Parking Promised, Never Allotted: K-RERA Says an Email Is Not Enough, Orders a Written Slot Letter

Two Bengaluru buyers paid the full price for a flat in Sobha Dream Acres, Tropical Greens Phase 25, in October 2023 and took the keys on 19 October 2023. Their agreement to sell, dated 23 May 2022, promised one car parking space, with its cost included in the construction price. More than two years later, they still had no permanent parking slot. When they complained to the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority, the builder replied that it had already allotted Slot No. 2699 in Basement 1, by email.

On 5 November 2026, K-RERA Chairman Rakesh Singh held that an email was not enough. The Authority directed Sobha Limited to issue a formal written parking allotment letter naming the slot, the basement and the apartment number, and to complete the exercise within 30 days. For Bengaluru buyers taking possession in large projects, the order is a reminder that parking promised in an agreement is a deliverable that needs a document, not just a message.

The short answer. In Complaint No. 00001/2026, K-RERA held on 5 November 2026 that "the mere assertion of allotment" in an email dated 11 March 2026, without documents linking the slot to the flat, did not discharge the promoter's obligation. It directed a written allotment letter for Slot No. 2699, or another suitable permanent slot if 2699 is unavailable, within 30 days of receipt of the order. The trade-off: the buyers got a clear direction on parking, but their claim for interest on the delay was rejected because they had not shown a specific monetary loss or a basis for calculating it.

What happened in the Sobha Dream Acres parking complaint?

According to the K-RERA order in Complaint No. 00001/2026, as published with this LiveLaw report, the complainants own Flat No. 32136 in Wing 32 of Sobha Dream Acres, Tropical Greens Phase 25, at Panathur Main Road, Balagere, Varthur Hobli. The project is registered as PRM/KA/RERA/1251/446/PR/190223/002449. The order records that the registration was valid until 30 June 2024 and was extended by nine months under the COVID-19 extension, to 30 March 2025.

The buyers made the full and final payment on 12 October 2023 and received the keys on 19 October 2023. The occupancy certificate was issued on 7 March 2024, and the promoter's project completion communication dated 20 March 2024 confirmed completion of the project, including car parking facilities. The buyers said they were forced to use temporary parking arrangements and faced penalties from the association. They sought a direction for permanent parking and interest for the delay.

The paperwork the buyers put before the Authority is worth noting, because it is exactly what any buyer should keep. The order lists copies of the agreement to sell dated 23 May 2022, the occupancy certificate dated 7 March 2024, payment receipts, the project completion certificate and an email relating to an additional car parking space. The complaint was filed under Section 31 of the RERA Act and heard by Bench 4, with the buyers appearing in person and the promoter represented by an authorised signatory. The buyers did not need a lawyer to put this record before the Authority.

Why was the builder's email not accepted as proof?

Sobha Limited filed a memo dated 24 March 2026 saying it had identified and allotted Slot No. 2699 in Basement 1 by email dated 11 March 2026, and that the buyers had accepted it. In support, it produced a photograph. The Authority noted that the photograph showed Parking Slot No. 818 with apartment No. 121103, not Slot No. 2699 or the complainants' flat, and so could not be treated as sufficient evidence.

On the email, the Authority said that "the mere assertion of allotment in the memo, without producing appropriate supporting documentary evidence establishing the specific parking space and its correspondence with the Complainants' apartment, is not sufficient". It added that once the promoter agreed to provide a parking space and received the entire sale consideration, it was incumbent on it to ensure "a permanent and identifiable car parking space is allotted", and that it "cannot avoid its contractual obligation by merely referring to an email communication".

What did K-RERA direct?

The operative order partly allowed the complaint. Sobha Limited must allot one permanent car parking space for the flat in accordance with the agreement to sell dated 23 May 2022. It must formally confirm the allotment of Slot No. 2699 in Basement 1 by issuing a written allotment letter "clearly specifying the parking slot number, basement location and corresponding apartment number". If Slot No. 2699 is not available or cannot be allotted for any legally sustainable reason, it must identify and allot another suitable permanent space in line with the agreement and applicable law.

The exercise and the formal letter must be completed within 30 days from the date of receipt of the order, and the promoter must furnish a copy of the allotment letter to the buyers and maintain records. There was no order as to costs. The order also notes that it could not be passed within the 60-day period under Section 29(4) because of adjournments.

Why was the claim for interest rejected?

The Authority accepted that parking was part of the agreed sale and that a confirmed permanent allotment was not given with possession. But it said the buyers had "not placed sufficient material on record to establish the specific monetary loss suffered by them or the statutory or contractual basis for quantifying the interest claimed". It held that interest "cannot be determined merely on the basis of the alleged delay" without examining the applicable provisions and the nature of the relief. On that basis the Authority answered the first point for decision only partly in the buyers' favour, granting the parking direction but not the money claim.

For buyers, that is a practical lesson. If you want money for a delayed amenity, you need to show what the delay cost you and the legal basis for the amount, not only that the delay happened.

What should a Bengaluru buyer check about parking before and at possession?

In this case, the parking problem surfaced only after the buyers had moved in and paid in full. The legal side of what can and cannot be sold as parking is covered in our explainers on open parking, garages and common areas under RERA and on car parking under the Karnataka Apartment Act 2026. For the paperwork itself, use this list.

1. Find the clause or annexure in your agreement that promises parking and note the number and type of spaces.
2. Check whether the parking cost is included in the flat price or charged separately, and keep the receipt either way.
3. At handover, ask for a written allotment letter that names the slot number, the basement or level, and your apartment number.
4. Visit the slot and check that the number painted on site matches the letter.
5. Do not treat an email or a WhatsApp message as a substitute for a signed allotment letter.
6. If the slot is not given at possession, raise it in writing with dates, and keep the replies.
7. If you plan to claim compensation for the delay, record the actual costs you incur, such as paid parking or association penalties.

Does this order apply to other projects in Bengaluru?

The order decides one complaint on its own facts. It does not set a fixed format for parking allotment across Karnataka. But its reasoning is general: where an agreement promises parking and the full price has been paid, the promoter must make a permanent, identifiable allotment, and a bare email is not enough to show that. Buyers in any phase of a large township can use the same approach when asking for their documents.

If you are considering a flat in this township, our Sobha Dream Acres project page lists the phase-wise RERA registrations. Ask which phase and registration number your unit falls under, and ask how parking will be allotted and documented before you sign.

Frequently asked questions

Is an email from the builder enough to prove parking allotment?

Not according to K-RERA's 5 November 2026 order in Complaint No. 00001/2026. The Authority held that a mere assertion of allotment by email, without documents linking the slot to the apartment, did not discharge the promoter's obligation, and directed a written allotment letter naming the slot, basement and apartment number.

What did K-RERA order Sobha Limited to do?

K-RERA directed Sobha Limited to allot one permanent car parking space for Flat 32136 under the 23 May 2022 agreement, formally confirm Slot No. 2699 in Basement 1 by written letter, or allot another suitable permanent slot if 2699 is unavailable, within 30 days from receipt of the order.

Can I get interest for delayed parking allotment?

In this case, K-RERA rejected the interest claim. It said the buyers had not shown the specific monetary loss suffered or the statutory or contractual basis for quantifying interest. If you plan to claim money for a delayed amenity, keep records of actual costs and take legal advice on the basis.

What should a parking allotment letter contain?

The K-RERA order directed a written car parking allotment letter clearly specifying the parking slot number, the basement location and the corresponding apartment number. Buyers can ask for the same three details at handover and check that the slot marked on site matches the letter before signing off.

Last updated 2026-11-15. PropNewz Team.