The Bangalore Apartments Federation (BAF) has called on the Karnataka government to urgently introduce the long-awaited Karnataka Apartment Ownership and Management Act (KAOMA) in the upcoming Winter Assembly session in Belagavi. The federation stated that the current Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act of 1972 is outdated and no longer aligned with the needs of modern urban housing, particularly in fast-growing Bengaluru.
Representing over 1,400 apartment and villa associations, covering more than 350,000 households and around 1.5 million residents across the city, BAF highlighted that the lack of a clear and updated legal framework has led to continuous challenges for homeowners. These include ambiguities in ownership rights, delays in transfer of property documents, issues in registration of associations, and difficulty in resolving common management disputes.
BAF noted that multiple governments have acknowledged the need for the updated law, and drafts have been discussed over the past several years. However, the federation added that residents are still waiting for concrete action. The organisation stated that this delay has resulted in administrative hurdles for thousands of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and has increased the number of legal conflicts involving apartment management and builder obligations.
The proposed KAOMA aims to provide systematic guidelines for apartment ownership, association formation, maintenance responsibilities, and the transfer of undivided share (UDS) from developers to homeowners. It also seeks to create a structured mechanism for dispute resolution and streamline redevelopment processes for ageing residential complexes.
BAF emphasised that Bengaluru’s rapid vertical growth has made it essential for the government to bring clarity and consistency to how apartment communities are managed. With the apartment population expanding each year, the federation urged the government to prioritise the legislation during the Belagavi session, stating that it would help strengthen transparency, homeowner rights, and overall governance in residential societies.
Residents and RWAs across the city are now expecting the upcoming session to result in decisive steps toward implementing the new legislation. Many believe that updating the law will help reduce long-standing uncertainties in apartment management and bring uniformity to the functioning of housing associations across Karnataka.
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