NEW DELHI: Maharashtra’s real estate regulator has extended the completion timelines of eligible projects by four months, giving developers relief from delays linked to the Middle East conflict while potentially pushing back possession timelines for homebuyers.The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) issued the order on Friday, following the Union housing and urban affairs ministry’s July 31 advisory asking all state RERAs to grant a four-month extension to eligible real estate projects affected by disruptions arising from the conflict.
Which projects will get the extension?
The four-month extension will apply to registered projects whose original, revised or previously extended completion dates fall on or after February 28, 2026.Projects registered on or after August 1, 2026, will not be covered by the relief.The extension will be granted automatically, without developers having to submit separate applications. MahaRERA’s Registration and IT cell will make the necessary changes to project records and the MahaRERA web portal.“The registered projects whose completion dates, revised completion dates, or extended completion dates fall on or after February 28, 2026, shall stand extended by four months,” MahaRERA said in its order.The Centre’s advisory came after the Middle East conflict disrupted global supply chains and affected the availability of construction materials, making it harder for some developers to maintain project schedules.The real estate sector had been seeking force majeure relief for several months.In May, CREDAI Ahmedabad sought a six-month extension from Gujarat RERA, citing shortages and sharp price increases in construction materials, labour constraints and supply disruptions. The association said prices of inputs including cement, steel, tiles, aluminium and PVC pipes had risen sharply, while project costs had increased by 10% to 20%.In Karnataka, developers had also sought a three-to-six-month extension from the state RERA, citing disruptions in material supplies and labour availability.Industry bodies subsequently approached the Centre, asking it to recognise the situation as a force majeure event and provide a uniform extension across states. CREDAI had sought a blanket three-to-six-month extension for eligible projects, arguing that supply-chain and labour disruptions were beyond developers’ control.The Centre had already recognised the West Asia situation as a force majeure event for government contracts in an April 29 memorandum, allowing eligible contracts affected by the crisis to receive extensions of two to four months.The July 31 advisory extended this approach to real estate projects under RERA, asking state regulators to provide a uniform four-month extension to eligible projects.
What does force majeure mean under RERA?
Under Section 6 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, a project’s registration can be extended in case of force majeure — circumstances beyond the promoter’s control.The Centre has treated disruptions arising from the West Asia conflict and their impact on supply chains as such circumstances for the purpose of the latest relief.Ordinarily, developers can face consequences for failing to complete projects or hand over possession within the agreed timeline. Under Section 18 of RERA, homebuyers may seek a refund with applicable interest if a promoter fails to meet the agreed possession deadline, while compensation may also be available in certain circumstances.The four-month extension provides eligible developers additional time before such delay-related consequences arise.
What does it mean for homebuyers?
For homebuyers, the immediate concern is that possession could be pushed back by up to four months for projects covered by the order.The relief, however, is intended for delays arising from the circumstances covered by the force majeure provision. It should not mean that every project that was already delayed because of financial problems, poor execution or other developer-related issues automatically gets protection.The Centre has also advised state RERAs to issue common orders covering eligible projects instead of requiring developers to make individual applications, making the process simpler for both regulators and builders.### Maharashtra developers welcome moveReal estate industry representatives in Maharashtra welcomed MahaRERA’s decision, saying the automatic extension would provide greater certainty to developers dealing with supply-chain and execution challenges.Kamlesh Thakur, president of NAREDCO Maharashtra, called the order “a balanced and industry-sensitive step” that recognised the impact of the prevailing geopolitical situation on global supply chains, construction material availability, logistics and project execution.“This is a balanced and industry-sensitive step that acknowledges the genuine disruptions caused by the prevailing geopolitical situation and its cascading impact on global supply chains, construction material availability, logistics and project execution,” Thakur said.Kaushal Agarwal, chairman of The Guardians Real Estate Advisory, said the order would also provide greater clarity to homebuyers.“From a homebuyer’s perspective, the order brings greater clarity and consistency by applying a uniform extension across all eligible projects instead of requiring individual applications. This reduces uncertainty around revised completion timelines and reinforces transparency in the regulatory process,” he said.The move comes as developers across major markets continue to face pressure from higher construction costs and supply-chain disruptions. Earlier industry estimates had warned that prolonged West Asia-related disruptions could put a large number of housing deliveries under pressure in 2026.
