Before the state government of Karnataka plans to implement the Karnataka Apartment Bill, 2025, homebuyers from Bengaluru have made a plea to the state to take the matter of apartment ownership and governance that has been neglected for a very long time, seriously. They want the government to provide clear regulations for the registration of resident welfare associations (RWAs), the mandatory transfer of land and common areas, and the time-bound disposal of cases before the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA), among other things.
After a public consultation at Vidhana Soudha on December 13, 2025, the Karnataka Home Buyers Forum (KHBF) in its detailed representation to the government expressed its support for the government's decision to involve stakeholders in formulating a new apartment law. But the forum warned that without providing enough clarity and putting in place effective mechanisms for the implementation, the planned law may not be able to solve the problems which have been causing disputes of apartment owners for decades in the entire state.
The representation of the issues is the consolidation of homebuyers' concerns during the consultation and it also serves as an outline of the specific steps which are necessary to ensure that the new law accomplishes the protection and transparency of the rights of homebuyers in a meaningful way.
One of the foremost problems of homebuyers is the lack of clarity concerning the registration of apartment associations and the absence of a properly notified competent authority. KHBF states that associations established under different laws have significant legal and operational problems. Dhananjaya Padmanabhachar, Director of the Karnataka Home Buyers Forum, said that associations registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act (KSRA), 1960, have been debilitated by the High Court decisions which forbid them to collect maintenance charges from residents in a legal way.
On the other hand, associations registered under the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act (KAOA), 1972, are going on without an efficient grievance redressal system as the state has not officially notified a competent authority through a gazette notification even though there are provisions in the Act.
“This regulatory vacuum has left apartment communities in a precarious position for years,” Padmanabhachar said. “Homebuyers expect the new apartment law to decisively resolve these structural gaps rather than perpetuate uncertainty.”
Enforcing RERA’s Section 17
Another major demand raised by KHBF is the strict enforcement of Section 17 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), which mandates the transfer of title and common areas from promoters to associations of allottees.
According to the forum, failure to implement this provision has left thousands of homebuyers vulnerable, with developers continuing to retain control over land parcels, basements, clubhouses, and other common facilities even after projects are completed and occupied.
“Once the government clearly provides for apartment association registration and notifies a competent authority, associations can finally move forward with land and title transfers from promoters, as required under RERA,” Padmanabhachar said. “This is critical for securing ownership rights and enabling transparent governance within apartment communities.”
KHBF argued that the lack of formal title transfer has far-reaching consequences, particularly in matters related to redevelopment, additional construction, financial liabilities, and disputes over common assets.
Need for institutional grievance redressal
Homebuyers also stressed the need for a structured grievance redressal framework under the new law. The forum said that a formally declared “sakshama pradhikara” or competent authority would allow apartment associations to resolve disputes institutionally rather than being forced into prolonged and expensive litigation.
Such an authority, KHBF said, would also help bring consistency in the interpretation of apartment laws and strengthen accountability among developers, associations, and regulatory bodies.
Moreover, buyers also wanted the disposal of complaints before Karnataka RERA with a clear timeline since they pointed out that the delay in adjudication usually weakens the effectiveness of the regulatory protections.
Aim of Karnataka Apartment Bill, 2025
The Karnataka government has revealed that the main intention of the Karnataka Apartment Bill, 2025, is to completely change the current framework of apartment ownership which most of the stakeholders describe as an old-fashioned and insufficient one for the vertically growing housing market in Bengaluru.
One of the significant changes brought about by the proposed legislation is the introduction of more precise definitions, which depend on the law, and the legal provisions become stronger concerning such issues as land ownership rights, transfer of title to apartment associations, governance of common areas, and even the collection and use of maintenance charges. Apart from that, the state has issued the statement that the new law’s goal is to put an end to the interminable disputes between developers and residents, which result from the problems of association registration and the lack of a formal dispute resolution mechanism, by simplifying the process of association registration and creating a formal dispute resolution mechanism.
Judiciary Perspective on Land Ownership
Vittal B R, an advocate at the Karnataka High Court, mentioned that among the unsolved problems of apartment housing that have been the source of heated debates for people is the issue of changing the land ownership to apartment owners. He added that Karnataka Ownership Flats Act and Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act should be merged in one interpretation to effectively cover the gap, as per HT.
He gave an example by stating that “The struggles of clarifying the issues regarding the transfer of land rights have always been fights among residents, developers, and authorities”. He emphasized the necessity of a rational and single legal framework.
As a consequence of the continuous rapid growth of living in apartments in Bengaluru, homebuyers express that the law’s success largely depends not only on the legislature’s intentions but on detailed rules, doable timelines, and powerful institutional support that ultimately puts the ownership rights in the hands of residents.
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