Forms 1, 2, 3 and 5: who certifies what in a MahaRERA filing

A quarterly progress report rests on three certificates, signed by three different professionals, plus an annual audit report. Knowing what each one states, and how they depend on each other, is most of the work of getting a QPR in on time.

Form 1: the architect’s certificate

The project architect certifies the percentage of work completed: building by building, floor by floor, and for common areas and amenities. It is the measure of physical progress that the rest of the filing leans on.

What slows it down: the architect needs a site visit near the quarter end, and progress on several buildings in one project is easy to report inconsistently from one quarter to the next.

Form 2: the engineer’s certificate

The engineer certifies the cost of construction incurred to date and the estimated cost to complete, with the quantities behind them. Where Form 1 says how far along the work is, Form 2 says what it has cost.

What slows it down: estimated total cost changes as rates change, and a revised estimate has to be explained, not just entered.

Form 3: the chartered accountant’s certificate

A practising CA certifies the money side: amounts collected from allottees, the cost of land and construction incurred, and the amounts withdrawn from the designated account. It is the certificate that supports withdrawals from the 70% account being in proportion to the completion certified by the architect and engineer.

What slows it down: Form 3 depends on the other two and on the books being reconciled with the bank. If collections in the books do not match the collection account, or the 70% transfers fall short, the CA will not sign until the difference is explained. Our note on the three bank accounts lists the checks worth doing first.

Form 5: the annual audit report

Once a year, a CA reports on the project’s accounts for the financial year: whether the money collected was used for the project, and whether withdrawals followed the proportion of completion. It is due within six months of the financial year ending, so by 30 September.

What slows it down: everything that was explained quarter by quarter has to be explained again for the full year. Firms that kept a record of each quarter’s differences finish Form 5 in days; firms that did not start again from the bank statements.

The order matters

The certificates are not independent. Form 3 waits for Forms 1 and 2, and for reconciled books. In practice that means:

1. Request Forms 1 and 2 first, as soon as the quarter ends.
2. Reconcile the books and bank while you wait for them.
3. Send the reconciled figures to the CA with the architect’s and engineer’s certificates attached.
4. Compare the signed Form 3 with your figures before you file.

The last step is the one most often skipped. A CA’s certificate that quotes a different collection figure from the one entered on the portal is a problem waiting for the next scrutiny.

Formats change

MahaRERA has revised its certificate formats over the years. Always use the current formats from the MahaRERA website, and expect professionals to need a reminder when one changes.

How ReraQPR handles it

Every project’s quarter has a checklist with Forms 1, 2 and 3, bookings and, in the right quarter, Form 5. Each professional gets an upload link for their own form and a reminder when it is late. When a certificate arrives, AI reads its figures and compares them with your approved QPR figures, quoting the page it read, so a mismatch is caught before you file rather than after.

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This article describes the certificates in general terms. The exact contents of each form are set by MahaRERA; refer to the current formats on the MahaRERA website.