Karnataka · checked November 2026
Raising a builder defect in Karnataka.
Bought a flat in a registered project in Bengaluru or elsewhere in Karnataka? If damp appears within five years of possession, the builder must fix it without charge. Raise it in writing first, then file a complaint on the Karnataka RERA portal if the defect is not fixed.
- Authority
- K-RERA
- Portal
- rera.karnataka.gov.in
- Window
- 5 years
- Checked
- November 2026
How a buyer files
Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA)
Official portal: rera.karnataka.gov.in
- 01Write to the builder with each damp area, dated photos and readings, and ask for repair under Section 14(3) of the RERA Act, 2016.
- 02Allow the 30 days the Act gives the builder to rectify. Keep a record of every reply and repair visit.
- 03If the defect stays, create an account on the Karnataka RERA portal and open the complaint section.
- 04Choose whether you are complaining to the Authority under Section 31, or claiming compensation before the adjudicating officer under Sections 71 and 72.
- 05Upload the agreement for sale, possession letter, your correspondence and the inspection evidence, then pay the fee.
- 06Note your complaint number and track hearings and orders on the portal.
The defect liability provision
What Section 14(3) gives you.
- Section 14(3) of the RERA Act, 2016: if a structural defect, or any other defect in workmanship, quality or provision of services, is brought to the promoter's notice within five years from the date of handing over possession, the promoter must rectify it without further charge within 30 days. If the promoter does not, the allottee is entitled to compensation under the Act.
- Damp and seepage usually come under defects in workmanship or quality: failed bathroom waterproofing, terrace leaks, gaps around window frames, leaking concealed pipes.
- Your possession letter, the occupancy certificate date and the physical handover date can differ. Ask a lawyer which applies to you.
- Your state's rules and your agreement for sale may add detail. Read the defect liability clause in your agreement alongside the Act.
Forms and fees
Check before you file.
- Karnataka uses separate forms for complaints to the Authority and to the adjudicating officer. Check the current form and fee on the authority's portal before you file.
- The Karnataka RERA portal publishes orders of the Authority and of the adjudicating officer, so you can read how similar complaints were handled.
- Many new Bengaluru flats are handed over in phases. Note the date on your own possession letter and the date you physically got the keys.
- Common-area leaks (terrace, shafts, external walls) may also involve the apartment owners' association once it takes over maintenance.
- For information only: the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 gives homebuyers a separate route through the district, state or national consumer commission for deficiency in service. The Supreme Court has treated the RERA and consumer remedies as concurrent. Whether to use one, and which, is a question for your lawyer.
Your deadline
Work out your last date.
Your possession letter, the occupancy certificate date and the physical handover date can differ. Ask a lawyer which applies to you.
Last day to bring a defect to the builder's notice
14 March 2031
Days left
…
After notice, Section 14(3) gives the builder 30 days to rectify without further charge.
This page summarises the law for information and is not legal advice. Rules, forms and fees change; confirm on rera.karnataka.gov.in before filing.
Questions buyers ask
Where do I file a RERA complaint in Karnataka?
On the Karnataka RERA portal, rera.karnataka.gov.in, through its complaint section. Check the current form and fee on the authority's portal before you file.
My builder says the leak is from the flat above. What now?
Ask for the source in writing. A Megahedge report states the likely source as an opinion based on the evidence. In a new building where the defect is in the builder's work, Section 14(3) may still apply. A lawyer can advise on your case.
When does the five-year period start?
From the date of handing over possession under Section 14(3). Your possession letter, the occupancy certificate date and the physical handover date can differ. Ask a lawyer which applies to you.
Evidence first, complaint second.
The Defect Claim Pack gives you dated, located findings and a letter to send before any complaint.