HomeCirculars › RBI/2013-14/67

Master Circular on Housing Finance – July 2013

No longer current — replaced by rbi-2013-14-17
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/67 · issued 01 Jul 2013 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI consolidated all housing finance instructions up to June 30, 2013 into a single master circular. It covers direct/indirect housing loans, priority sector treatment, LTV ratios, risk weights, and real estate exposure norms for scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs).

What changed

This master circular updates the previous July 2012 version by incorporating all housing finance-related instructions issued up to June 30, 2013. It consolidates the entire regulatory framework into one document for easier reference.

What it means for you

Banks must now refer to this single master circular for all housing finance guidelines, ensuring compliance with the latest RBI directives. The circular reinforces the focus on orderly growth of housing loan portfolios and alignment with the National Housing Policy.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Housing finance departments, Risk management and compliance teams, Priority sector lending teams

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

Does this master circular apply to Regional Rural Banks?

No, the circular explicitly excludes Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) from its scope.

What is the legal basis for this circular?

It is a statutory directive issued under Sections 21 and 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Does this circular introduce new housing finance rules?

No, it consolidates and updates existing instructions issued up to June 30, 2013, without introducing new regulations.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #1100: DBOD.No.DIR.BC.17/08.12.001/2013-14 — "Master Circular - Housing Finance" dated July 1, 2013”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/67 DBOD. No.DIR.BC.17/08.12.001/2013-14 July 1, 2013 Ashadha 10, 1935, (Saka) All Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs) Dear Sir/Madam, Master Circular – Housing Finance Please refer to the Master Circular DBOD No. Dir. BC.7/08.12.001/2012-13 dated July 2, 2012 consolidating the instructions / guidelines issued to banks till June 30, 2012 relating to Housing Finance. The Master Circular has been suitably updated by incorporating the instructions issued up to June 30, 2013 and has also been placed on the RBI website ( http://www.rbi.org.in ). A copy of the Master Circular is enclosed. Yours faithfully (Prakash Chandra Sahoo) Chief General Manager Encl: as above CONTENTS Sr. No.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/67 · issued 01 Jul 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=8118&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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