LDA FCFS vs lottery: which route suits you

What is the real difference between FCFS and a lottery?

The real difference is who decides. On FCFS, you choose the unit and the only risk is someone else booking it first. In a lottery, a draw decides, and you may get nothing or something other than your first choice.

The third route matters because buyers often miss it. LDA also sells property by e-auction. There, you compete on price instead of time or luck.

Which schemes are open right now?

On 2 November 2026, the LDA home page listed these as ongoing lottery registrations. Check the LDA site for the current list, as windows close.

The PMAY entries are separate listings with their own conditions, so read the brochure of the one you are applying to. The plot schemes at Varun Vihar and Naimish Nagar closed on 27 October 2026. FCFS has no such window, though discount offers on FCFS flats do. The FCFS guide covers those.

What does each route cost you while you wait?

In a lottery, the cost is time. Your registration amount is tied up through the eligibility list and the draw, and if you are not selected, you have spent that time and still have no home. LDA’s payment policy says eligible refunds are paid within a month after the lottery process.

On FCFS, the waiting cost is lower, but the decision comes sooner. You will need to judge a building, its upkeep and the price in a short time, and your balance falls due soon after. A flat you hurried into can cost more than a lost lottery.

With a new-build lottery, ask one further question: when will it be finished? A scheme still under construction may also leave you paying rent, as any under-construction purchase would.

Is FCFS stock worse than lottery stock?

Not necessarily, but it deserves more checking. Flats are often unsold for a reason, and that reason may be small, such as a ground-floor position, or it may be one that matters to you, such as location or upkeep.

LDA reported 2,070 unsold units as of February 2025, or about a tenth of all the apartments it has built. Ask why this particular flat is available. A lottery flat, on the other hand, is new but unseen, so its risks lie in timing and finish.

Which route suits which buyer?

Start with your deadline and then your budget. Those two usually settle it.

• You need a home soon: FCFS, because a completed flat may be available straight away.
• You want a particular location: FCFS, if a unit there is on the portal. A lottery only works if a scheme in that area opens.
• You qualify for a reserved or income-based category: read the lottery and PMAY terms first, as they may have been designed for you.
• You can wait and want something new: a lottery is worth trying, alongside other plans.
• You are buying a shop or a larger property: look at the e-auction route.
• No LDA unit fits: compare private projects and resale flats on the same all-in basis.

Can a lottery loser move to FCFS?

There is no link between the two that we could confirm. But LDA offers unsold apartments through FCFS, so it is reasonable to check the portal if a lottery does not work out. Look at the LDA results page and any waiting list for your scheme first, because LDA does publish waiting lists for some schemes.

When you are ready, the steps for each route are on our page on applying for an LDA flat. Lalit can help with FCFS applications as an LDA empanelled agent.