Many pages still quote the older ₹5 lakh figures from June. Those were replaced. Here is the current rulebook and a two-minute check you can run on any Chennai ad.

What must a Chennai property ad show?

TNRERA's comprehensive directions of 16 June 2026, issued under Section 37 of the RERA Act, set out the rules by medium:

  • Newspapers, magazines and websites: registration number, Form-C QR code and TNRERA's website, preferably at the top right. Font size at least 12 for quarter-page or larger ads, at least 8 for smaller ones. Multi-page ads carry them at the top right of the first page.
  • Classified ads: TNRERA website and registration number; every project listed needs its own number.
  • Brochures, leaflets and flyers: number, QR code and website, legible.
  • Hoardings, including small boards on road dividers, light poles, buses and bus shelters: number, QR code and website at the top right, readable to passers-by.
  • TV and radio: must say whether the project is a RERA registered project; TV infographics carry the number, QR code and website. The 4 August 2026 circular adds that FM radio and TV ads should mention 'RERA approved'.
  • Social media and online property sites: number, QR code and a link to TNRERA's website. Property sites may not advertise a project without them.
  • Every ad: promoter's name, office address, contact details and the project's exact location.

Which ad claims are banned?

  • Any ad for a project not registered with TNRERA (Section 3(1) of the Act).
  • Comparing the project's price with a so-called 'market price' or with other projects or builders.
  • 'Terms and conditions apply'. The terms must be spelled out.
  • A bare count of amenities such as '100+ amenities'. Only amenities promised in the sale agreement may be shown.
  • Misleading location claims; the 4 August circular lists misleading price comparison and location together as a major violation.
  • Exempt projects (pre-RERA, or under 500 sq m and under 8 apartments) must say 'Project is exempted from RERA registration'.

What are the TNRERA ad penalties now?

TNRERA has issued three versions. The current one is the circular of 4 August 2026, in force from 7 August 2026:

  • Major violations: advertising an unregistered project; misleading ads on price comparison and location, taken up suo motu or on complaint. Penalty ₹1,00,000.
  • Minor violations: no TNRERA website address; wrong registration number; no Form-C QR code; QR code unreadable; no registration number; no promoter office address. Penalty ₹25,000.
  • The Authority can decide other violations case by case and impose higher penalties under the Act.

How the penalties changed: June vs August 2026

The circular of 24 June 2026 (in force 1 July) linked penalties to project cost. For a project of ₹100 crore or more, a major violation was ₹5,00,000 and a minor one ₹1,00,000. Below ₹100 crore it was ₹2,00,000 and ₹50,000. The 4 August circular replaced this with flat amounts.

Worked out for a large project: a major violation fell from ₹5,00,000 to ₹1,00,000, an 80% cut (4,00,000 ÷ 5,00,000). A minor one fell from ₹1,00,000 to ₹25,000, a 75% cut. For a buyer, the amount matters less than the fact that the requirement itself did not change: no number and QR code, no booking.

Why the QR code rule helps buyers

Ads are where most buyers first meet a project, and they are written to sell. The QR code links the ad to the one document TNRERA issues for the project, the Form-C registration certificate. That lets you check, in seconds and before a site visit, that the project exists in the regulator's records under that name and promoter, and what completion date the builder committed to.

The 3 July 2026 clarification matters for older projects. Where TNRERA has extended a project's registration and issued Form-F, the QR code in the ad must also contain Form-F. So an ad for a delayed project should show you the extended date too.

Placement and size rules, in practice

  • Look at the top right corner first. That is where TNRERA wants the number, QR code and website in print ads and on hoardings.
  • On a quarter-page or larger newspaper ad, the details should not be smaller than 12-point type; on smaller ads, not below 8-point.
  • Builders' websites, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X pages are covered, as are online property sites.
  • A classified ad listing several projects needs a separate registration number for each.
  • An ad that says only 'RERA approved' without a number or QR code is incomplete.

How to check a Chennai property ad in two minutes

  • Find the TNRERA number. If there is none, treat the project as unregistered until proven otherwise.
  • Scan the QR code with your phone. It should lead to the Form-C of that same project. A QR code that opens a brochure, a sales page or another project is itself a violation.
  • Match the details: project name, promoter name and registration number in the ad should match Form-C exactly.
  • Note the completion date on Form-C, and Form-F if there is one. Old Form-Cs issued before June 2025 had no QR code, so the promoter must generate one from the actual certificate.
  • Search the number on rera.tn.gov.in and open the approved plan and documents.
  • Ignore 'below market price' claims and ask for a written cost sheet instead.
  • If something does not match, do not pay a booking amount.

What if a project has no RERA number but says 'pre-launch'?

A promoter cannot advertise or book a project before registration. A 'pre-launch' or 'EOI' offer with no TNRERA number is exactly what the rules target. Wait for registration and read the Form-C before committing money. For the full pre-booking routine, see How to Verify a Residential Project Before You Buy: Bangalore, Gurgaon and Chennai (2026), and for legal steps after that, Legal Steps to Buy a Flat in Chennai: The 2026 Checklist.

How to report a non-compliant ad

TNRERA can act suo motu or on a complaint. Its office is at RERA Tower, No. 133, G-Block, 1st Avenue, Anna Nagar (East), Chennai 600102, and its help desk number changed to 9025 201 202 from 2 September 2026 per the TNRERA website. Keep a photo or screenshot of the ad with the date and place.

When you shortlist, compare registered launches in New Launches, Chennai and finished homes in Ready To Move, Chennai. If you are budgeting, the Chennai stamp duty calculator calculator shows registration costs.