How to apply for the MHADA lottery
Quick answer
Sign up on housing.mhada.gov.in or in the MHADA IHLMS 2.0 app with your PAN, verify your Aadhaar, and upload your documents. Then choose a MHADA Board and a scheme, pay the application fee and the EMD online, and your application is submitted. Winners are picked by a draw and told by SMS, email and the app.
Who it is for: Anyone who is 18 or older, has a valid domicile certificate and does not own a residential property in the area of the MHADA Board they apply to.
What you need before you start
- Your Aadhaar number, and the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar. The OTP goes to that number.
- Your PAN card, and an email address.
- A domicile certificate issued after 1 January 2018 (see the guide on how to get it).
- Income proof: your income tax return and an income certificate from the Tehsildar. The same for your spouse if you are married.
- A way to pay online: card, UPI or net banking. You can pay from anyone's account or card.
Conditions
- You must be 18 years or older.
- You must have a valid domicile certificate. MHADA accepts only a barcode enabled certificate from the Aaple Sarkar portal, issued after 1 January 2018.
- You must not own a residential property in the area of the MHADA Board you apply to.
- Income groups in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, PMRDA, NMRDA and NIT areas (cities with more than 10 lakh people): EWS up to Rs 6 lakh a year, LIG up to Rs 9 lakh, MIG up to Rs 12 lakh, HIG above Rs 12 lakh.
- Income groups in areas outside these: EWS up to Rs 4.5 lakh a year, LIG up to Rs 7.5 lakh, MIG up to Rs 12 lakh, HIG above Rs 12 lakh.
- You can also apply in a higher group: EWS can apply for EWS, LIG, MIG and HIG homes, LIG for LIG, MIG and HIG, MIG for MIG and HIG, and HIG only for HIG.
- These conditions can change from lottery to lottery. Some schemes (the 20 percent scheme, PMAY and first come first served) have their own income rules. Read the brochure of the scheme you want.
Step by step
Step 1: Open the official portal or app
Go to housing.mhada.gov.in, or install the app called MHADA IHLMS 2.0 (also shown as MHADA Housing Lottery System) from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
MHADA says registration and application for its lottery are only through its official website and app. Do not use any other website or agent.
Step 2: Sign up with your PAN
Choose Sign up and enter your PAN number. Then enter your email, your mobile number and a password.
Step 3: Verify your email
Enter the OTP that comes to your email.
If it does not come, check that the email is right and look in the spam folder.
Step 4: Verify your Aadhaar
Enter your Aadhaar number and verify it with the OTP sent to your Aadhaar linked mobile and your Digilocker TPIN. If you forgot the TPIN, choose Forgot TPIN and make a new one.
The OTP works for 2 minutes only. If it says invalid, choose Resend OTP. Your mobile number and address come from Aadhaar and cannot be changed here.
Step 5: Upload your documents and choose your category
Upload your Aadhaar, PAN, domicile certificate and the other documents asked. Select your caste, marital status and category, and upload the certificates for them.
The system reads the documents by itself and this usually takes 1 to 2 working days. Scan in good light and hold your phone upright. If the reading fails, scan again, preferably with a scanner.
Step 6: Sign the self declaration
View the self declaration form on the portal and sign it there.
Step 7: Wait for the lottery to open
The start and end dates of each lottery are in its official advertisement and calendar. Read the brochure of the scheme first: it has the homes, prices, EMD and rules.
Step 8: Choose the Board and the scheme
Go to the menu and choose Apply. Select the MHADA Board, then your preferred scheme.
Step 9: See the fee and the EMD, and pay
Choose Apply and go to payment. The application fee and the EMD (earnest money deposit) are shown. Choose Confirm, then a payment mode: credit card, debit card, UPI, net banking or NEFT/RTGS, and pay.
The EMD is different for each scheme and is in the brochure or on the portal.
Step 10: Your application is submitted
When the payment is done, the application is submitted. You can apply for more than one scheme in a lottery, and for the same scheme again only under a different category.
Step 11: Follow your application
In the app, go to Menu and then Application List to see all your applications and their status. The dates of the draft list, the final list and the draw are under Important Dates.
Documents
Identity
- Aadhaar card (yours, and your spouse's if you are married)
- PAN card (yours, and your spouse's if you are married)
Domicile
- Domicile certificate issued after 1 January 2018, with a barcode, from the Aaple Sarkar portal
Income
- Income tax return (yours, and your spouse's if you are married)
- Income certificate from the Tehsildar
Caste and category, only if it applies
- Caste certificate and its validity
- Artist: certificate from the Directorate of Cultural Affairs
- Journalist: certificate from the MHADA PRO department
- Freedom fighter: certificate from the Collector office
- Ex-servicemen and defence families: Zilla Sainik Welfare Office
- Person with a disability: Swavlamban card
- MP, MLA or MLC: Secretariat of Parliament or of the Legislature
- MHADA employee: ID card
- Central or State government employee: the competent authority of the department
For these categories the portal makes the certificate form for you. Open the app, go to Menu and then Certificate Generation, enter your PAN, choose your category and fill the details, then choose Generate Certificate or Mail Certificate. Print it, get it signed and stamped by the competent authority above, then scan it and upload the signed copy. Do not upload an old certificate. You can make one for each category you belong to.
Fee: The application fee and the EMD (earnest money deposit) change with the scheme and are in the brochure or on the portal. If you do not win, your full EMD is refunded. The application fee is not refunded.
After you apply
- The draw result comes by SMS and email, and shows in the app under Application Menu. The winner list is also on the MHADA lottery website. The lottery helpline is 022-69468100.
- You get a live webcast link for the draw by SMS and email.
- If you win, you download a Conditional Provisional Offer Letter (POL) from the app or your email. The final POL comes only after MHADA officers verify your documents. Read the guide on what to do after winning.
- If you do not win, get your EMD back: enter your own bank account and upload a photo of a cancelled cheque or passbook. MHADA checks the account by sending Rs 1, then starts the refund.
- If you are on the waiting list, you are told by SMS, email and a letter when your turn comes because a winner surrendered or was not eligible.
Common problems
I paid, but my name is not in the draft or final list.
Check your application number and the payment status. If your name is still missing, raise a complaint or file an appeal through the system.
My domicile certificate has no barcode.
It will not be accepted. Only barcode enabled domicile certificates from the Aaple Sarkar portal are valid. Apply for a new one at a CSC centre or a Maha e-Seva Kendra.
I do not get the OTP.
Check that the mobile number and email are right, that your network is working, and try again after a while. For the Aadhaar OTP, your mobile number must be linked with your Aadhaar. You can link it at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra.
My document shows Verification in Process or failed.
The check takes 1 to 2 working days and you are told when it is done. If the reading failed, scan again in good light, preferably with a scanner, and upload it again.
My reservation certificate is not accepted, or I made a mistake in it.
Do not upload an old certificate. Make a new one in the app under Certificate Generation. To fix a mistake, enter your PAN, choose the category, tap the pencil icon, change the details, save, and generate the certificate again. Artist, freedom fighter and MP, MLA or MLC applicants can register without the certificate for now, but must submit and verify it before possession.
Questions and answers
Who can apply for a MHADA lottery?
Anyone 18 or older with a valid domicile certificate who does not own a residential property in the area of the MHADA Board they apply to. The income group decides which homes you can choose. These conditions can change from lottery to lottery, so read the brochure of the scheme.
Where do I apply?
Only on the official MHADA lottery portal, housing.mhada.gov.in, or in the MHADA IHLMS 2.0 app. You cannot apply offline and you do not send a paper form.
How much do I have to pay?
You pay an application fee and an EMD. Both change with the scheme and are shown at the payment step and in the brochure. If you do not win, the full EMD comes back and the application fee does not.
Which documents are needed?
Aadhaar, PAN, a domicile certificate issued after 1 January 2018, your income tax return and an income certificate from the Tehsildar, and a caste or category certificate if it applies. Married applicants add the same for their spouse. The full list is above.
Where do I see the lottery result?
You are told by SMS and email, the app shows it under Application Menu, and the winner list is on the MHADA lottery website. The date and time of the draw are on the lottery portal and in Important Dates in the app.
Can I apply for more than one scheme?
Yes, you can apply for many schemes in any MHADA lottery. For the same scheme you can apply again only under a different category. If you win more than one home, you must surrender all but one.
Do I need to register again for another Board's lottery?
No. The same registration works for the lotteries of different Boards.
Official links
Related guides
How to get a Maharashtra Domicile Certificate
The Age, Nationality and Domicile Certificate is given by the Tahsildar. You apply online on the Aaple Sarkar portal and pay a fee of Rs 20.
- Apply
- Online or at an office
- Fee
- Rs 20
- Time
- 15 days (notified time)
How to get an Income Certificate in Maharashtra
The Income Certificate is given by the Nayab Tahsildar. You apply online on the Aaple Sarkar portal and pay a fee of Rs 20.
- Apply
- Online
- Fee
- Rs 20
- Time
- 15 days (notified time)
How to get a Caste Certificate in Maharashtra
The Caste Certificate is given by the Sub Divisional Officer or Deputy Collector. You apply online on the Aaple Sarkar portal and pay a fee of Rs 40.
- Apply
- Online
- Fee
- Rs 40
- Time
- 45 days on the portal service page, 21 days in the official checklist PDF
MHADA lottery winner: what to do next
After the draw, every step up to possession is done in the MHADA IHLMS 2.0 app. First the Conditional POL, then document verification, then the final POL and your payments.
- Apply
- Online
- Fee
- Payments as in your POL
- Time
- First 10 percent: within 30 to 45 days
LABHLO is an independent information platform. This guide is a summary of the official source and is not a government document. Rules, fees and websites can change, so check the official portal before you apply.