HomeCirculars › RBI/2022-23/76

Housing Finance Master Circular for Urban Co-op Banks

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-23/76 · issued 23 Jun 2022 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI consolidated all housing finance guidelines for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) into a single Master Circular, issued June 23, 2022. It covers eligible borrowers, loan terms, margins, and priority sector treatment, replacing the 2015 circular.

What changed

RBI issued a consolidated Master Circular on housing finance for UCBs, updating and merging all previous instructions issued up to June 23, 2022. The new circular replaces the earlier Master Circular dated July 1, 2015.

What it means for you

UCBs now have a single reference document for housing finance norms, simplifying compliance. The circular reaffirms flexibility for banks to set margins and loan amounts based on board-approved policies, while continuing to support priority sector lending for weaker sections.

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

Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Housing finance departments of UCBs

❓ 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 introduce new housing loan limits?

No, it consolidates existing instructions without changing loan limits or margins. Banks retain flexibility to decide these based on board-approved policies.

Which borrowers are eligible for housing finance under this circular?

Eligible borrowers include individuals, cooperative/group housing societies, housing boards for EWS/LIG/MIG projects, and owners for home extensions or major repairs.

Are housing loans from UCBs still part of priority sector?

Yes, housing loans to specified categories up to prescribed limits continue to qualify as priority sector lending, as per the circular.

📜 This document’s life story (3 recorded events, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Supersedes Master Circular on Housing Finance – July 2013
Consolidated into Housing Finance Master Circular for Urban Co-op Banks (RBI/2023-24/15 DOR.CRE.REC.No.9/07.10.002/2023-24)
RBI’s words: “The enclosed Master Circular consolidates and updates all the instructions / guidelines on the subject issued till date.”
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #230: DOR.CRE.REC.No.49/09.22.010/2022-23 — "Master Circular - Housing Finance for UCBs" dated June 23, 2022”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2022-23/76 DOR.CRE.REC.No.49/09.22.010/2022-23 June 23, 2022 All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks Madam/Dear Sir, Master Circular - Housing Finance for UCBs Please refer to our Master Circular DCBR.BPD.(PCB) MC No.9/09.22.010/2015-16 dated July 1, 2015 on the captioned subject (available at RBI website https://rbi.org.in/ ). The enclosed Master Circular consolidates and updates all the instructions / guidelines on the subject issued till date. Yours faithfully (Manoranjan Mishra) Chief General Manager Encl: as above Master Circular Housing Finance for UCBs Contents
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-23/76 · issued 23 Jun 2022. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Topics: Co-operative Banks
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Key termsPlain-English definitions of terms in this circular — see the full Indian banking glossary. KYC / AML · Gross NPA (GNPA) · Deposit insurance (DICGC) · Scheduled Commercial Bank (SCB)

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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12344&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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