The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has approved the deregistration of a stalled housing project in Pune after determining that all homebuyers had been refunded or had their claims settled, and there were no objections to the developer’s request to deregister the project.

According to the order, the developer requested deregistration because it no longer wanted to proceed with the project due to financial challenges, delays, and a preoccupation with other current ventures. The developer further informed MahaRERA that the project no longer had any allottees because Deeds of Cancellation had been signed with all customers who had agreed into Agreements for Sale, and all bookings had been duly cancelled.

MahaRERA authorized the deregistration request based on these representations and the absence of any ongoing claims from homebuyers.

The case

The case involves a developer trying to deregister a MahaRERA-registered project, claiming that it no longer intended to complete the development due to financial constraints. The developer also told the authority that all homebuyers’ claims for units in the property had been satisfied.

In its representation to MahaRERA, it stated, “The promoter (developer) no longer intends to proceed with the said project due to financial difficulties, pendency, and concern with other projects. That the said project now has no allottees (homebuyers), and that the promoter has officially completed Deeds of Cancellation of Agreements with all of the parties with whom the Agreements to Sale were signed, as well as cancelled the bookings in the said project.”

What does the MahaRERA order say?

MahaRERA analyzed documents and discovered that sales agreements with homebuyers had been terminated through filed cancellation deeds. In the instance of purchasers who had just made bookings, the developer produced papers indicating that refunds had been issued, as well as affidavits from the buyers confirming receipt of the monies paid.

The authority stated that notices were served to all allottees whose information had been provided by the promoter. However, none of them appeared before MahaRERA to contest the deregistration request or to question the developer’s claim that all dues and rights had been resolved.

Furthermore, MahaRERA issued a public notice allowing any interested parties to file objections to the proposed deregistration. No objections were submitted in response to the notice.It follows that if the Authority determines that a project registration number provided to a project is unlikely to be finished, the Authority is required to take awareness of the situation and take whatever actions are necessary to bring the project to a conclusion. The Authority sees no point in keeping a project registration number when there are either no allottees or allottees whose legal responsibilities have been met by the Promoter. Thus, the project is deregistered,” MahaRERA stated in its order.

Based on its findings, MahaRERA ordered the project’s deregistration and forbade the promoter from further marketing, booking, selling, or renting flats in the property.

On April 29, a big fire broke out at a high-rise residential complex in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, resulting in a massive firefighting and rescue operation. The incident follows a fire in Gurugram that apparently burned two posh flats in Sector 63A.

Such events are becoming more common, typically due to short circuits during peak summer heat, prompting new worries about fire safety in multi-story housing complexes, particularly among inhabitants on higher floors. Experts believe these events underscore the importance of stronger compliance and regular fire safety examinations, particularly during restoration work.

Here’s what occupants of high-rise buildings should know:

1. Maintain air conditioning units routinely.

Poor maintenance of electrical appliances, particularly air conditioners, is a major cause of fire. With power demand peaking throughout the summer, housing societies must assess load capacity and plan modifications ahead of time.

To alleviate load stress, residents should avoid operating air conditioners continually and keep their thermostats around 24°C.

2. Install and learn how to utilize fire extinguishers.

High-rise apartment buildings should have fire extinguishers fitted both inside and outside. Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) must provide regular training and mock exercises to ensure that residents understand how to use them during an emergency.

3. Use staircases instead of lifts during a fire.
   Lifts should be utilized exclusively by firefighters. Staircases are meant to be largely smoke-free thanks to pressurisation systems, making them the safest escape path, according to fire safety experts.

Also read: Noida inhabitant describes high-rise towers as ‘luxury chawls’, citing everyday lift pandemonium. Watch

Common places, particularly staircases, must be clear of impediments. Pressurisation systems and smoke detectors should be examined on a regular basis for functionality.

4. Maintain chimney and kitchen safety measures.

Oil deposits in chimneys can fire at high temperatures, therefore regular cleaning is vital. They believe that societies with commercial kitchens, such as those in clubhouses, must install additional fire protection systems.

5. Ensure that fire water systems are functional.

Fire tanks, which are usually housed underground or on terraces, are vital in an emergency. Experts believe that in some complexes, swimming pools are connected with fire systems and can serve as supplementary water sources.

6. Perform frequent fire safety audits.

Fire audits, required every two years by the National Building Code 2016, evaluate the readiness of fire systems, electrical dangers, and emergency preparedness. Despite this, many societies consider audits an avoidable expense.

7. Check the smoke detectors and sprinkler systems.

Smoke detectors within units and in communal spaces must work. Homes in buildings taller than 30 metres (more than 15 storeys) must have detectors that are linked to the central fire system.

Experts warn that renovations frequently harm or disable these systems. “Residents should ensure that smoke detection systems are not tampered with during interior work,” Kumar stated.

Fire infrastructure must keep up with vertical growth.

Experts also raise a wider concern: the firefighting infrastructure in areas such as Delhi-NCR has not kept up with rapid vertical construction. High-rises must ensure that fire No Objection Certificates are renewed on schedule and that safety regulations are strictly followed.

Maitrayee Patel (name changed), 29, purchased a ₹60 lakh apartment on the top floor of a residential building in Pune, Maharashtra, in May 2023. However, within two months of taking ownership, she began experiencing leaks in one of the bedrooms. When she filed the complaint, the developer’s agent assured her that repairs would be completed after the monsoon, once the area had dried.

In a similar case, a Noida resident’s viral video recently highlighted the growing dissatisfaction among even premium homeowners with the poor building quality in high-rise developments. Despite paying roughly ₹1 crore for a 22nd-floor unit, the homeowner presented visuals of cracking plaster and apparent outside discoloration, alleging that the building’s condition falls far short of its premium pricing.

Beyond structural faults, the resident expressed sanitary concerns, citing an insect infestation reportedly caused by pigeon feces in a neighboring vacant unit. The video has sparked a bigger debate in the NCR about the growing gap between rising housing prices and the actual quality supplied by developers.

According to news reports, on November 29, 2025, the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority tribunal declared that real estate developers in Karnataka are legally required to furnish mandatory Section 16 insurance paperwork to homebuyers or incur the expense of repairs themselves.

What options do homebuyers have in the event of structural defects?
The exact provision on structural defects is in Section 14(3) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, which states, “In case any structural defect or any other defect in workmanship, quality or provision of services or any other obligations of the promoter as per the agreement for sale relating to such development is brought to the notice of the promoter within a period of five years from the date of handing over possession, it shall be

According to the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority, in accordance with the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act of 2016, a “structural defect” includes issues in the building’s foundation, columns, beams, slabs, or any other core structural components, as well as defects in workmanship, quality, or service provision. If such faults are detected within five years, the developer must repair them within 30 days at no additional expense to the homebuyer. If the developer fails to do so, the buyer is entitled to compensation.

This clause is especially important in markets like Mumbai, where redevelopment projects and high-rise buildings are common, making long-term structural durability a top priority. Along with building defect liability, possession rules are equally significant. According to experts, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority’s website provides clear requirements for homebuyers to follow before taking ownership of their property.Before taking possession of a home, buyers must confirm that all documentation are in order, including the originals and copies provided by the promoter. According to MahaRERA requirements, verify the Occupancy Certificate (OC), which confirms legal completion, and ensure that the architect’s Form 4 is posted to the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority web.