Maharashtra’s cooperation department has received more than 5,000 suggestions and objections on the proposed bylaws for the state’s housing societies, following a public consultation launched last month.
The draft rules are intended to apply to more than 117,000 housing societies across Maharashtra. Residents, housing societies and their federations were invited to review the proposals and submit their feedback before the final framework is notified.
Officials said a large share of the responses relates to parking arrangements, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, maintenance contributions and the powers available to managing committees.
Under the draft, if a member installs an EV charger exclusively for their use within an allotted parking space, the financial responsibility for that equipment would rest with the individual. However, residents have called for societies to take greater responsibility for installing and maintaining common charging infrastructure accessible to multiple members.
The proposed bylaws also identify common parking areas, visitor parking, parking decks and mechanical parking systems as common facilities. These would consequently fall under the society’s maintenance responsibilities. Stakeholders have sought further clarity on open parking slots, stilt parking and podium parking, including whether these categories should be governed uniformly.
Maintenance charges have emerged as another key issue. The draft proposes dividing common service expenses equally among flats, while water charges would be calculated according to the number and size of taps or water inlets. Some owners of smaller homes have opposed an equal-payment model and argued for charges linked to flat area. Larger-home owners, meanwhile, have backed the proposed structure for services such as security, electricity, housekeeping and administrative management.
Residents have also sought checks on the powers of managing committees, particularly regarding no-objection certificates and transactions involving the sale or leasing of properties.
Joint Registrar Shahaji Patil, who heads the committee reviewing the bylaws, said 90 per cent of the work had been completed. The rules are expected to be finalised in the first week of October after additional discussions.
Patil said feedback from Mumbai, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Nashik and other areas was being examined against existing laws and regulations.
Once published, societies will have three months to adopt the new bylaws. Any subsequent modifications would require approval from the registrar.
Source: Construction World
