UP RERA urges homebuyers to buy flats based on carpet area
Sale of apartments is required by law to be on carpet area basis. However, most builders advertise it in terms of super built-up area. (AI Image)
The Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP RERA) has suggested homebuyers to purchase residential units based on carpet area so that they can have a fair idea about the actual space available for living in an apartment.
RERA Permits Only the Carpet Area as Basis for Sale of Apartments
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 and the Rules framed thereunder clearly lay down the carpet area as the standard measure for disclosure and sale of apartments. Under Section-4(2)(h) of the Act, a promoter is required to disclose on the UPRERA portal the number, type and carpet area of apartments offered for sale in a project, along with the area of exclusive balconies or verandahs and exclusive open terraces attached to the apartment. The legal provisions do not require disclosure of the super built-up area for this purpose.
Further, the Rules provide that the size of an apartment shall be disclosed on the basis of carpet area, even where units may have been marketed or sold earlier on any other basis such as super area or super built-up area. Similarly, the prescribed format of the Agreement for Sale under the Rules also provides for sale of apartments only on the basis of carpet area.
Super Built-up Area Often Masks the Actual Usable Space
Sale of apartments is required by law to be on carpet area basis. However, most builders advertise it in terms of super built-up area. Super built-up area includes a share of the common areas like corridors, stairs, lift rooms, lobbies, clubhouse and other common facilities. Areas of these common spaces are loaded on top of carpet area using certain loading factor which makes the advertised area considerably higher than what the flat actually has.
Thus, unless homebuyers measure it themselves, they may never realise the difference between the area shown in brochure and the actual area they can live in. Carpet area gives you an exact idea of the area that you actually get.
Initiative to Promote Transparency and Informed Decision-Making
To make the sale-purchase process more transparent and consumer-friendly and to protect the consumers from misleading liveable space under the apartment, UPRERA is impressing upon the homebuyers to evaluate residential units on the basis of carpet area. Greater awareness regarding carpet area will enable them to make informed decisions and facilitate fair comparison among projects and apartments.
Homebuyers Can Verify Carpet Area on UPRERA Portal
The Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority has urged buyers to refer to the UPRERA website before completing transactions. All information submitted by promoters for their projects is available on the UPRERA web portal. This includes the carpet area details of apartments as well. Buyers can verify the actual carpet or liveable area of the apartment by themselves and arrive at a more informed investment decision.
