Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) are specialized non-banking lenders focused on long-tenure home loans and housing-linked finance. With India’s housing credit market expanding rapidly across affordable, mid-market, and premium segments, HFCs play a critical role in fulfilling the national goal of “Housing for All” and serving borrower segments that banks often cannot reach.
Since August 2019, HFCs are treated as a category of NBFC and are directly regulated by the Reserve Bank of India, while the National Housing Bank (NHB) continues to play a supervisory role. HFC registration requires a minimum Net Owned Funds (NOF) of ₹20 crore, with at least 60% of total assets invested in housing finance and at least 50% in housing loans to individuals — making it one of the most strategically important NBFC categories in India.
We provide end-to-end advisory for Housing Finance Company registration — from structure selection and capital planning to RBI application, policies, tech and NHB / CERSAI integration, and ongoing regulatory, statutory, and SBR compliance — so your HFC is set up cleanly and runs compliantly from day one.
₹20 Cr
Minimum Net Owned Funds
60% / 50%
Housing finance & retail home tests
RBI & NHB
Dual regulatory architecture
6-9
Months typical timeline
Regulations & Frameworks We Align With
National Housing Bank Act, 1987
RBI Act, 1934
HFC Master Directions
Companies Act, 2013
SBR Framework
SARFAESI Act
FEMA & FDI Policy
PMLA & FIU-IND
FAQs on Housing Finance Company Registration
What is a Housing Finance Company (HFC)?
A Housing Finance Company is a category of NBFC whose principal business is financing of housing — including home loans to individuals, loans against residential property, construction finance to developers, and similar products. HFCs are governed by the National Housing Bank Act, 1987, and since 2019 are directly regulated by the Reserve Bank of India, with supervisory inputs from the NHB.
What is the minimum capital required for an HFC?
An HFC must have minimum Net Owned Funds (NOF) of ₹20 crore, maintained at all times. The capital must be genuine, traceable, and supported by certification from the statutory auditor and banker at the time of RBI application.
What are the 60% and 50% tests for an HFC?
For an entity to be classified as an HFC, at least 60% of its total assets must be deployed in housing finance, and out of this, at least 50% of total assets must be in housing loans to individuals. These tests are assessed on an ongoing basis and failure may result in re-classification as a different NBFC category.
Who regulates HFCs in India?
HFCs are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India as a category of NBFCs, with the National Housing Bank (NHB) continuing to play a supervisory and refinance role. HFCs are governed by the NHB Act, the RBI Act, HFC Master Directions, the Companies Act, SBR framework, and sector-specific laws including PMLA, SARFAESI, FEMA, and tax laws.
How long does HFC registration take?
A well-prepared HFC registration typically takes 6 to 9 months from filing to CoR grant, depending on completeness of documentation, quality of the business plan, and RBI’s queries. Promoter background, source of funds, and compliance-readiness of policies significantly influence the timeline.
Can foreign investors invest in an HFC?
Yes. Subject to the FDI policy and FEMA regulations, foreign investment is permitted in HFCs, typically under the automatic route for specified activities with applicable capitalization norms. FC-GPR / FC-TRS filings, pricing guidelines, and downstream investment rules must be followed for every foreign investment round.
Can an HFC use SARFAESI for recovery?
Yes. Eligible HFCs are notified as “financial institutions” under the SARFAESI Act, 2002, enabling them to enforce security interests and recover dues without court intervention, subject to satisfaction of threshold and procedural conditions. This is one of the key advantages of operating as a registered HFC.
What are the main ongoing compliance requirements for an HFC?
Core compliances include continuous maintenance of 60% / 50% asset tests, 15% CRAR, periodic RBI returns, NHB supervisory inputs, Fair Practices Code, KYC / AML, PMLA & FIU-IND reporting, CERSAI and CKYCR integration, MCA filings, statutory audit, income tax, GST, and alignment with the Scale-Based Regulatory (SBR) framework.