RERA, OC, CC:
the three documents a Mumbai homebuyer should read before signing

There are three documents the property industry references in conversation with a Mumbai homebuyer every single day. RERA. OC. CC. They show up in the brochure, the salesperson's pitch, the agreement, the bank's checklist. Most buyers nod along. Many do not actually know what each document says, when it is issued, who issues it, and what is supposed to happen if it is missing.

This piece is the working version of what we wish every Mumbai homebuyer knew before they signed.

1. RERA: the project's public file

RERA stands for the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act of 2016. In Maharashtra it is administered by the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority, known as MahaRERA. Every residential project of more than 500 square metres or more than eight flats must be registered with MahaRERA before a single flat can legally be marketed or sold.

What that registration actually does is build a public file on the project. The developer is required to upload, and keep updated, a long list of documents and disclosures: the approved building plan, the layout plan, FSI granted, number of buildings, number of flats, carpet area per flat, list of amenities, project commencement date, projected completion date, status of statutory approvals, list of consultants, and quarterly progress reports.

That file is on the MahaRERA portal. Any buyer can search a project, find its RERA registration number, and read everything the developer has filed.

What to check on the RERA filing

• The RERA number on the brochure matches the number that comes up when you search the portal. A mismatch is a red flag.
• The carpet area listed in the agreement matches the carpet area on the RERA filing. RERA mandates carpet area as the basis of pricing. Super built-up is not a permitted basis.
• The promised completion date on the filing matches what the salesperson is telling you in conversation.
• The amenities listed on the filing match the amenities in the brochure. A swimming pool in the brochure that does not appear on the RERA filing is not legally promised.
• Quarterly progress reports are being filed and are roughly current. A project that has not updated its progress in nine months is not behaving as a healthy project.

If anything on the brochure is more aggressive than what the RERA filing says, the RERA filing is the version that holds up in front of a regulator. A buyer is entitled to ask for the filing to be brought to a meeting and reviewed clause by clause.

2. CC: permission to start building

CC stands for the Commencement Certificate. It is issued by the local planning authority, in Mumbai's case the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. The CC is the formal go-ahead to start construction on the approved plans. Without a CC, any building work being carried out is unauthorised.

For a buyer, the CC matters at two specific points. First, when a project is being marketed pre-launch. Second, when construction is in progress and the project is moving up.

The CC is staged. A developer typically gets a first CC for the plinth, then revised CCs for higher floors as construction proceeds. A project being marketed as a thirty-floor tower with a CC issued only up to the tenth slab has not yet been granted permission to build the remaining twenty floors. That permission may eventually come, but it is not in hand on the day the buyer signs.

What to check on the CC

• Does the project have a CC issued at all on the date of your agreement. If not, the project is being sold pre-launch and the risks are different.
• What is the floor level up to which CC has been issued. If the floor you are buying on is above the current CC level, the developer has not yet received permission to build your floor.
• Has the CC been suspended or revised. Both happen. The reason matters.

CCs are public records. A buyer is entitled to a copy on request.

3. OC: permission to live in the building

OC stands for the Occupancy Certificate. It is also issued by the local planning authority. The OC is the formal certification that the completed building has been constructed in line with the approved plans and meets fire, water, drainage and structural safety requirements. The OC is what makes the building legally fit for occupation.

This is the document that matters most at handover. Without an OC, a flat is not legally occupiable. Practically, that means several things go wrong. The municipal corporation can refuse a water connection at the regular residential tariff. The electricity provider may charge commercial rates or refuse a full residential meter. Banks become uncomfortable refinancing the flat. Resale becomes harder because the next buyer's lawyer flags it. Society formation gets blocked.

What to check on the OC

• OC has been issued for the building before you take possession. Part OCs exist, where the OC covers some floors but not others. Confirm your floor is covered.
• The OC matches the plan that was approved and the construction that was actually carried out. Many older Mumbai buildings have differences between the sanctioned plan and the built form, which becomes a problem at redevelopment or sale.
• The CC and OC are issued by the same authority. Re-check if they are not.

For a buyer who is being asked to take possession of a flat in a building that does not yet have OC, the right answer is to delay possession until OC is granted, hold final payment, and document the delay in writing. This is allowed under RERA. The developer's preference is to close the deal. The buyer's interest is to wait.

Putting the three together

The three documents map to three different stages of a building's life.

• RERA: the project must be registered before it is marketed. The registration is the public file the buyer can read at any point.
• CC: must be issued before construction starts. Updated as the building goes up.
• OC: must be issued before the buyer occupies the flat.

A buyer who has confirmed all three is on solid ground. A buyer who has confirmed RERA but not checked CC or OC is hoping. A buyer who has confirmed none is signing on the basis of trust alone.

How to actually verify

1. Search the project on the MahaRERA portal by registration number or project name. Read the filing in full.
2. Ask the developer for a copy of the latest CC. Note the floor level and the date of issue.
3. If the project is at or near possession, ask for the OC. If part OC, confirm your unit is covered.
4. Ask your bank's legal team to verify all three independently. Banks do this as part of loan disbursement. Buyers paying cash should hire a property lawyer to run the same checks.

The point of all this

None of this is exotic. Every honest developer welcomes the questions. RERA, CC and OC exist to make the buyer's job easier, not the developer's. A buyer who reads the three documents before signing avoids almost every disaster the Mumbai property market is capable of producing.

The next piece in Buyer Education looks at carpet, built-up and super built-up area, and the 25 to 35 per cent gap most buyers are quietly absorbing into their price.