MahaRERA Updates Guidelines for Hearing Complaints, Prioritizes Seniority

MahaRERA has issued a new circular revising the guidelines for hearing complaints filed under Section 31 of the RERA Act. The circular emphasizes that complaints will generally be heard based on the seniority of their filing date, with exceptions for cases involving serious illness, order reviews, settled disputes, and other specific circumstances.

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The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has issued a new circular on April 8, 2025 revising the guidelines for hearing complaints filed under Section 31 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. The circular emphasizes that, in general, complaints will be heard and decided based on the seniority of their filing/registration date.

This move aims to bring greater clarity and fairness to the complaint resolution process, ensuring that cases are addressed in a timely and orderly manner.

However, MahaRERA has outlined several exceptions to this seniority rule. These exceptions include:

Cases where the complainant is suffering from a serious, life-threatening illness.
Complaints related to review/rectification of orders or non-compliance of orders.
Complaints with specific directives from the Appellate Tribunal/Court, such as those requiring disposal within a fixed timeframe or remanded for a fresh hearing.
Situations where disputes have been settled between the involved parties, either through conciliation or after the complaint was filed.
Cases where the complainant wishes to withdraw their complaint.
Cases where the maintainability of the complaint is in question.
Instances where multiple complaints concerning the same project are grouped together for hearing. In such cases, the seniority will be determined by the earliest filing date among the combined complaints.

The circular also states that in unavoidable or special circumstances, the seniority of a complaint can be altered, but only with the explicit approval of the Hon’ble Chairperson of MahaRERA, and with proper justification provided.

This new circular supersedes MahaRERA Circular No. 34, dated June 21, 2021, and is effective immediately. MahaRERA has directed all relevant parties to adhere to and comply with these updated guidelines.

This regulatory update is expected to streamline the complaint resolution process and reinforce MahaRERA’s commitment to protecting the interests of consumers in the real estate sector.

Also Read: MahaRERA: Steps To File A Complaint.