Maharashtra bars registration of flats in unauthorised buildings

The Maharashtra government has directed Sub-Registrars not to register documents related to unauthorised constructions and flats, officials said on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. The Revenue Department issued a circular on Monday, 12 October 2026, after complaints about buildings in non-residential zones, developers failing to register under MahaRERA, and flats exceeding sanctioned areas, cnbctv18.com reports.

Under the new guidelines, developers selling flats in projects requiring MahaRERA registration must submit the registration certificate, occupancy certificate and sanctioned building plan. For exempt projects, they must provide the commencement certificate, sanctioned plan, zone certificate and measurement map. Flats in buildings without an occupation certificate or with an area larger than the sanctioned plan will not be registered, the Times of India reports.

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the move aims to protect homebuyers from financial losses. Buildings that cannot be regularised will face demolition, and Sub-Registrars who deliberately register unauthorised documents will face departmental inquiries.

The Times of India also quotes Sathyen Prasad, a techno-legal consultant, who said the circular lacks the force of law because it is an executive instruction that cannot supersede statutory acts. Bawankule said constructions eligible for regularisation will be dealt with under the prescribed procedure, while others will face action.