On 15 July 2026, a day before it filled a newspaper page in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government put out a revised draft of a new law meant to reshape how apartments are owned and run, and invited the public to send in feedback by 6 August. For the lakhs of flat owners who have argued for years over parking, maintenance and who owns the land beneath the tower, it was a significant moment. It is also a draft, not a law, and that difference matters enormously for what you should do today.

The short answer. The draft Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2025 is a proposal released for public feedback until 6 August 2026, not a law in force. If passed, it would repeal and replace the two 1972 era Acts that still govern apartments in the state, apply to projects with more than eight units, be enforced by the urban development department, and align the framework with the central RERA Act. The trade-off to accept: the proposed changes are wide reaching and owner friendly on paper, but they are a draft that can change before the assembly votes, so treat what follows as what the bill proposes, not as rules you must follow now.

What is the draft apartment bill, and where does it stand?

It is a proposed new law for apartment ownership and management in Karnataka, currently out for public consultation. The state released a revised draft in mid July 2026 and, as The News Minute reported, invited written feedback until 6 August, led by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. The reported next step is introduction in the assembly. Until that happens and the bill is passed and notified, it is a draft, and nothing in it binds you yet.

What gives the draft weight is what it would replace. It is designed to repeal and replace two laws from 1972 that have governed apartments in the state for more than five decades, and to bring the framework into line with the central RERA Act, which officials say the older laws do not match. As Business Standard noted, it is a proposal to change apartment ownership rules, and it would apply to any project of more than eight apartments, including villas within approved layouts, with enforcement under the urban development department through a designated competent authority.

Would it change how you own the land under your flat?

It would restate and sharpen a principle that already exists, rather than invent a wholly new right. The core idea, that every owner holds an undivided proportionate share in the land and common areas that passes with the flat, is already part of the 1972 framework. What the draft proposes to add is a clearer formula, computing that share in proportion to an apartment's super built up area, and a statutory route to fix the land title where it was never properly transferred.

That second part matters most for older societies. The draft proposes a deemed conveyance mechanism that would vest the common area land in the owners for complexes where the developer never completed the formal transfer, a problem that has left many associations without clear title to the ground they stand on. Where ownership passed to buyers before the law without a common areas deed, a separate transfer deed would reportedly need to be executed.

What would change for parking?

The draft proposes that most parking is common property by default, not a slot the builder can sell you on the side. It would treat open, stilt, basement and podium parking as shared common areas that cannot be sold as private property, and clarifies that marking or allotting a slot does not make it privately owned. A parking space could be privately owned only if it is a separately built, enclosed or demarcated unit approved as an independent unit in the sanctioned plan and conveyed through a registered instrument.

For a buyer, this direction of travel is worth understanding even now, because it echoes the settled position that open and stilt parking are common areas. The draft would put that principle into a clear statutory form for Karnataka. It does not change what you should do today, but it signals where the law may be heading.

What are the proposed redevelopment rules?

The redevelopment provisions are among the draft's most notable, setting a clear consent threshold and a way out for owners who disagree. The draft proposes that a redevelopment scheme need the written consent of at least 75 percent of a building's owners, and that once approved the resolution would bind everyone, including those who did not vote for it. The proposal would require disclosure of plans, costs and completion timelines before it proceeds.

For an owner who does not want to join, the draft proposes a defined exit. Such an owner could reportedly take a monetary settlement of no less than twice the market value of their apartment and land share, less depreciation, set by a government recognised valuer and paid in full before the proposal goes to the planning authority. The draft also proposes a bank guarantee safeguard, so that if work is delayed or abandoned the association can act and appoint a replacement. Each of these is a proposal that could be refined before the final text.

What about structural safety in older buildings?

The draft turns building safety into a recurring obligation rather than a one time event. It proposes that buildings over 30 years old obtain a structural stability assessment by a certified engineer, and, importantly, that the assessment be repeated every five years after that. This recurring five yearly check would mean an ageing tower is looked at regularly rather than once.

Where an assessment raises a serious concern, the draft proposes a route to challenge it: an adverse or unsafe finding would trigger notice to the authorities, and an association would be able to appeal to an expert committee. The exact grades and the time limits for an appeal could be set differently in the final law, so treat the mechanism as confirmed and the fine print as still to be settled.

How would maintenance, dues and disputes change?

The draft proposes to change the basis on which maintenance is charged, which is where it may prove most contested. It proposes that maintenance be levied in proportion to an owner's super built up share, with separate user charges for community and commercial facilities such as clubhouses, pools or shops. This would be a change from the uniform per flat fee that many associations use today, and it would sit against a recent court view favouring equal fees, so expect debate before it is settled.

On dues and disputes, the draft proposes clearer rules. Developers would be responsible for maintenance on unsold or unallotted units, and unpaid dues would become a charge that can be recovered, which protects paying owners from carrying the shortfall. For disputes, the draft proposes a two stage structure, a competent authority and an appellate authority with powers like a civil court, with further recourse to the High Court, giving apartment disputes a defined forum.

What should a Bengaluru owner or buyer do now?

The single most useful thing to understand is that this is a draft you can influence, not a rule you must follow. Because the government has invited feedback until 6 August, an owner or association with a view has a genuine window to be heard. Read the draft, discuss it in your association, and send considered feedback rather than assuming the text is fixed.

For your buying and ownership decisions today, keep to the current law and good practice, and treat the bill as context for where things may go. If you are buying, the existing checks on title, approvals, parking and dues still apply, and our guides on the deed of declaration, undivided share and common areas under the current apartment law and on whether a builder can sell car parking separately remain your practical reference. If you are weighing a specific project, you can also review a listing such as this Bengaluru project.

Your seven step response to the draft bill

1. Remember it is a draft out for feedback until 6 August, not a law in force.
2. Read the released draft rather than relying only on a headline summary.
3. Note which provisions would change your own society, such as parking or maintenance.
4. Discuss the draft in your apartment association before forming a view.
5. Send considered written feedback through the official process while the window is open.
6. For any purchase now, apply the current law on title, approvals and dues.
7. Watch for the final passed version, since wording and thresholds can change.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Karnataka apartment bill now law?

No. The Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2025 is a draft released for public feedback until 6 August 2026, not an enacted law in force. If passed, it would repeal and replace the two 1972 era Acts that govern apartments today. Until it is passed and notified, the existing 1972 laws and RERA continue to apply.

Would the 75 percent redevelopment consent apply to my society now?

No, not yet. The 75 percent written consent threshold for redevelopment is a proposal in the draft bill, not a rule currently in force. If the bill is passed in its current form, it would apply going forward and bind all owners once a scheme is approved. For now, the existing law and your society documents govern redevelopment.

Could a builder still sell me a parking slot under this?

The draft proposes that open, stilt, basement and podium parking are common areas that cannot be sold as private property, unless a slot is a separately built unit approved in the sanctioned plan. As it is only a proposal, apply the current position when buying, and question any separate sale of common parking.

What can I do about the draft before it is finalised?

You can read the released draft and send written feedback through the official process, which the government has kept open until 6 August 2026. Discuss the provisions in your apartment association so any submission reflects a shared view. Because this is a consultation, considered feedback now has a real chance to shape the final text.

Last updated 2026-07-16. PropNewz Team.