I live in a 2BHK flat (rented) in a complex comprising six units. Maintenance charges are equally distributed to the flats at the actuals spent, irrespective of the size.
The charges include payments to security personnel, common lighting, cleaning of common areas and staircases, electricity repairs in the common areas, common water charges , tank cleaning charges, gardening.
Apart from these, there are times wherin certain repair charges are added to the maintenance charges.
The overall charges are anywhere between Rs. 3500 and Rs.5000 for a complex that does not have any recreation area, park, swimming pool, or gym.
I understand that the Association does not have any corpus fund pooled in for meeting any exigencies.
My queries are:
l Is it fair for the Association to charge everything stated in the name of maintenance in the monthly maintenance bill?
Is it the responsibility of the owner or tenant to pay the charges towards repairs and replacements?
Siva
Chennai
Normally, the expenses relating to any apartment complex can be divided into capital expenses and recurring expenses.
While security, common lighting, water supply, and house keeping come under recurring expenses, replacement of motors, white washing and painting of the entire building and installation of any equipment (such as generators) will come under capital expenses.
The recurring expenses are charged to the owners month on month and the same has to be paid by either the owner or the tenant (depending on the terms of the lease or rental agreement) to the association.
The corpus fund (if available) will be utilised for the capital expenses. Otherwise a one time contribution from owners has to be collected for the specific heads of expenses. Usually these expenses are absorbed by the owners.
