Section 31 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Section 31 is the doorway to the Act's remedies. Any aggrieved person may file a complaint with the Authority or the adjudicating officer for a violation of the Act, rules or regulations, against a promoter, allottee or real estate agent. A person includes an association of allottees and a registered voluntary consumer association. The form, manner and fees are left to the regulations. If you want to complain, our consumer complaint filing service can help you prepare it.
Any aggrieved person may file a complaint with the Authority or the adjudicating officer, as the case may be, for any violation or contravention of the Act or the rules and regulations, against any promoter, allottee or real estate agent (31(1)). "Person" includes an association of allottees or any voluntary consumer association registered under any law (Explanation). The form, manner and fees are as specified by regulations (31(2)), so they differ by State.
Section 31 at a glance
| Provision | What it provides |
|---|---|
| 31(1) | Any aggrieved person may complain to the Authority or the adjudicating officer, as the case may be, for violation or contravention of the Act, rules or regulations, against any promoter, allottee or real estate agent |
| Explanation | "Person" includes an association of allottees or any registered voluntary consumer association |
| 31(2) | Form, manner and fees for filing the complaint are as specified by regulations |
Section 31(1): who, where, against whom, for what
| Element | Text |
|---|---|
| Who | "Any aggrieved person" |
| Where | "The Authority or the adjudicating officer, as the case may be" |
| For what | "Any violation or contravention of the provisions of this Act or the rules and regulations made thereunder" |
| Against | "Any promoter, allottee or real estate agent, as the case may be" |
Who is an aggrieved person
The Act does not define "aggrieved person". The text does not limit it to an allottee. So, on a plain reading, a buyer, a promoter wronged by an allottee, or a real estate agent may all complain, subject to being aggrieved by a violation. The Explanation adds that "person" includes an association of allottees or a voluntary consumer association registered under any law. The word "person" in section 2(zg) has a wider list; see our article on the definitions.
The two forums: "as the case may be"
The text does not say which matters go to the Authority and which to the adjudicating officer. It uses "as the case may be". Elsewhere in the Act, the adjudicating officer deals with compensation and interest (section 71), and the Authority with other violations. See section 71 for the adjudicating officer and our post on the Authority and the Appellate Tribunal. Check the State's rules for how complaints are routed.
Against whom
Complaints lie against three kinds of person: promoters, allottees and real estate agents. This is two-sided: a promoter may complain against an allottee who violates the Act, for example by defaulting on payment. Our post on penalties under RERA covers the consequences for each.
Complaints against others, such as a competent authority or a bank, are not within the words of 31(1).
Example. The residents' association of Sunrise Apartments finds that the promoter altered the common areas without the consent that section 14 requires. The association itself, as a "person" under the Explanation, can complain to the Authority. Each flat owner can also complain as an aggrieved person.
What may be complained about
The complaint must be about "violation or contravention of the provisions of this Act or the rules and regulations made thereunder". The typical subjects, drawn from earlier sections of this series, include:
| Topic | Where it arises |
|---|---|
| False advertisement | Section 12 |
| Advance beyond ten per cent without a registered agreement | Section 13 |
| Defects, plan changes | Section 14 |
| Delayed possession, refund | Section 18 |
| Conveyance deed not executed | Section 17 |
A dispute that does not involve a contravention of the Act, rules or regulations, for instance a pure contract claim with nothing in the Act, is outside the words of section 31(1).
Section 31(2): form, manner and fees
"The form, manner and fees for filing complaint under sub-section (1) shall be such as may be specified by regulations."
"Regulations" are made by the Authority (section 2(zo)). The Act therefore names no form, no fee and no portal. In practice each State's Authority has its own online or offline process and its own fee, and they differ by State; this article names none. See our post on how to file a RERA complaint online and, for State practice, UP RERA's complaint process.
What section 31 does not say
- No time limit for filing a complaint.
- No definition of "aggrieved person".
- No rule on which forum takes which type of complaint.
- No rule on whether a complainant must first send notice to the promoter.
- No mention of the consumer forum. For the choice between RERA and the consumer commission, see RERA vs consumer forum: where to file; the Act's own provision on civil courts is a later section.
Need help filing your complaint?
A good complaint states the contravention, the section, the dates and the relief clearly, and fits the form your State's regulations prescribe. Our consumer complaint filing team can prepare and file the complaint with the Authority or adjudicating officer and follow it through.
Key takeaways
- Any aggrieved person may complain to the Authority or the adjudicating officer.
- The complaint must be for a violation of the Act, rules or regulations.
- It can be against a promoter, an allottee or a real estate agent.
- An association of allottees and a registered voluntary consumer association are included as "person".
- Form, manner and fees are set by regulations and differ by State.
Read next
- Sections 32 and 33: promotion of the real estate sector and advocacy
- Sections 29 and 30: meetings of the Authority and vacancies
- RERA complaint process: how to file online
- RERA vs consumer forum: where to file
Disclaimer: Based on the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 as enacted, as consulted on 1 October 2026. Rules, forms, fees and procedures are made by each State and Union territory and its Real Estate Regulatory Authority and differ from State to State. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text and your State's rules before acting.