Legal Update: RERA (Bahrain) Issued New Regulatory Controls on Real Estate Advertisements.
The Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has issued new regulatory guidelines for real estate advertisements, mandating measures to ensure honesty, transparency, and accuracy in property advertisements. These controls, effective from October 18, 2024, include the following key requirements:
1- Honesty and Transparency: No essential information should be concealed in adverts; they should truly represent the features of the property.
2- Purpose of Advertisement: The purpose of a given advert must be clearly stated by advertisers. When such purpose dies down, the ad should either expire or be updated within three days.
3- Accuracy of Materials: Advertisers need to avoid using modified advertising materials that distort the real features of the property.
4- Owner’s Approval: Advertisers must secure the property owner's approval before displaying the property and ensure the ad does not contain information that contradicts the terms agreed upon between the advertiser and the owner.
5- QR Code Requirement: A QR code given out from RERA containing licensing details needs to be included in adverts made by advertisers. If this advertisement is done by an owner directly, he/she must state it clearly.
6- Approval of Real Estate Plans: Real estate plans must not be advertised unless approved by the relevant authorities.
7- Ban on Fake Advertisements: RERA prohibits advertisements intended solely for data collection or any purpose other than selling or renting the property.
8- Off-plan projects: For off-plan sales projects licensed by RERA, advertisers must include the QR Code issued by RERA, displaying the project's licensing information.
All advertisers are required to comply with these new regulations by October 18, 2024.
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