West Bengal runs its own version of RERA called HIRA — the Housing Industry Regulation Act — and it works slightly differently from RERA in other states, which trips up a lot of buyers who've researched "RERA" generically online without checking the West Bengal-specific rules.
**What HIRA actually requires.** Any project above 500 sq. m. or with more than eight units must be registered with WB-HIRA before the developer can advertise, market, or sell units. Registration requires the developer to disclose project timelines, carpet area (not super built-up — a distinction that matters a lot when comparing prices), land title status, and approved layout plans.
**How to actually verify a project.** Go to the WB-HIRA website, search by project name or developer, and check three things: registration status (active, not expired), the promised possession date, and whether the project has any recorded complaints. This takes about two minutes and is, frankly, the single highest-value two minutes you'll spend in your entire home-buying process.
**What it protects you from.** If a developer misses the promised possession date, HIRA entitles you to compensation or a refund with interest. If the carpet area delivered is smaller than what was sold to you, you're entitled to a refund of the difference. These aren't goodwill gestures — they're enforceable rights once a project is registered.
**What it doesn't protect you from.** HIRA doesn't govern secondary/resale transactions, and it doesn't apply retroactively to projects that received all approvals before the Act came into force. If you're buying resale, your protection comes from due diligence on title and encumbrance, not from HIRA.
**A practical habit worth building:** never take a builder's word for RERA compliance — ask for the registration number directly and verify it yourself before signing anything, even a token booking agreement. Reputable developers won't hesitate to share it; the ones who hesitate are telling you something too.
Every project we list at Lanivas Properties is RERA-verified before it goes live on our site — because a home purchase shouldn't require you to become a part-time legal researcher just to feel safe about it.