When buying or renting a home, you should be aware of the components of the maintenance bill. Understanding the charges and services provided in the bill will help you in utilizing the amenities to the fullest. The number of amenities in the society and the size of your flat will have a direct impact on the maintenance charges. For example, the maintenance bill for a 2 BHK flat in Pune will be lower than the maintenance charges of a 3 BHK flat in the same housing complex.
Components of a Maintenance Bill A maintenance bill constitutes the following:
• Property Tax - This tax is levied by the civic administration. The property tax varies according to:
o The valuation of the property
o The carpet area of the house
• Water Charges - This charge is also levied by the local administration depending on the consumption of water by the entire society. These charges may be equally divided, or each apartment could install a meter to calculate the water usage.
• Service Charges - These charges include the fees spent on gardeners, security guards, cleaners, auditors, etc. It also includes the cost of lighting up common areas, charges of CCTV cameras, etc.
• Parking Charges - Parking spaces may be charged as a one-time fee or a recurring fee. This varies from society to society.
• Sinking Fund - A particular amount of money is collected each year from every homeowner. This money is used to paint, refurbish, repair, and maintain the building and the various amenities.
Understanding the bifurcation of the maintenance bill will help you understand your rights and duties as a member of the housing society. It will also keep anyone from taking undue advantage of you. You should also be aware that a society cannot levy additional charges that those specified in the society’s documents. The same should be provided to you on purchase of your home/ completion of the project. If you think you are being overcharged, you can consult the relevant legal documents, or consult the housing committee. If these options don’t help you reach an amicable situation, you can even move the court. Thus, you must read all legal documents and your maintenance bill to correctly ascertain the costs attributed to the different amenities and services.
Components of a Maintenance Bill A maintenance bill constitutes the following:
• Property Tax - This tax is levied by the civic administration. The property tax varies according to:
o The valuation of the property
o The carpet area of the house
• Water Charges - This charge is also levied by the local administration depending on the consumption of water by the entire society. These charges may be equally divided, or each apartment could install a meter to calculate the water usage.
• Service Charges - These charges include the fees spent on gardeners, security guards, cleaners, auditors, etc. It also includes the cost of lighting up common areas, charges of CCTV cameras, etc.
• Parking Charges - Parking spaces may be charged as a one-time fee or a recurring fee. This varies from society to society.
• Sinking Fund - A particular amount of money is collected each year from every homeowner. This money is used to paint, refurbish, repair, and maintain the building and the various amenities.
Understanding the bifurcation of the maintenance bill will help you understand your rights and duties as a member of the housing society. It will also keep anyone from taking undue advantage of you. You should also be aware that a society cannot levy additional charges that those specified in the society’s documents. The same should be provided to you on purchase of your home/ completion of the project. If you think you are being overcharged, you can consult the relevant legal documents, or consult the housing committee. If these options don’t help you reach an amicable situation, you can even move the court. Thus, you must read all legal documents and your maintenance bill to correctly ascertain the costs attributed to the different amenities and services.
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