The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) reported a significant increase in how quickly it resolved homebuyer grievances in 2025 even as the number of new complaints continued to rise, signalling mounting stress in the state’s housing market and growing expectations for accountability from regulators and developers. This operational shift has broader implications for consumer confidence and real estate governance in India’s largest property market.Â
According to the regulator’s annual data, MahaRERA disposed of nearly 6,945 complaints in 2025 — an 81 per cent increase from the prior year — while fresh grievances filed by buyers rose by about 29 per cent. This divergence between rising disputes and faster adjudication highlights both persistent market frictions and the authority’s improving capacity to respond.The trend reflects enhanced administrative processes within MahaRERA that aim to reduce delays that historically eroded trust in the grievance redressal system. Under revised protocols, complaints registered up to November 2025 have either been heard or assigned a hearing date, often within one to two months of registration — a marked improvement over past backlogs. Experts attribute this to procedural reforms such as scheduled hearings, streamlined digital case management, and increased transparency in tracking complaint status.
For homebuyers — particularly in a region where residential transactions often represent lifetime investments — timely access to regulatory mechanisms is critical. The increase in filed grievances suggests that challenges such as project delays, construction quality concerns and contract disputes remain prevalent, even as the regulator processes cases more efficiently. Analysts point out that the dual trend of rising complaints and faster resolutions underscores a maturing dispute ecosystem. A more responsive regulator can help shore up buyer confidence, yet the persistent uptick in grievances indicates structural issues in project delivery and compliance that still need addressing.
Beyond adjudication, MahaRERA has introduced measures to strengthen compliance among developers, including a marked increase in reporting adherence. Developers are now posting quarterly and annual progress updates on the MahaRERA portal at much higher rates, enhancing transparency in project execution timelines. This level of oversight matters for Maharashtra’s sprawling real estate landscape, which has one of the highest numbers of registered projects in India. In 2025, the authority registered more than 4,000 housing projects, with Pune, Thane and Mumbai suburban areas accounting for the bulk of new filings. Better regulatory scrutiny during approvals and systematic monitoring post‑registration can help nip potential disputes in the bud, urban planners and legal experts argue.
However, the volume of complaints also suggests that homebuyer literacy about regulatory rights and recourse mechanisms has grown, arguably faster than improvements in delivery standards. Policy observers say this demands a two‑pronged response: stronger enforcement of RERA’s developer obligations and continued expansion of accessible digital interfaces for dispute resolution — particularly for first‑time buyers and economically vulnerable groups.
Looking ahead, sustained regulatory momentum will hinge on consolidating technological upgrades, refining hearing prioritisation protocols, and enhancing coordination between MahaRERA and local planning authorities to pre‑empt project execution issues. If effectively implemented, these steps could reinforce Maharashtra’s real estate sector as a more transparent, equitable and resilient market for urban homebuyers.
