The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has proposed that realty developers provide an annual self-declaration of their projects’ quality assurance based on multiple parameters such as structural design, stability, testing, quality of input material, quality of workmanship and various other crucial aspects.The move is aimed at ensuring setting standards for processes, material and minimising the occurrence of defects and trouble for homebuyers.
It is proposed that during the initial phases, abiding by the new regulations will be optional. Names of those developers voluntarily adopting the system will be put up on MahaRERA website and will assist in adding credence to their reputation towards potential homebuyers. Once the transition phase is over, it will become mandatory for all the developers to follow suit.
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 has a provision on defect liability. The law safeguards flat purchaser’s rights by making a developer accountable to rectify any structural defects, which are brought to the notice within the initial five years. These defects are expected to be rectified by the developer at their own expense within 30 days.
The regulator has floated draft regulation for the project’s quality assurance. Through the self-certification declaration of the same, the developer will have to provide detailed information on the project’s technical aspects. It has invited feedback on the same until May 23.
In December, MahaRERA had released a discussion paper on the measures for better quality homes and pre-empt homebuyer complaints related to defects in construction or sub-standard construction quality.
The need for such a regulation arose owing to repeated discussion and concerns over construction quality delivered by the real estate sector. The move is expected to alleviate concerns about the quality of construction in the real estate sector, MahaRERA has already consulted multiple real estate stakeholders to put together the draft.
According to MahaRERA, while the law provides remedial measures for defect rectification, it is essential to safeguard homebuyers’ interests and therefore the need to have processes and standards to minimise the occurrence of defects.
As per the self-declaration, several essential questions that need to be addressed on-site. Some of those include, in terms of structural design and stability, relates to soil testing before the design process, appointment of structural engineers, periodic certification for quality control, etc.
It will also include factors such as on-site testing facility to inspect raw material quality, regular inspection of the construction site to ensure the quality of materials like cement, concrete, steel, electrical wires, plumbing fittings, etc.
Furthermore, after completion of the project, details regarding fire safety, earthquake-resistant measures, and other similar matters need to be documented and certified by the project supervisor and engineers. The promoter of the project will also have to re-validate these prior to submitting the ‘Self-Declaration on Quality Assurance’ to MahaRERA.
