Karnataka Tables 2026 Apartment Bill to Enforce Single Resident Association

The State government introduced the 2026 Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill in the Legislative Assembly on Friday to protect the interests of apartment residents and provide them with statutory rights, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said.

The proposed legislation seeks to address recurring disputes surrounding residential complex management, the role of developers, and the ownership of common areas across the state.

According to Byre Gowda, the rapid expansion of apartment living, alongside administrative confusion among residents and the alleged overreach of builders, prompted the need for a new legal framework. He noted that existing laws dating back to 1972-73, as well as the current Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) framework, had failed to resolve issues such as the registration of multiple associations within a single project and disagreements over the ownership of internal roads, compound walls, and common spaces.

Under the provisions of the proposed law, every apartment project will be restricted to having only one registered residents' welfare association. The association must be formally registered under the new Act, and forming separate associations under other statutes will no longer be permitted.

The Bill also prohibits developers from privately selling, altering, or transferring common areas, internal roads, and open spaces. The responsibility for maintaining and managing these spaces must be transferred directly to the project's residents' association.

To resolve grievances, the Bill proposes setting up competent authorities and appellate authorities at the gram panchayat, town municipal council, and municipal corporation levels. These bodies will be granted powers equivalent to those of a civil court.

Additionally, the proposed legislation lays down clear rules for redeveloping old or unsafe apartment buildings. The consent of at least 75% of the apartment owners will be mandatory to proceed with redevelopment. For owners who oppose the redevelopment, their properties may be acquired following an independent valuation, with compensation set at twice the prevailing market rate.