Redevelopment is improving living standards for Mumbai homeowners by replacing ageing buildings with modern residential complexes, but the upgrade often comes with significantly higher monthly maintenance expenses.
Sagar Patil and his family experienced this change after their more than 40-year-old building in Borivali was redeveloped shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, they paid around Rs 1,500 monthly for a 300-sq-ft one-room kitchen apartment. Following redevelopment, they moved into a 420-sq-ft one-bedroom flat in a complex featuring an air-conditioned double-height lobby, podium, gym, swimming pool and valet parking. Their monthly maintenance bill increased to Rs 5,500.
Despite the higher expenditure, the family considers the redevelopment beneficial. A corpus received from the developer is expected to cover maintenance costs for seven to eight years. The property’s value has also increased considerably, with the apartment estimated to be worth Rs 1.20 crore and capable of generating monthly rent of Rs 30,000– Rs 35,000.
Amenities and upkeep drive costs
Real estate experts say maintenance charges depend on a building’s size, facilities, number of flats sharing expenses and the efficiency of society management. Common expenses include electricity, lifts, water pumps, fire safety, security, housekeeping, landscaping, swimming pools and gyms. Automated parking systems and air-conditioned common areas can add to recurring costs.
Mumbai-based real estate consultant Sanjay Ahuja highlighted the expense of heated swimming pools. “Buildings having a hot water swimming pool will have a higher maintenance cost as it requires energy to maintain the water temperature, apart from the costs of filtration, cleaning, chemicals and equipment maintenance. The extent of the increase depends on the size of the pool, the heating technology used, operating hours and the number of apartments sharing the expenses. Something small like this may increase your maintenance by Rs 1 or Rs 2 per sq ft on a monthly basis,” Ahuja said.
Society handover can mean additional expenses
Once a residents’ society takes charge from the developer, homeowners may need to fund the building’s actual operating and repair costs. Consultant Devendra Singh advised buyers to factor maintenance into their purchase decisions. “We suggest that homebuyers take the final call on a home purchase after understanding the factor of maintenance as well. In standalone buildings, monthly maintenance may be lower; however, in gated communities, it may be higher. Homebuyers should ask for per sq ft maintenance or monthly maintenance before finalising their purchase,” said Devendra Singh, a real estate consultant from Mumbai.
Nagpur resident Kamlesh Iyer described how their society spent nearly Rs 5 lakh replacing automatic lift doors after redevelopment. “We had a few frightening incidents where residents, including young kids, got stuck inside the lift due to sudden power cuts, and the absolute panic of being trapped in a dark, solid metal box was deeply traumatising for them. That is when our society decided that passenger safety and peace of mind had to come first. We reached out to a reputed elevator brand to replace the old setup with transparent glass doors in the lift. For our 8-storey building, the entire upgrade across all floors costs the society around Rs 4- Rs 5 lakhs in total. It was a significant investment, and we had to ask all the members to give the money from their pockets, but seeing the bright hallways from inside the cabin completely eliminates that claustrophobic feeling, and everyone feels so much safer now,” said Iyer.
Mumbai recorded nearly 1,100 redevelopment development agreements between 2020 and March 2026. A September 3 report by JLL India and NAREDCO identified more than 1,000 redevelopment projects since 2020, representing 13% of residential supply and 15% of housing sales. Borivali, Malad, Andheri, Vikhroli and Goregaon accounted for around 36% of projects, while the western suburbs contributed 35–45% of launches and sales during 2025 and the first half of 2026.
Source: Hindustan Times
