Tamil Nadu · checked November 2026
Raising a builder defect in Tamil Nadu.
If you own a flat in a registered project in Chennai or elsewhere in Tamil Nadu and damp shows up within five years of possession, the builder must fix it without charge. Write to the builder first. If the defect is not fixed, you can file a complaint with TNRERA, which lists complaints to the Authority and complaints to the adjudicating officer separately on its portal.
- Authority
- TNRERA
- Portal
- rera.tn.gov.in
- Window
- 5 years
- Checked
- November 2026
How a buyer files
Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TNRERA)
Official portal: rera.tn.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, and keep a record of replies and visits.
- 03If the defect is not fixed, open the complaint section of the TNRERA portal.
- 04File with the Authority under Section 31 for directions against the project, or with the adjudicating officer under Sections 71 and 72 for compensation.
- 05Attach the agreement for sale, possession letter, your correspondence and the inspection evidence. TNRERA has issued a circular asking for soft copies of records with offline complaints, so keep digital copies ready either way.
- 06Track your complaint and hearing dates 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.
- Check the current form and fee on the authority's portal before you file. The Tamil Nadu Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Rules, 2017 set out the procedure.
- Chennai gets most of its rain in the northeast monsoon, October to December. A flat handed over in summer may show its first damp only at the end of the year, so count your five years from possession, not from the first leak.
- Coastal salt air can leave white deposits on external walls that look like efflorescence from damp. The inspection checks readings against a dry wall before calling it damp.
- 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.tn.gov.in before filing.
Questions buyers ask
How do I complain to TNRERA about seepage?
Raise it with the builder in writing first. If it is not fixed within 30 days, file on the TNRERA portal, rera.tn.gov.in, either with the Authority or with the adjudicating officer for compensation. Check the current form and fee on the authority's portal.
My flat leaked only in the northeast monsoon. Is it too late?
Section 14(3) of the RERA Act, 2016 counts five years from the date of handing over possession, not from when the leak appeared. Your possession letter, the occupancy certificate date and the physical handover date can differ. Ask a lawyer which applies to you.
Will Megahedge attend the hearing for me?
No. Megahedge inspects and reports. The Defect Claim Pack organises your evidence and offers a letter template. The complaint is yours, with your own lawyer if you want one.
Evidence first, complaint second.
The Defect Claim Pack gives you dated, located findings and a letter to send before any complaint.