How to verify the carpet area of your new flat at possession

You have the keys. Before you sign the possession receipt, confirm the flat is the exact size your agreement promised.

Measure your new flat on RERA carpet area — net usable floor space excluding external walls, shafts and exclusive balconies, but including internal partition walls. Compare that measured figure against the exact square feet written in your registered PAAA, get an architect to certify it, and raise any shortfall in writing before signing the possession receipt.

What exactly should you measure at possession?

Measure only RERA carpet area. Under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016, carpet area is the net usable floor area of the flat, excluding external walls, shafts, exclusive balcony or verandah area and exclusive open terrace area, but including the internal partition walls. So the thickness of the walls between your bedroom and living room counts; the outer wall does not. Builders often quote built-up or saleable area in brochures, which is a larger number for the same flat. If someone hands you a figure and you are not sure what it includes, run it through our carpet to built-up converter before you accept it.

What do you compare the measurement against?

Compare it against the exact square feet written in your registered Permanent Alternate Accommodation Agreement — not against a percentage increase anyone promised in a meeting. RERA requires the sale agreement to state carpet area, and in redevelopment your PAAA is the document that binds the developer to a specific size. Take out the agreement, find the number, and measure against that alone. If the additional area you agreed to was calculated separately, check it with the additional area calculator so you know what the total should have been.

Read the carpet area figure from the registered PAAA, including the approved plan annexed to it.
Have a qualified architect or the society's project management consultant measure the flat and certify the result in writing.
Do this before you shift in and before furniture makes measurement difficult.

What if the flat is smaller than promised?

Do not sign the possession receipt quietly and complain later. Put the shortfall in writing to the developer and to the society's committee, attach the architect's certificate, and ask for a written response. RERA provides remedies where the carpet area delivered falls short of what the agreement states, so keep the paperwork clean. Small variations can arise from measurement method rather than actual loss of space, so establish the method first. Where the shortfall is significant or the developer disputes it, take proper professional advice before settling, and read our possession and corpus guide for the wider handover checklist.

Work it out for your own society

Convert between carpet, built-up and saleable area so you know exactly which figure the developer has quoted you.

Open the Carpet to Built-up Converter

Common questions

Does the balcony count in my carpet area?

No. Under RERA 2016, an exclusive balcony or verandah area and an exclusive open terrace area are excluded from carpet area, as are external walls and shafts. Internal partition walls are included. So a flat with a large balcony may feel bigger than its carpet figure suggests. Always check what the PAAA counts, and measure only the enclosed usable floor area.

Who should measure the flat — me or the developer?

Get an independent architect or the society's project management consultant to measure and certify it in writing. Your own tape measurement is useful as a first check, but a certified measurement carries weight if there is a dispute later. Ask for the certificate on letterhead, with the method stated, and keep a copy with your registered PAAA.

Should I sign the possession receipt if the area seems short?

Raise it in writing first. Write to the developer and copy the society committee, attach the architect's certificate, and record your objection before signing anything. Signing without a recorded objection makes the position harder later. RERA gives remedies for carpet area shortfall, but your written record from the day of handover is what supports your case.