MahaRERA Order 46C/2025: Ad Compliance Rules Every Real Estate Agent Must Follow

A Pune Enforcement Wave That Now Reaches Agents

On July 21, 2026, MahaRERA penalised a Pune developer under Order No. 46C/2025 for advertisement disclosure failures. That action was not an isolated one. Between May and July 2026, MahaRERA issued suo motu Section 63 orders against at least three Pune developers, including Vilas Javdekar and Amol Ajit Ravetkar, over the same category of violations.

The detail most brokers missed is buried in the order itself. Order 46C/2025 is binding on registered real estate agents, not only promoters. Any advertisement you publish, share, or approve for a project falls under its scope. A developer's clean campaign does not protect you if the version you circulate on WhatsApp or your own portal drops a required disclosure.

This is now a direct operational risk for every property advisor working in Maharashtra. The enforcement pattern shows MahaRERA is willing to act on its own initiative, without waiting for a complaint.

What Order 46C/2025 Actually Requires in Every Ad

The order, dated April 8, 2025, sets three mandatory display conditions for any project advertisement. First, the MahaRERA registration number of the project must be clearly visible. It cannot sit in fine print at the bottom or be reduced to an unreadable size. Visibility is judged by whether an ordinary reader can see and note the number without effort.

Second, the MahaRERA website address must appear in a font size at parity with the largest font used in the advertisement. If your headline runs at 40 points, the website reference cannot be tucked in at 8 points. This font parity rule is what tripped up the developers penalised in Pune.

Third, the QR code linking to the project's MahaRERA page must be placed prominently and be scannable. A distorted, shrunk, or decorative QR code that fails to scan is treated as non-compliance. All three conditions apply to print, digital, hoardings, and social media posts.

Why This Binds Registered Intermediaries, Not Just Builders

Under Sections 9 and 10 of the Act, a registered real estate agent has independent duties tied to their registration. When you promote a project, you are advertising in your own regulated capacity. Order 46C/2025 confirms MahaRERA reads these duties strictly.

The practical trap is the agent-produced advertisement. Many consultants take a developer's approved creative, crop it, add their own contact panel, and repost it. In that process, the registration number gets covered, the website line shrinks, or the QR code is cut off. The moment you alter and republish, you become responsible for the compliance of the final output, regardless of what the original looked like.

This is why brokers can no longer treat ad compliance as the builder's problem. Your registration is on the line. If you are still preparing for certification, understanding these Section 9 and 10 obligations is core to the MahaRERA exam syllabus.

The Section 63 Penalty Mechanics

Section 63 covers failure to comply with MahaRERA orders. The penalty starts at a minimum of ₹10,000 and can run up to ₹50,000 for each violation. The amount within that band depends on the nature and repetition of the breach.

The part that catches people is the doubling clause. If the penalty is not paid within 15 days of the order, the amount is liable to double. A ₹50,000 penalty ignored for two weeks becomes ₹1,00,000. There is no informal grace period once the order is served.

Because these are per-violation figures, a single non-compliant campaign running across three platforms can generate three separate penalties. You can model the exposure using a RERA penalty calculator before assuming a violation is minor. Treat every advertisement as a distinct compliance unit, not the campaign as a whole.

The Administrative Freeze Most Agents Overlook

The financial penalty is not the worst part of Order 46C/2025. The order directs MahaRERA's Technical and Finance Departments to block portal actions until penalty payment is proved. This is the administrative freeze.

Until you produce proof of payment, MahaRERA can hold up project extensions, corrections, and other portal applications tied to your work. For a property advisor managing multiple active listings, a freeze on one matter can stall your ability to file routine updates across the portal. The freeze is procedural, so it applies automatically once flagged, without a fresh hearing.

This converts a small advertising slip into a business continuity problem. A pending registration renewal or certificate action can sit blocked while you scramble to clear a penalty. Pay early, keep the receipt, and upload proof the same day you settle any Section 63 order.

Pre-Publication Checklist Before You Approve or Share

Run this check on every piece of promotional material before it goes out. For developer-produced ads you are sharing unchanged: confirm the registration number is visible, the website address matches the largest font, and the QR code scans on your own phone. If any of the three fails, do not forward it and flag it to the developer in writing.

For agent-produced ads, where you have edited or rebuilt the creative: re-check all three conditions on the final file, not the source file. Cropping, resizing for Instagram, or adding your contact strip can break compliance you assumed was safe.

Keep a dated copy of every version you publish. If MahaRERA queries an ad, your saved file and scan test become your defence. Note the platform, date, and project registration number in a simple log. This record separates a careless broker from a defensible one.

How This Shows Up in Your Exam Preparation

Advertisement compliance is a standing topic in the agent certification exam, and Order 46C/2025 sharpens exactly which details examiners test. Expect questions on the three display conditions, the Section 63 penalty range of ₹10,000 to ₹50,000, and the 15-day doubling rule. The administrative freeze is a newer point that distinguishes candidates who track live circulars from those relying on old notes.

Work through scenario questions where an agent modifies a developer's ad and republishes it, since that fact pattern maps directly to Sections 9 and 10 duties. Practising these in a full-length MahaRERA mock test builds the recall you need under time pressure.

Use topic-wise practice on advertisement and penalty provisions to drill the exact numbers. Candidates who confuse Section 63 with Section 59 or 60 lose easy marks, so fix those distinctions early.