Ban on Real Estate Adverts Without Prior Approval

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Under new regulations issued by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), advertising real estate plans without prior approval from relevant authorities will be banned starting October 18, 2024.

RERA has laid out specific guidelines for real estate advertisements and urged all licensed institutions to comply.

RERA has stressed its aim to regulate the real estate sector and ensure the protection of all stakeholders' rights.

Licensed entities are required to maintain principles of integrity and transparency, avoiding the concealment of any vital information about the advertised property.

Advertisements must obtain the owner’s consent before being published and must not contain any misleading information.

The regulations state that the purpose of the advertisement must be clearly defined.

Once the purpose is achieved, the advertisement must be updated or removed within three days. Additionally, all advertisements must include a quick response (QR) code issued by the RERA, displaying licensing information. If an advertisement is directly from the owner, this must be clearly indicated.

RERA has mandated that advertisements should not use altered images that misrepresent the property. Advertising real estate plans without approval from relevant authorities is strictly forbidden. For sales projects advertised on a map licensed by RERA, a QR code showing the project's licensing information must be included.

The decision prohibits fake advertisements aimed solely at data collection or other purposes not related to the actual sale or rental of the property.

These directives will take effect on October 18, 2024, and compliance is expected to avoid any penalties under Law No. 27 of 2017 and related decisions. RERA has also informed licensing authorities that QR codes for each institution’s licence will be provided shortly.