What do the RERA advertising rules say?
The quick answer. The RERA advertising rules start with section 3(1) of the Act: no promoter may advertise, market, book, sell or offer for sale any plot, apartment or building in a real estate project without registering it. After registration the ad must be truthful and based on the facts given to the Authority, and it must carry the registration number. (PromotEdge reading of the Andhra Pradesh RERA page, 7 November 2026.)
What the Act says. The Andhra Pradesh RERA page, which sets out the Act's provisions for ads, says the registration number is compulsory on the website and on any advertisement (sections 11(1)(a) and 11(2)), and that a copy of the brochure or pamphlet should be given to the Authority before it is printed or circulated. It also says that under section 12, a person affected by an incorrect or false statement who wants to withdraw from the project is to be returned the investment with interest.
What it means for you. Check that the project is registered before the first ad, social post or hoarding goes up. Then put the registration number in every piece, and keep the facts in the ad the same as the facts given to the regulator.
Where does the RERA number go in an ad?
It depends on the state. The table above shows four regulators. In the RERA registration number in advertisement rules of Tamil Nadu, the number, the QR code and the website go in the top right corner, and in newspapers the type must be at least 12 points on every page. Goa also asks for the top right corner. Uttar Pradesh asks for bold, big type at a prominent place, and found numbers hidden in disclaimers, in small type or almost outside the ad. Andhra Pradesh asks for "RERA REGISTERED" details in all ads.
Radio, video and social media. UP RERA says radio and TV should announce the number and portal at a standard pace. TNRERA says the number and website must be said clearly and slowly, and that the same details are needed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Online property portals may not run a project without these details.
What it means for you. Build the number into the layout from the first draft, not as a last line. Plan the audio for a voice-over to read it slowly. Keep a copy of each state's rules in the brief.
What you cannot say or show
- Disclaimers. TNRERA says no "T&C Apply" lines. Outlook Money reports that Goa RERA bans disclaimers too. UP RERA objected to the number sitting inside a disclaimer.
- Travel times. TNRERA and Goa RERA, as reported, allow landmarks in the approved plan but not travel times to a hospital, school, airport or station, because travel time changes with traffic.
- Vague amenity claims. TNRERA says only the amenities in the agreement or brochure may be listed, and phrases like "100+ amenities" are not permitted.
- False or exaggerated facts. The Andhra Pradesh page says ads must be truthful and based on the facts given to the Authority, with no exaggeration.
- Unregistered projects. If a project does not need registration, TNRERA says the ad must say so, with the reason.
Who answers for the ad?
Promoter, agent and media. UP RERA's chairman, as quoted by Realtynmore, said it is a joint responsibility of the promoter, the agent and the media institutions, and that violations by media houses will be forwarded to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. TNRERA says promoters face penal action under sections 61 and 63 of the Act, and that media houses will be reported. So an agency that designs or places the ad is not outside the rules.
A made-up example. Say a developer in Chennai plans a newspaper ad, a hoarding and an Instagram Reel for a registered project. The agency puts the number, the QR code and the website in the top right of each, at 12 points or more in the newspaper and large on the hoarding, and has the voice-over read the number slowly. It removes a "10 minutes from the airport" line and a "T&C apply" footer, lists only the amenities in the brochure, and keeps a copy of the brochure for the regulator. The example is made up.
A checklist before the ad goes out
- Is the project registered, and is the number correct?
- Is the number, the QR code and the website in the place and size your state asks for, in every piece?
- Is every fact in the ad the same as the fact you gave the regulator?
- Have you removed travel times, vague amenity claims and disclaimer lines where your state bans them?
- Does the audio say the number clearly and slowly?
- Has your lawyer read the final copy and your state's latest circular?
A word of care. We are marketers, not lawyers. Apart from the Andhra Pradesh page, which is the regulator's own, the state rules here are as news pages printed them, so check each regulator's circular. We did not read MahaRERA's or Karnataka RERA's rules. Rules change, so check the date on every circular. This guide gives general information, not legal advice.
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