RERA rules for real estate advertisement videos in India: registration number, QR code and renderings
RERA rules for real estate advertisement videos in India: when a Reel needs the registration number, how QR codes work, and labeling renderings honestly.
In this article
A promoter in Pune or Bengaluru wants a 30-second launch film made from the project's renderings, for Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp groups. Under India's Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, that film is an advertisement as soon as it informs people about the project, so it carries the same duties as a hoarding or a newspaper ad: the project must be registered first, and the ad must show the registration details. This guide covers what the Act and a state authority's orders say, what has to appear on a vertical video, how to present renderings as an artist's impression, and how responsibility splits between promoter, agent and design studio.
Key takeaways
- The RERA Act defines an advertisement as publicity "through any medium" and "in any form" about a real estate project, so an Instagram Reel, YouTube Short or WhatsApp-forwarded video counts.
- Section 3 bars a promoter from advertising or marketing a project in a planning area before it is registered with the state's Real Estate Regulatory Authority, with small projects (up to 500 square meters of land or eight apartments) exempt.
- Section 11(2) requires registration disclosures on every ad; RERA Bihar fined a promoter Rs. 20 lakh under section 59(1) and Rs. 5 lakh under section 61 in October 2025 for ads that lacked registration and those disclosures.
- Maharashtra additionally expects a QR code linking to the project's MahaRERA page, but MahaRERA's site could not be reached as of October 2026, so confirm its current format rules there.
- Label renderings and AI-generated scenes as an artist's impression and keep them faithful to the sanctioned plans; a film is a promise a buyer can rely on.
What RERA requires on a real estate advertisement video
A real estate video in India is an advertisement under the RERA Act, so the project must be registered with the state RERA authority before the video is published, and the video must show the project's RERA registration number and the authority's website address, prominently. In Maharashtra, the ad also carries a QR code that opens the project's MahaRERA registration page. Put these on the frame for the whole film, repeat them in the caption, and present renderings as an artist's impression rather than as finished construction.
The detail matters because enforcement is real and the definition is wide. This is general information, not legal advice; for a campaign, check the current orders of the state authority where the project sits, since each state RERA issues its own.
The four parts of the Act that touch a video
The central Act's text on India Code could not be fetched as of October 2026, so the quotations below are taken from orders of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority, Bihar, which reproduce the provisions it enforced.
| Provision | What it does | Why it matters for a video |
|---|---|---|
| Section 2(b), definition of "advertisement" | "Any document described or issued as advertisement through any medium" including "publicity in any form, informing persons about a real estate project" | A Reel, Short, story or WhatsApp video is publicity in a medium |
| Section 3(1) | No promoter may "advertise, market, book, sell or offer for sale" any unit in a planning area "without registering the real estate project" | No teaser, launch film or "coming soon" Reel before registration |
| Section 11(2) | Requires the prescribed registration disclosures in the promoter's ads | The registration number and the authority's website belong on the frame |
| Sections 59 and 61 | Penalties for advertising without registration and for other contraventions | Fines are assessed against the promoter, scaled to the project |
The definition comes from RERA Bihar's November 2022 order in case RERA/SM/09/2018, which also restates the exemption for projects where land "does not exceed five hundred square meters" or apartments "does not exceed eight inclusive of all phases." The 2(b) wording matters most: it covers informing people about a project, not only quoting a price, so a mood-led film with no price and a "register interest" link is still an ad.
What enforcement looks like: two RERA Bihar orders
On October 9, 2025, RERA Bihar decided a suo motu case about a Patna commercial project that had been advertised through "brochure, advertisement on circulated over various intermediaries platform" without registration (RERA Bihar order, RERA/SM/472/2021, as of October 2026). The authority found that the ads "did not contain the disclosures and procedural information mandated" by section 11(2), imposed "a penalty of Rs. 20 lakh" under section 59(1) and "a further penalty of Rs. 5 Lakh" under section 61, ordered the promoter "to remove all the advertisements of the projects mentioned above from all mediums within a fortnight," and asked the registration department to block sale deeds for the project.
A July 2024 order in a different case (RERA/SM/621/2023) concerned a project advertised "on the website without registering the project"; the promoter registered after the notice, and the authority treated the late fee as the penalty. The pattern across both: the authority finds the ads itself, often online, and the trigger is the ad, not a buyer complaint.
The penalty ceiling under section 59(1) is linked to the project's estimated cost; the 2025 order notes the promoter may approach the authority if the penalty exceeds "10% value of the property and estimated cost of the project."
Maharashtra's QR code and format rules
Maharashtra goes further than the Act. MahaRERA has required promoters to print a QR code that opens the project's registration page alongside the registration number and the MahaRERA website on advertisements, and press coverage describes later orders that set the size and position of those details relative to the promoter's own contact information. MahaRERA's website could not be reached as of October 2026, so the order numbers, dates, font rules and placement rules could not be verified for this article. Download the current order from maharera.maharashtra.gov.in before designing the end frame, and check whether your project's state has issued a similar order.
What follows from the principle, whatever the exact numbers: the QR code has to scan from the video as viewers see it, and the registration details shouldn't be smaller or less visible than the phone number you want people to call.
What goes on the frame of a vertical video
Neither the Act nor the orders read for this article specify how long the details stay on screen in a video. Since a viewer can stop watching at any second, the defensible choice is the whole duration.
| Element | On the frame | In the caption or description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RERA registration number | Throughout the film | Yes | Legible on a phone, plain background |
| Authority website address | Throughout the film | Yes | The state RERA website, not your own |
| QR code (Maharashtra; elsewhere if the state requires it) | Throughout the film | Not possible | Scan-test the posted video from a second phone |
| "Artist's impression" line | On every rendering-based scene | Yes | Good practice; check your state's orders for exact wording |
| Promoter name and contact | As you choose | Yes | In Maharashtra, keep it no larger than the RERA details, per the press-reported rule |
Two platform details matter. The bottom quarter and right edge of a Reel or Short are covered by captions and buttons, so put the registration block in an upper corner; Instagram Reels specs shows the safe area. And a WhatsApp forward strips your caption, so the number has to live in the pixels, not the text.
Renderings, AI scenes and the artist's-impression line
A launch film made from renderings shows a building that doesn't exist yet, and buyers pay advances on the strength of what they see. Section 12 of the Act makes the promoter answerable to a buyer who made an advance or deposit relying on incorrect or false information in an advertisement and suffered a loss; the central text couldn't be fetched as of October 2026, so read it before relying on this summary. In practice, that turns three habits into risk control:
- Show only what the sanctioned plans contain. Amenities, tower count, landscaping and views in the film should match the registered project, not an early competition scheme.
- Label every rendering scene as an artist's impression on the frame, and say in the caption that the film is a computer-generated visualization of a project under construction or planning.
- Review AI-generated motion before it goes out. Image-to-video models interpret the picture and extend it past the frame edge: an extra floor line, a garden that isn't in the landscape plan, a skyline that isn't there. The AI video quality checklist lists what to look for, and what image-to-video can and can't do explains why it happens.
If you use Arch2Video, the film comes from exactly six images of one project, the AI director plans six connected five-second scenes into a 1080 × 1920 MP4 of about 30 seconds, and every film includes a small cast of original, fictional people in at least one scene. Those people are invented, so present them as illustrative, and since there's no text overlay inside the tool, add the RERA number, website and QR code in an editor once the film is approved. A logo film also comes as a no-logo version, which suits a promoter who wants their own branding.
Who is responsible: promoter, agent or design studio
The duties in sections 3 and 11(2) sit with the promoter: the developer or the person who "advertises" the project in the Act's sense. Real estate agents have their own registration duties under the Act, and their marketing of a project is still publicity about it, so an agent's Reel needs the project's registration details too.
An architecture or visualization studio is usually a supplier. Its job is to deliver a clean master without burned-in text and an approved version with the registration block, and to keep its own portfolio posts from becoming sales ads. Because section 2(b) covers publicity "informing persons about a real estate project," a studio Reel of a project that is still selling is safer with the registration number in the caption or a note that the project is registered with the named state authority, and with no prices or booking links. Ask the promoter before posting; many prefer to control every public mention during a launch.
For multi-market launches, the same film may also need Dubai's permit number or a UK-style CGI note; off-plan launch videos from renderings compares markets, and Dubai's Trakheesi permit for videos covers that one in depth.
Frequently asked questions
Does an Instagram Reel of a project need the RERA number?
Yes, if it informs people about a real estate project being sold. The Act defines an advertisement as publicity "through any medium" and "in any form" about a project, so a Reel, Short, story or WhatsApp video counts, and section 11(2) requires the registration disclosures on it. Put the number and the authority's website on the frame for the whole video and repeat them in the caption; in Maharashtra, add the project's QR code.
Can we post a teaser video before RERA registration comes through?
No. Section 3(1) bars a promoter from advertising or marketing a project in a planning area before it is registered, and "coming soon" publicity still informs people about the project. RERA Bihar has penalized exactly this, including ads placed online before registration. Make the film in advance if you like, but publish it only after the registration number is issued, with that number on the frame.
Do renderings in a property video need an "artist's impression" label?
It's strongly advisable, and some state authorities set specific wording, so check yours. A rendering shows a building that isn't built, and the Act lets a buyer who relied on incorrect or false information in an ad seek compensation. Label every rendering-based scene on screen, keep the film consistent with the sanctioned plans, and check AI-generated motion for invented details before publishing.
Is the architect responsible if a promoter's video breaks RERA rules?
The duties in sections 3 and 11(2) are the promoter's, and penalties in the RERA Bihar orders were imposed on promoters. A studio is safest delivering a clean master plus an approved version with the registration block, and not posting sales material from its own account. When you post a project that is still selling, keep it to design credit, include the registration number, and get the promoter's agreement first.