One Project, One Association, One Vote: Karnataka's New Rules for Bengaluru Apartment Associations
The Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026, gazetted as Act No. 45 of 2026 but not yet in force, requires a single registered association for every project, gives each member one vote regardless of flats owned, caps executive committee terms at two years, and deems existing societies and companies to be associations that must conform within six months of commencement. This guide explains the changes for Bengaluru buyers.
One vote. Under Karnataka's new apartment law, that is what every member of a Bengaluru apartment association gets, whether the member owns one flat or ten. The rule, in section 21(7) of the Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026, is one of several changes that will reshape how residents' associations are formed and run.
The bill, LA Bill No. 14 of 2026, was gazetted on 15 October 2026 as Act No. 45 of 2026 after the Governor's assent on 9 October, according to FoxMandal's 16 October update, and is not yet in force. Our overview of the Act sets out its scope and promoter deadlines.
The short answer. Under the bill, every project has a single registered association, which the promoter must help form within three months of a majority of flats being allotted. Each member has one vote regardless of flats owned. The association is a body corporate that can hold property and sue. No association can be registered under other laws such as the co-operative or societies Acts for a project the law covers. Existing associations under those laws, the 1972 Apartment Ownership Act or the Companies Act are deemed associations under the new law but must file particulars and align bye-laws within six months. Executive committee terms are capped at two years, with no third consecutive term. The trade-off: one association and equal votes can reduce rival-association disputes and the weight of bulk owners, but existing societies face paperwork and possible mergers once the law starts.
When and how must an association be formed?
Section 21(1) says there shall be an association of allottees or apartment owners for every project. Section 21(2) says the promoter shall facilitate its formation and registration within three months from the date on which a majority of apartments have been allotted. Section 21(3) makes it the joint responsibility of the promoter and allottees once a majority is allotted, notwithstanding anything in the agreement.
If the promoter fails, section 21(4) lets the competent authority act, impose a penalty and itself cause the association to be formed. For projects where flats were allotted or sold before commencement, the proviso to section 22(1) requires the registration application within three months of commencement. Section 22(3) gives the competent authority sixty days to register a conforming association and issue a certificate.
| Rule | What the bill says | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Number of associations | A single registered association for every project; sub-committees allowed | 21(5) |
| Voting | One member, one vote, regardless of flats owned | 21(7) |
| Registration under other laws | Not permitted for projects covered by the Act | 22(5) |
| Existing associations | Deemed associations; must file particulars and align bye-laws within six months | 22(6), 22(7) |
| Executive committee term | Up to two years; no third consecutive term | 23(3), 23(4) |
Why does one member, one vote matter?
Section 21(7) says every allottee or apartment owner is a member, and a person is one member with one vote irrespective of the number of apartments owned or allotted in the person's name or in the name of any entity the person controls. That limits the influence of investors or the promoter holding many flats over ordinary association decisions.
Section 21(8) says the promoter is a member for each unsold or unallotted apartment and must pay maintenance on those until they are transferred. Note one exception elsewhere in the bill: for electing a new executive committee after a redevelopment scheme is approved, section 48(5) gives one vote for each apartment owned.
Take an illustrative project of 200 flats in which one investor owns 20 and 180 other flats each have a different owner. Under section 21(7), that project has 181 members with one vote each. The investor holds 10 per cent of the flats but about 0.55 per cent of the votes in ordinary association decisions.
Maintenance is a different matter. The investor still pays maintenance on all 20 flats, which the bill generally ties to super built-up area. So the voting rule changes who decides, not who pays.
Section 21(9) says a member ceases to be one on cancellation of the allotment before the deed of transfer, on transfer of the apartment by sale, gift or other lawful mode, on transmission by inheritance or succession, in which case the heir or successor becomes the member, or in other circumstances the bye-laws specify. For a resale buyer, membership follows the flat once the transfer is complete, so ask the seller to notify the association and ask the association to record you as a member, since your vote and your notices depend on that record.
What happens to existing Bengaluru societies?
Section 22(5) says that, notwithstanding the Karnataka Co-operative Societies Act, 1959 or the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960, no promoter, allottee or owner of a project covered by the Act shall register an association of apartment owners under any other law to manage the apartments or common areas.
Section 22(6) deems associations already registered under those two Acts, the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972 or the Companies Act, 2013 to be associations under the new law. Where one project has several associations, they must merge into one. Section 22(7) gives every such association six months from commencement to furnish particulars of registration, members and bye-laws to the competent authority and to bring its bye-laws into line with the Act and model bye-laws. Our report on the Sobha Silicon Oasis owners' case shows how association structure can matter in a dispute.
How will phased and mixed-use projects work?
Section 21(5) says that in a phased project, the majority needed to form the association is counted on the first phase. Owners in later phases automatically become members once their phase is completed and deeds are executed, with the same rights as existing members, and the association jointly manages common areas shared by the phases.
For mixed-use developments with residential, commercial or Economically Weaker Section units, the constitution and governance of the association are to be prescribed by rules, and until then the general provisions apply.
Who runs the association, and for how long?
Section 23 says an executive committee elected from among members manages the association. Its members' term is set by the bye-laws but cannot exceed two years from election, and a member who has served two consecutive terms cannot stand for the immediately following term. If the committee fails to hold elections before its term ends, the competent authority may appoint an administrator to conduct them. In practice, an association that lets elections lapse may find an outside administrator appointed to run them, so the election calendar is worth asking about.
Section 21(6) makes the registered association a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, able to hold and dispose of property and to sue and be sued. Section 34 allows bye-laws to be amended by two-thirds of owners present and voting, with a quorum of one-third of members.
What must the promoter hand over to the association?
Section 21(10) says that after the association is formed and registered, the promoter shall, within a notified period, transfer management, administration and maintenance of the common areas and facilities to it. Section 21(11) lists what goes with it: possession and control of the common areas, documents, records and plans, funds collected towards maintenance deposits, corpus fund and similar charges, and the operation and maintenance of service installations and common infrastructure.
Section 21(13) adds that the promoter remains liable for all its obligations under the RERA Act after the transfer, including rectifying structural or other defects during the liability period. Section 33 gives the competent authority thirty days to approve or reject proposed bye-laws, after which they are deemed approved unless the period is extended up to ninety days in total, and an association may appeal a rejection to the First Appellate Authority within one month.
What should a Bengaluru buyer check about the association?
Whether you are buying into an established community or a new launch such as NVT Whispering Hues, ask:
- Has an association been formed, and under which law is it registered today?
- Is there more than one association for the project, which the new law would require to merge?
- How many flats does the promoter still hold, and is it paying maintenance on them?
- When were committee members elected, and how many consecutive terms have they served?
- Are the bye-laws available, and when were they last amended?
- For phased projects, how are later phases joining the association and sharing common costs?
- Watch for the commencement notification, which starts the three-month registration clock for older projects and the six-month conformity clock for existing associations.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Bengaluru project have more than one apartment association under the new law?
No. Section 21(5) of the bill says there shall be a single registered association for every project, with sub-committees allowed if needed. Section 22(6) says that where multiple associations were formed for one project before commencement, they shall be merged into a single association.
Does owning more flats give more votes in the association?
Not for ordinary membership. Section 21(7) says a person is one member with one vote, whatever the number of apartments owned or allotted in that person's name or an entity the person controls. Section 48(5) gives one vote per apartment only for electing a redevelopment-stage executive committee.
What happens to existing apartment societies registered under other laws?
Section 22(6) deems associations registered before commencement under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, the Co-operative Societies Act, the 1972 Apartment Ownership Act or the Companies Act to be associations under the new law. Section 22(7) gives them six months to file particulars and align their bye-laws.
How long can an executive committee member serve?
Section 23 says the term is set by the bye-laws but shall not exceed two years from election, and a member who has served two consecutive terms is not eligible for the immediately following term. If elections are not held in time, the competent authority may appoint an administrator.
This article summarises the Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026 as introduced and a law firm's update on its enactment, for information. The final Act and rules govern; it is not legal advice.
Last updated 2026-11-12. PropNewz Team.
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