The Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill 2026 has been passed by both Houses of the state legislature, but as of 13 October 2026 it is not law you can rely on. It still needs the Governor's assent and a government notification fixing the date it comes into force. Until then, the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act 1972 and the existing association rules continue to apply.

Updated 13 October 2026. We read the Bill as introduced (Bill No. 14 of 2026, published by PRS Legislative Research), a law-firm note on its passage, and news reports of the Assembly vote. The text passed may differ in detail from the introduced Bill, so treat clause-level points below as the Bill's stated intent, not final rules.

Has the Karnataka apartment bill been passed?

Yes, by the legislature. The News Minute reported that the Assembly passed it on 21 August 2026 amid opposition protests, alongside two municipal bills. A King, Stubb & Kasiva note published on 22 September 2026 confirms it has passed both the Assembly and the Legislative Council and awaits the Governor's assent and a commencement notification.

The Bill itself says it will come into force on a date the state government notifies in the official gazette. We found no published notification as of 13 October 2026. Many rules, including fees, forms and the model bye-laws, are left to be prescribed later, so even after assent there will be a gap before every provision works in practice.

Which apartments does the new law cover?

The Bill applies to projects with more than eight apartments in one or more buildings. It expressly includes villas built under a single plot or development plan approval, and projects of more than eight apartments built on sites in layouts approved under section 17 of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act.

Small walk-up buildings of eight flats or fewer fall outside it. Government buildings are excluded. When it takes effect, the Bill repeals both 1972 laws: the Karnataka Ownership of Flats Act and the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act.

What does the builder have to hand over, and when?

This is the part that matters most to buyers. The Bill ties the promoter's duties to the date of the occupancy certificate (OC), and sets 60 days for the key steps.

  • Declaration: the promoter must file a declaration for the project with the Competent Authority within 60 days of the OC. It must describe the land and title, the sanctioned plan, every apartment, the common and limited common areas, each flat's undivided share, and any encumbrances.
  • Records: within 60 days of the OC, the promoter must hand the association the original project records, including land title documents, sanctioned plans and approvals, as-built and structural drawings, fire, lift and environmental certificates, insurance, encumbrance certificates, service drawings, equipment warranties and manuals, maintenance contracts, and tax receipts up to handover.
  • Money: within the same 60 days, all maintenance deposits, security deposits, corpus fund and advance maintenance collected from buyers must move to the association with interest, plus an audited statement showing project-wise and buyer-wise figures.
  • Association: the promoter must facilitate formation and registration of the association within three months of a majority of apartments being allotted. If it does not, the Competent Authority can step in, form the association itself and impose a penalty.
  • Until handover: the promoter must maintain common areas and essential services and may charge proportionate maintenance. For unsold flats, the promoter is a member and pays maintenance like any other owner.

How will apartment associations be registered?

The Bill requires one registered association per project, with sub-committees allowed. In phased projects, owners of later phases automatically join the same association. Associations would register with a Competent Authority, an officer the government must appoint within three months of the law commencing, and the authority is to decide an application within 60 days.

Once the Act applies, promoters and owners may not register a new association for the same purpose under the Co-operative Societies Act or the Societies Registration Act. Associations already registered under those laws, the 1972 Act or the Companies Act would be treated as associations under the new law, must merge if there are several in one project, and get six months to file details and bring their bye-laws in line with the model bye-laws. Projects already sold before commencement must apply for registration within three months.

Executive committee terms are capped at two years. Each owner gets one vote regardless of how many flats he or she holds.

What changes for maintenance charges and dues?

Maintenance would be shared in proportion to each flat's super built-up area, not split equally per flat. The Bill also lets associations levy separate charges for community and commercial facilities, and says an owner must pay maintenance even if he or she does not use the facilities.

Late-payment penalties set in bye-laws cannot exceed one month's maintenance for that flat, and penalties go into the association's common fund. Unpaid dues become a legal charge on the apartment, ranking behind government and municipal dues. If a tenant occupies the flat, dues can be recovered from the occupant without releasing the owner. For a full breakdown of what Bengaluru buyers pay today, see Maintenance Charges in Bangalore Apartments 2026: GST, Corpus

What about redevelopment and old buildings?

Reconstruction, rebuilding or changes to the number or size of flats would need consent from at least 75% of apartment owners plus approval from the planning or local authority. That replaces the practical need for near-unanimity, which has stalled redevelopment of older blocks.

Buildings 30 years old must be checked by a registered structural engineer. If certified safe, a fresh certificate is needed at least every five years; if repairs are recommended, the association must carry them out.

The Bill also says owners keep a proportionate, undivided share in the land and common areas, and that handing management to the association does not transfer ownership of those areas to it.

What penalties and dispute routes does the Bill set?

Disputes would go to the Competent Authority, then to first and second appellate authorities, with civil court jurisdiction barred on matters the Act covers, according to the KS&K note.

  • A promoter who fails to file the declaration, form the association, execute the deed of transfer, or who hands over flats without an OC can be fined up to ₹1 lakh, plus up to ₹1,000 a day while the default continues.
  • Other contraventions by a promoter, association or owner can attract up to ₹20,000 per contravention, plus up to ₹1,000 a day, and an order to restore the property.
  • Complaints can come from the association secretary, an authorised committee member, any aggrieved owner, or the authority on its own.

What should flat buyers check now, before the law takes effect?

Nothing in the Bill binds a builder yet, but it shows what a well-run handover looks like. Use it as a checklist today.

  • Ask whether the project has an OC, and when. Every handover timeline in the Bill runs from that date. Our guide to OC and CC in Bengaluru is at Occupancy Certificate vs Completion Certificate in Bengaluru: What to Demand Before You Take Possession
  • Ask for the draft declaration or deed of declaration, and check that your flat's undivided share of land and the list of common and limited common areas match your sale agreement.
  • Check the cost sheet for corpus fund and advance maintenance, and get in writing how and when those sums will move to the association, with interest.
  • In a resale purchase, ask the association for its registration certificate, the law it is registered under, its bye-laws, the latest audited accounts and a no-dues certificate for the flat.
  • Confirm the project is registered with K-RERA and read the project page; our walkthrough is at How to Read a RERA Project Page, Step by Step: K-RERA, HRERA Gurugram and TNRERA
  • Watch for the gazette notification and the model bye-laws. Associations will have six months from commencement to align.