India, May 12 -- The Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP-Rera) has directed all developers to immediately stop handing over incomplete apartments to homebuyers, cracking down on errant builders, officials said. The order, issued on May 8, clearly reiterates the law that possession can only be offered after full completion of the apartment, all promised amenities are in place, and a registered sale or lease deed has been executed, they added.

The directive, issued under Section 37 of the Rera Act, 2016, aims to protect new buyers from being forced to accept bare-shell flats, a practice that UP-Rera has deemed both illegal and a serious violation of the law.

"The promoters found violating these rules can be fined up to 5% o...