September 22, 2025: The availability of one-bedroom apartments in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has seen a significant decline in the first half of FY2026 compared to FY2025, according to research by Liases Foras. While 38,717 one-bedroom flats were added to the housing stock in FY2025, only 25,993 new units were launched in the first two quarters of the current financial year.
Sales of one-bedroom flats have also dropped sharply. In Mumbai, sales fell from 14,957 units in FY2025 to 3,727 in the first two quarters of FY2026. Similarly, in the MMR, sales declined from 70,580 units to 18,275 units during the same period. The reduction in supply and demand has been attributed to factors such as rising prices for smaller homes, long-term settlement planning, and the growing work-from-home culture, according to the Liases Foras report.
“It is the peripheral areas of Mumbai like Vasai, Virar, Palghar, Ulwe, Palaspe, etc, where one BHKs are the predominant type,” said Pankaj Kapoor, Managing Director, Liases Foras.
Other real estate experts note a shift in buyer preference towards larger units. According to Anarock Property Consultants, three-bedroom apartments are increasingly favored in Mumbai and MMR. Hammad Khan, Founder of Mighty Infra Builders & Developers, highlighted pricing and apartment sizes as key factors.
“A few decades ago, one BHK flats were big enough with an area of 600 sq ft, but now, these have shrunk to a range of 350 to 425 sq ft. Now, if a developer constructs a 1 BHK in the range of over 500 – 600 sq ft, people will not buy the same. Now, 2 BHKs are being adjusted within 550 – 600 sq ft and marketed as smart two BHKs,” Khan said. He added that buyers now prefer smaller two-bedroom flats over larger one-bedroom units.
The trend signals a shift in both construction focus and buyer demand, with 1 BHKs becoming less dominant in Mumbai’s residential market.
Source: Hindustan Times
