A buyer in Canada can file a RERA complaint against a builder in India online, seeking a refund with interest or delay compensation until possession. You authorise us by a vakalatnama or power of attorney signed before a Canadian notary or lawyer and apostilled. Hearings before most state authorities, including Punjab and Haryana RERA, can be attended by video.
- Document route
- Notary or lawyer, then apostille from Global Affairs Canada or the provincial authority
- Time difference
- IST is 9h30 (Ontario, summer) to 13h30 (British Columbia, winter) ahead
- Law
- Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016
- Main remedy
- Section 18: refund or delay interest
Builder Delay & RERA from Canada: how it works
We study the allotment letter, the builder-buyer agreement, the payment schedule and receipts, and the builder's correspondence. Key questions are the promised possession date, any extension the authority granted the project and whether the builder has obtained an occupancy certificate. We also look at orders already passed against the same builder. The complaint is drafted in the state's format and filed online, with your signature collected digitally where allowed or through apostilled originals.
At the hearing, the authority considers whether the builder is in default. If you want to withdraw, the usual order is a refund with interest at the prescribed rate from each payment date. If you want the flat, interest is ordered for the delay. Builders sometimes offer settlements once the complaint is filed. If the builder fails to pay, recovery proceedings can be taken as arrears of land revenue, and we pursue them.
What clients in Canada should know
- Payments sent from Canada or your NRE account will be refunded through the same route, keeping them freely repatriable.
- Interest received on a refund is income in India and must also be reported to the CRA as foreign income.
- If the builder is under insolvency, a claim must be filed with the resolution professional within the time set in the public notice.
Step by step from Canada
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Canada, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Canada
Notary or lawyer, then apostille from Global Affairs Canada or the provincial authority
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Canada where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Canada. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Builder Delay & RERA, or see all services for clients in Canada and the NRI Property Law practice area.
Questions from clients in Canada
Does Punjab RERA allow video hearings?
Yes, Punjab RERA and most other state authorities hear matters online or in hybrid form.
Can I still complain if the builder gave possession late?
Yes. You can claim interest for the period of delay even after taking possession.
How long does a RERA case take?
Often six months to a year, depending on the authority's workload and whether the builder contests.