Planning Interiors for a New Bengaluru Flat? What Karnataka's Apartment Law Says You Cannot Touch
Sections 18 and 19 of the Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026, now Act No. 45 of 2026 but not yet in force, list 17 duties for apartment owners and prohibit works that endanger structure, reduce value or interfere with common services. The association can order removal, carry it out and recover the cost as common expenses. This guide turns those rules into a renovation checklist for Bengaluru buyers.
Seventeen. That is the number of duties, lettered (a) to (q), that section 18 of Karnataka's new apartment law places on every flat owner. Several of them bite exactly when new Bengaluru owners are most active: in the months after handover, when interior contractors start knocking down walls, enclosing balconies and drilling into columns.
The duties are in the Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026, gazetted on 15 October 2026 as Act No. 45 of 2026 and not yet in force, according to FoxMandal's 16 October update. We explained the wider law in our overview of the Act.
The short answer. Under the bill, you maintain your flat's internal installations at your own cost, but you cannot make structural changes that could affect stability, safety or the building's look without the association's prior approval and, where the law requires, the competent authority's. You cannot touch load-bearing walls, columns or beams, alter the facade, windows or elevation without association approval, or build extra enclosures outside the sanctioned plan. Section 19 bars any work that endangers the structure, reduces the property's value or safety, or interferes with common services. If you do, the association can order removal, do it itself after a hearing, and recover the cost as common expenses. The trade-off: these limits protect your building and your neighbours, but they also mean interior plans need sign-off before work starts, not after.
What does the law let you do inside your flat?
Section 18(e) says you shall maintain the apartment, including internal installations, fixtures, drains, pipes, electrical systems and appurtenances, at your own cost in good condition and repair. Section 18(k) requires electrical installations and load to conform to the systems installed in the project and to safety standards.
The bill's restrictions are aimed at structure, facade, common services and the sanctioned plan, so also check your bye-laws for anything more specific. Where a change could affect structural stability, safety or external appearance, section 18(f) requires prior approval of the association, and of the competent authority where the law requires it.
| Type of work | What the bill says | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Structural alteration, addition or modification | Only with prior approval of the association and, where required, the competent authority | 18(f) |
| Load-bearing walls, columns, beams | Shall not damage or interfere with any structural element | 18(g) |
| Facade, colour, external walls, windows, elevation | Only with the association's approval | 18(h) |
| Extra structure, enclosure, basement or excavation | Only per the sanctioned plan and approvals required by law | 18(m) |
| Any work that endangers structure, cuts value or safety, or impairs common services | Prohibited; association may order removal and recover costs | 19 |
Interior work also brings materials and noise into the building. Section 18(j) bars storing hazardous, inflammable or combustible materials in the flat or common areas except as applicable laws permit, which is worth remembering when contractors stock paints, thinners and adhesives. Section 18(q) bars any use of the flat that causes nuisance, annoyance, inconvenience or hazard to other owners or occupiers, so agree working hours and debris removal with the association before work starts.
Which works are off-limits?
Section 19(1) says no owner shall carry out or permit any work in the apartment or building which jeopardises or is likely to jeopardise structural stability, soundness or safety; reduces or is likely to reduce the value, utility or safety of the property; interferes with or impairs any easement, service installation, common area or facility; or is otherwise prohibited by the Act, rules, declaration or bye-laws.
Section 18 adds specific bans: no damage to load-bearing walls, columns, beams or other structural parts; no change to the facade, colour scheme, external walls, windows or elevation without approval; no external signboards or hoardings except as bye-laws allow; no storage of hazardous or inflammable material except as law permits; and no additional structure, enclosure, basement or excavation outside the sanctioned plan.
The same law treats merging two flats with care. Section 7 says merged flats remain separate apartments, and the merger cannot affect structural stability, common areas, building services or parking.
What happens if a neighbour or contractor breaks the rules?
Section 19(2) says the association shall serve a written notice requiring the owner to remove, discontinue or rectify the offending work within a specified period. If the owner does not comply, section 19(3) lets the association, after giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard, remove or rectify the work and restore the property.
Section 19(4) makes the cost recoverable from the owner as arrears of common expenses under the bye-laws. Section 19(5) lets the association go to the competent authority for orders to stop work, remove it or restore the property where the work threatens structural stability, safety or habitability, or where the owner ignores the association. Section 52(2) also allows the competent authority to impose a penalty of up to Rs 20,000 per contravention, and Rs 1,000 a day if it continues, and to order restoration.
What could an unauthorised change end up costing?
Take an illustration of our own. Suppose an owner encloses a balcony without the association's approval, ignores a section 19(2) notice, and the association spends Rs 60,000 removing the enclosure and restoring the facade after a hearing. Under section 19(4), that Rs 60,000 is recoverable from the owner as arrears of common expenses, which section 20 makes a charge on the flat.
On top of that, the competent authority could impose a penalty under section 52(2) of up to Rs 20,000 for the contravention and up to Rs 1,000 for each day it continues. If the contravention continued for 30 days, the maximum would be Rs 50,000. The actual amounts would depend on the facts and on the authority's order; these are ceilings, not set fines.
What changes can the association itself make?
The same limits apply collectively. Section 24(6) says the association may undertake alteration, modification, reconstruction or rebuilding of the building, or any variation affecting the number or area of apartments, only with the consent of at least 75 per cent of owners and the prior approval of the planning or local authority. Major repairs funded beyond ordinary resources need a general body resolution under section 30. So neither an owner nor the committee can unilaterally change the building's structure.
What other duties come with owning a flat?
Section 18 also requires owners to use the flat and common areas only for their intended purposes without encroaching on others' rights, to use service areas and basements only as the sanctioned plan designates, to pay maintenance and capital contributions, and to avoid any unlawful use or nuisance.
Two duties extend beyond your own actions. Section 18(n) makes you responsible for the acts or omissions of your tenants, occupants, employees or agents in complying with the law and bye-laws, and section 18(o) makes you liable for loss or damage caused to the property or common areas by a breach. Section 18(p) requires you to let the association or its representatives enter at reasonable hours, after notice, for maintenance, inspection or repair of common installations reached through your flat, and without notice in an emergency.
How does this fit with the builder's own specifications?
These rules cover what owners do after handover. What the builder must deliver, and when a builder can change fittings or specifications, is governed by the RERA Act and your agreement, which we covered in our guide to builders swapping specifications.
The two meet at the defect liability period. Section 21(13) of the bill keeps the promoter liable under RERA for structural and other defects after handover to the association. Keep a dated record of the flat's condition at handover, so that any later defect claim against the promoter is easier to document.
What should a Bengaluru buyer check before starting interiors?
Whether you are moving into a new project such as Saiven Six Senses in Kasavanahalli or renovating a resale flat, these steps follow the bill:
- Get the structural drawings, or ask the association for them, before your contractor plans any demolition.
- Mark load-bearing walls, columns and beams and keep them off the scope of work.
- Seek the association's written approval for any structural change or any change to windows, balconies or facade.
- Check whether the change also needs approval from the planning or local authority.
- Confirm your electrical load and wiring changes conform to the project's systems.
- Record the flat's condition at handover with dated photographs before work begins.
- Brief tenants and contractors on the bye-laws in writing, since section 18(n) makes you responsible for their breaches.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make structural changes to my Bengaluru flat under the new law?
Section 18(f) of the bill says an owner shall not make any structural alteration, addition or modification that may affect structural stability, safety or external appearance without prior approval of the association and, where required by law, the competent authority. Section 18(g) bars interfering with load-bearing walls, columns and beams.
Can I change my balcony or windows in a Bengaluru apartment?
Section 18(h) of the bill says an owner shall not alter the exterior facade, colour scheme, external walls, windows or elevation of the building without the association's approval. Section 18(i) also bars external signboards or advertisements except as the bye-laws permit.
What can the association do about unauthorised work in a flat?
Under section 19 of the bill, the association serves a written notice to remove or rectify the work. If the owner does not comply, it may, after a hearing, remove the work and restore the property, recover the cost as arrears of common expenses, and approach the competent authority where safety is at risk.
Am I responsible for what my tenant does in the flat?
Yes. Section 18(n) of the bill makes an apartment owner responsible for any act or omission of tenants, occupants, employees or agents in complying with the Act, rules, declaration and bye-laws, and section 18(o) makes the owner liable for loss or damage caused by a breach.
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, rules and bye-laws govern; it is not legal advice.
Last updated 2026-11-12. PropNewz Team.
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