Mumbai, Oct 13 — In a major crackdown on illegal real estate practices and property buyer fraud, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday ordered an immediate halt to the registration of property documents for unauthorised constructions and non-compliant housing projects across the state.
The decisive policy action follows instructions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and was announced by State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
The Revenue Department has issued a formal circular directing all Sub-Registrars across Maharashtra to strictly adhere to the new guidelines.
"It is the primary responsibility of the government to protect ordinary citizens from losing their lifelong savings to illegal constructions and fraudulent real estate practices. Many buyers purchase flats in good faith, only to find out later that the structure is unauthorised, causing severe financial ruin. This decision has been taken to permanently put an end to such malpractices," said Minister Bawankule.
Sub-Registrars are prohibited from executing first-sale agreements, sale deeds, deeds of apartment, or transfer documents for flats that violate statutory planning norms or approved architectural maps.
Any Sub-Registrar found knowingly registering documents for unauthorised constructions in violation of these rules will face an immediate departmental inquiry, said the circular.
Properties built without adhering to Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR), local Development Plans (DP), or Regional Plans cannot be sold directly. Unauthorised buildings must be regularised through legal procedures before any sale; structures that cannot be regularised will be treated as illegal and subjected to demolition.
Registration will be strictly denied if the flat area specified in the sale agreement exceeds the area sanctioned in the approved plan. To register the initial sale of a flat or unit, buyers and developers must submit specific statutory documents depending on the property category.
The order comes in response to a surge in illegal construction practices, particularly in urban and suburban hubs including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Thane, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Haveli, Mulshi, and Nagpur.
Common infractions included erecting residential buildings in non-residential zones, bypassing MahaRERA registration, and selling areas beyond sanctioned approvals, leaving unsuspecting home buyers financially devastated.
These issues led to frequent complaints from elected representatives in the Maharashtra State Legislature, prompting direct executive intervention.