Difference Between Usable Carpet Area and RERA Carpet Area
Are you planning to buy any property this year? If so, then you must be aware of all the technological terms to take informed decisions. The two most commonly used such terms are usable carpet area and RERA carpet area. There are few major differences between the two which every homeowner should be aware of to set their expectations from the builder.
This blog will speak about both the terminologies to let you know the basic difference between usable carpet area and RERA carpet area. We will let you know what both the words mean; their calculation differences and whey these terms matter a lot to both buyers and investors in the real estate market.
Know about Usable carpet area
This area shows the total space which you can use in the property. This includes:
- Bedrooms: This space comes under usable carpet area and is mostly occupied by furniture
- Kitchen: The kitchen area is usable as it is important for our daily living.
- Living room: It also covers the major portion of the carpet area and can be used for leisure and entertainment
- Bathrooms: Bathrooms also come under usable area as they are essential and functional space
- Hallways inside property: These spaces are also functional and come under usable carpet area.
The thickness of wall is not covered in usable carpet area. This term also doesn’t include common areas like balconies, staircases, lifts, passageways. In short, usable carpet area shows the functional area which can be used by homeowners or tenants.
For instance, while buying a residential property, usable carpet area is the one you can use physically within your walls to put furniture, setup working spaces, living room etc.
Know about RERA carpet area
The RERA carpet area covers the usable area of the apartment along with some inclusions.
As per their guidelines, it includes:
- The walls internal units
- The doorframe thickness
- The balcony area if usable
However this guideline doesn’t include external areas like staircase, lift, corridors or lobbies and external walls.
For instance, a balcony which is approachable from living room will be included in RERA carpet area. In case, if it is not accessible then its area will not be included. There are homebuyers that design a work-from-home setup in apartments. That space will also come under RERA carpet area.
RERA has increased transparency by following a standard method to calculate carpet area. The RERA carpet area will always remain slightly greater than usable carpet area.
Major differences between Usable carpet area and RERA carpet area
Now, let’s dig deeper to know more about these two terminologies and their main differences.
Inclusions and Exclusions
- Usable carpet area: This area will only include the space which can be used by the homeowner for living. It will exclude wall thickness, balconies and common spaces like staircases and lobbies. The focus will only be on actual available space inside the apartment.
- RERA carpet area: RERA includes all the space that covers internal walls, doorframe thickness. It will also include balcony if it is accessible. However common areas like elevators, passageways or lobbies are not its part either.
Regulatory Standards
- Usable Carpet Area: The calculation of usable carpet area depends from one developer to another. There are builders that follow standard practices in usable carpet area, but as such there are no central regulations to ensure consistency.
- RERA carpet area: Under RERA act, it is mandatory for builders to follow standardized method. There are certain guidelines for carpet area which builders need to adhere with to maintain transparency to consumers. This ensures that the calculated area will remain uniform across the country.
Legal Binding
- Usable carpet area: Although usable carpet area is commonly used in the real estate market, but it is not a legal binding. Builders can use it as per their approximation, but it doesn’t hold any legal weight like RERA carpet area.
- RERA carpet area: It is mandatory for all builders to mention carpet area in their sales agreement. A home buyer can go legally in case he finds a discrepancy between the committed RERA carpet area and the actual space. In such circumstances, he can claim for compensation.
Market Impact
- Usable Carpet area: Being subjective in nature, developers can show the measurement of usable carpet area to make the property more spacious than it truly is. This can mislead buyers as they expect actual usable area to match with the advertised one.
- RERA carpet area: With the emergence of RERA guidelines, carpet area has become an official and legally recognized metric in real estate transactions. This helps buyers to take informed decisions.
How RERA has overcome the challenges of homebuyers?
Clear comparison between properties
Carpet area may lead to confusion among buyers if not mentioned accurately by the builder, especially while comparing multiple properties. Home buyers may feel size difference between two properties of same carpet area. With RERA guidelines buyers will remain assured that the carpet area is quite accurate.
Accurate expectations
As RERA has come up with certain regulations and guidelines, it provides uniform and reliable measurement to buyers. Homeowners can trust on carpet area figures and this will reduce their disappointment. This will set accurate expectations among them regarding space within apartment.
Legal protection
RERA guidelines are legally enforceable. This increases the trust of home buyers as they are assured that they can go legally in case of any discrepancy in the actual and promised carpet area.
Conclusion
To conclude both usable carpet area and RERA carpet area are two important terminologies that each homeowner should know before buying any property. Usable carpet area is the more practical one in our day-to-day living while RERA carpet area is the standard one and is legally approved to maintain transparency and fairness in property transactions.
Investors, property buyers and real estate professionals must know these two terms while evaluating property value. With the implementation of RERA guidelines it has become possible for homeowners to exactly know the usable space. You must inquire about RERA carpet area while buying any property to take informed decisions.
