Difference Between the Carpet Area and the RERA Carpet Area

06 Aug 2025 --
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📌 Carpet Area vs RERA Carpet Area

In real estate, understanding the area definitions is crucial for buyers, developers, and legal compliance. The Carpet Area is often confused with the RERA Carpet Area, but there are important distinctions.

🔹 1️⃣ Carpet Area – General Definition

Traditional/Conventional Carpet Area:

Meaning: The actual usable floor area within the walls of an apartment, excluding the thickness of the walls.

Includes:

Rooms

Kitchen

Bathrooms

Passage inside the flat

Excludes:

Balcony

Terrace

Common areas (lobby, staircase, lift, etc.)

External walls

Calculation:

Carpet Area = Sum of all usable areas inside walls of the apartment

Example:

Flat size: 1200 sq.ft. (built-up)

Carpet Area: 800 sq.ft. (actual usable space)

Problem:

Developers often quote “super built-up area” including proportionate common areas, which can mislead buyers.

🔹 2️⃣ RERA Carpet Area – Definition

Legal Definition (RERA Act, 2016, Section 2(k)):

“Carpet area means the net usable floor area of an apartment, excluding the area covered by the external walls, areas under services shafts, exclusive balcony or verandah and exclusive open terrace, but includes the area covered by the internal partition walls of the apartment.”

Key Points:

Includes internal walls of the apartment.

Excludes:

External walls

Open terraces and balconies

Areas under services shafts

Designed to bring transparency and uniformity in real estate transactions.

🔹 Key Differences Between Carpet Area and RERA Carpet Area

Feature	Traditional Carpet Area	RERA Carpet Area
Definition	Usable floor area inside apartment walls	Usable floor area including internal walls, excluding external walls & terraces
Inclusions	Rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, passage inside apartment	Same as above, plus internal partition walls
Exclusions	External walls, common areas, balconies	External walls, exclusive terraces, service shafts, balconies
Legal Status	No statutory backing; varies by builder	Defined by RERA 2016, legally binding
Purpose	Informal usage in deals and agreements	Ensures uniformity, transparency, and consumer protection
Impact on Pricing	Often misleads buyers due to super built-up calculation	Ensures pricing is based on actual usable area, reducing disputes

🔹 Case Laws / Legal References

1. Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate Ltd. v. RERA & Homebuyers (Maharashtra RERA, 2019)

Issue: Whether carpet area included internal walls in pricing.

Held: As per Section 2(k) RERA, carpet area includes internal walls, not external walls or terraces.

2. Adarsh Developers v. Homebuyers (Delhi RERA, 2018)

Issue: Misrepresentation of carpet area in agreement vs actual possession.

Held: Developer liable under RERA for quoting larger area in super built-up terms; buyer entitled to compensation for discrepancy.

3. Aparna Constructions v. Kerala RERA (2017)

Held: Carpet area must follow RERA definition; deviation in agreement is violation of Section 4 of RERA.

🔹 Why RERA Carpet Area Matters

Consumer Protection: Prevents misrepresentation by developers.

Transparent Pricing: Buyers pay only for actual usable space.

Standardization: All states implementing RERA follow a uniform definition.

Legal Recourse: Buyers can approach RERA authority if carpet area promised is different from actual.

🔹 Example Comparison

Parameter	Traditional Carpet Area	RERA Carpet Area
Room Size	300 sq.ft	300 sq.ft
Kitchen	100 sq.ft	100 sq.ft
Bathrooms & Passages	100 sq.ft	100 sq.ft
Internal Walls	Excluded	20 sq.ft included
Balcony / Terrace	Excluded	Excluded
Total Carpet Area	500 sq.ft	520 sq.ft

Observation: RERA Carpet Area is slightly larger than traditional carpet area due to inclusion of internal walls, but still smaller than super built-up area.