A buyer in New Zealand can file a complaint against a builder before the state RERA authority online, seeking a refund with interest or delay compensation until possession. You authorise us through a vakalatnama or power of attorney signed before a New Zealand notary and apostilled. Most authorities hear complaints by video, so travel is not needed.
- Document route
- New Zealand notary public, then apostille from the Department of Internal Affairs
- Time difference
- New Zealand is 6h30 (NZ winter) to 7h30 (NZ summer) ahead of IST
- Law
- Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016
- Main remedy
- Section 18: refund or delay interest
Builder Delay & RERA from New Zealand: how it works
We review the booking form, builder-buyer agreement, payment receipts and correspondence, and we check the project's RERA registration, declared completion date, extensions and orders already passed against the builder. The complaint is filed online in the state's format, with your authorisation signed digitally where accepted or through apostilled originals sent by courier.
At the hearing, the authority decides whether the builder has defaulted. If you want to exit, it usually orders a refund with interest at the prescribed rate from the date of each payment; if you want the flat, monthly interest until possession. If the builder fails to pay, recovery proceeds as arrears of land revenue. Where the builder is under insolvency, we file your claim with the resolution professional within the time set in the public notice. Throughout, written updates reach you after each hearing, and because New Zealand is several hours ahead, you usually have the news by the end of your working day.
What clients in New Zealand should know
- Payments made from New Zealand or an NRE account are refunded through the same route and remain repatriable.
- Interest received on a refund is taxable in India and generally reportable as foreign income to Inland Revenue.
- Keep marketing brochures and emails from sales staff; they can support claims about promised features.
Step by step from New Zealand
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits New Zealand, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in New Zealand
New Zealand notary public, then apostille from the Department of Internal Affairs
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 New Zealand where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in New Zealand. 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 New Zealand and the NRI Property Law practice area.
Questions from clients in New Zealand
Can I file without coming to India?
Yes. RERA complaints are filed online and most hearings are by video.
What if the builder gave possession late?
Yes. Accepting the keys does not waive your claim; interest for the months of delay can still be ordered.
How long does a complaint take?
Often six months to a year, depending on the state authority's caseload and whether the builder contests.