unauthorised colonies.
4. Check the money trail
- Pay no more than 10% before a registered agreement for sale.
- Pay only by cheque or bank transfer to the account named in the agreement — never cash, never a personal account.
- Prefer a construction-linked payment plan, and visit the site before each payment.
- Get every charge in writing and work out the all-in cost with our home buying cost calculator.
Walk away if the project is not on RERA, the seller asks for cash, there is a court stay on the land, or the builder wants a large amount before signing a registered agreement.
5. Check the agreement
The agreement for sale should follow the RERA model format and state the carpet area, possession date, payment plan, specifications and the interest on delay. Have a lawyer read it before you sign. If the builder is later late, you can claim interest — see how to claim delay interest under RERA.
Put it together
Run your answers through the property risk checker for a score and a list of what is still open, and compare your shortlist with the project comparison tool. RERACertified’s free home buyer checklist is a handy printout for site visits.
General information, not legal advice.
