The Karnataka Apartment Ownership and Management Bill has received the Governor’s assent, marking a major legal step towards clarifying apartment residents’ rights over common areas, internal roads and compound walls, according to a report by Prajavani published on October 16.
The legislation was framed by the Karnataka government to protect apartment residents and provide them with statutory rights. Its stated purpose is to address long-running uncertainty over the ownership and use of spaces shared by residents after individual flats have been sold.
Apartment complexes typically include areas that are not part of a single dwelling unit, including common spaces within the building premises, access roads and compound walls. According to the report, disputes have persisted over who owns and controls these areas, particularly after developers complete the sale of flats.
The report says that, in several cases, construction company owners continued to claim ownership over or use such spaces even after all apartments had been sold. These disputes have contributed to litigation between apartment residents and construction companies, with residents seeking clarity over the rights attached to areas used collectively by the community.
The legislation is intended to establish a statutory framework for those rights. Prajavani reported that the earlier law did not provide an adequate remedy for the grievances raised by apartment residents. The new law is expected to address the uncertainty surrounding common property and provide a legal basis for resolving related complaints.
The development is important for Karnataka’s expanding apartment sector, particularly in Bengaluru, where large residential developments have become a major part of the city’s housing supply. In such developments, ownership is not limited to the walls of an individual flat. Residents also depend on shared access routes, open areas and other common facilities for daily movement and use of the property.
However, the report does not provide the full text of the legislation or details of its implementation framework. It does not specify when the law will come into force, how existing disputes will be handled, which authority will adjudicate complaints, or whether apartment associations and developers will have to follow new procedures. Those details will determine how the law operates in practice.
The Governor’s assent completes an important stage in the legislative process, but the practical effect on apartment ownership disputes will depend on the notified provisions and their enforcement. For residents, the central change is the prospect of legally recognised rights over areas that have often remained contested after the sale of individual flats. For developers and apartment management bodies, the law could establish clearer boundaries around control, use and responsibility for shared property.
