UP RERA Complaint: How to File Against a Builder (2026 Guide)

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 gave home and plot buyers a regulator with teeth. In Uttar Pradesh that regulator is UP RERA, and buyers in projects along the Yamuna Expressway fall under its NCR bench in Greater Noida. This guide explains when you can complain, how to file, and what you can realistically expect.

Key facts at a glance

Any aggrieved person: including an association of allottees: can complain against a promoter or real estate agent (Section 31)
File online on up-rera.in under “COMPLAINTS” → “REGISTER COMPLAINT”; the fee is ₹1,000
NCR complaints are heard at Gautam Buddh Nagar; UP RERA’s regional office is in Greater Noida
Remedies include a refund with interest, or interest for every month of delay (Section 18), plus compensation decided by an adjudicating officer
Unpaid amounts are recoverable as arrears of land revenue through recovery certificates (Section 40)

When RERA applies

Under Section 3, a promoter cannot advertise, market, book or sell plots, apartments or buildings in a project without registering it with RERA: unless the land is no more than 500 sq m, or the project has no more than eight apartments, counting all phases. Failing to register can attract a penalty of up to 10% of the estimated project cost (Section 59).

In April 2026 UP RERA announced that buyers in unregistered projects can also file complaints, giving additional details of the promoter and project. The bench first decides whether the project needed registration; if it did, action follows against the promoter under Sections 3 and 59. This matters on the Yamuna Expressway belt, where many plotted colonies are sold without registration. See buying a plot near Jewar airport.

How to file a complaint

On up-rera.in, go to “COMPLAINTS” → “REGISTER COMPLAINT”, register, and log in with an email or mobile OTP.
From the dashboard, choose a new complaint (Form M) or a complaint for compensation (Form N).
Upload your documents as PDFs: booking form, allotment letter, agreement for sale, payment receipts or bank statement.
Pay the ₹1,000 fee online through the payment gateway.
Answer any objections raised by the legal division under “Complaints with Objection”.
Print the complaint, self-attest every page, and deliver it to UP RERA’s Lucknow headquarters or its Greater Noida regional office (H-169, Chitvan Estate Road, Gamma II, Greater Noida), then upload proof of delivery.
Track progress under “Complaint Status”.

Try conciliation first, if the builder will engage. UP RERA runs a Conciliation Forum at 18 locations, bringing together buyer and promoter representatives with a RERA consultant to reach settlements. It is listed under “CONCILIATION FORUM” on the portal.

What you can get

Situation	Remedy under the Act	Who decides
Possession delayed; you want to exit	Refund with interest (Section 18)	The Authority
Possession delayed; you want to stay	Interest for every month of delay until possession (Section 18)	The Authority
Loss caused by the promoter’s default	Compensation, considering unfair gain, loss and repeated default (Sections 71–72)	Adjudicating officer

This division comes from the Supreme Court’s judgment in Newtech Promoters v. State of UP (11 November 2021): refunds, interest and penalties are for the regulatory authority, while compensation is exclusively for the adjudicating officer.

Enforcement and appeals

Recovery. Amounts not paid under an order are recoverable as arrears of land revenue (Section 40). UP RERA issues recovery certificates, and the revenue department recovers the money. In July 2026 UP RERA’s chairman reported more than 20,000 recovery certificates issued and ₹2,173 crore recovered for 8,212 buyers, with more than 7,000 still pending.
Appeal. Either side can appeal to the UP Real Estate Appellate Tribunal within 60 days of receiving the order (Section 44). A promoter must first deposit at least 30% of any penalty, or the full amount payable to the allottee, or both (Section 43(5)). The tribunal has an e-filing portal.

What RERA does not do

It regulates promoters and agents. Complaints under Section 31 are against a promoter, allottee or real estate agent. A resale between two private individuals, neither of whom is a promoter or agent, is generally a civil matter: a view taken, for example, by Punjab RERA in June 2026.
It does not replace title checks. RERA registration tells you a project is registered, not that the land title or approvals are sound. Do the khatauni and registry checks too.
It is not instant. UP RERA reported about 61,000 complaints received and around 52,000 disposed by July 2026, and recovery can take longer than the order.

Common questions

Register on up-rera.in under “COMPLAINTS” → “REGISTER COMPLAINT”, file Form M (or Form N for compensation), upload your documents, pay the ₹1,000 fee online, then submit a self-attested hard copy at Lucknow or the Greater Noida office and upload proof of delivery.

₹1,000, under the UP Real Estate Rules, 2016. The portal takes payment online.

Yes. UP RERA announced in April 2026 that buyers in unregistered projects can file complaints. The bench first decides whether the project needed registration and, if so, proceeds against the promoter under Sections 3 and 59.

Following the Supreme Court’s Newtech Promoters judgment (2021), refunds and interest are decided by the Authority, while compensation is decided exclusively by the adjudicating officer.

60 days from receiving the order, to the UP Real Estate Appellate Tribunal, under Section 44. The tribunal can admit a late appeal for sufficient cause.

Please verify before you file. Portal steps, fees and regulations change. This is general information, not legal advice; for a significant claim, consult an advocate who practises before UP RERA.

Stuck with a delayed project or an unregistered colony? Talk to our team.

How to File a Complaint with UP RERA Against a Builder or Colony Developer: and What RERA Can and Cannot Do