📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Election commission of India
Politics
Karnataka Bill 2026 Prohibits Multiple Resident Associations in One Apartment Complex
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 20 Aug 2026, 01:39 AM
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The Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026, passed by the state legislature, bars the formation of more than one resident welfare association within a single apartment complex.
The Karnataka state legislature has approved the Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026, aimed at streamlining governance of residential societies. The legislation seeks to eliminate overlapping authority by allowing only one resident welfare association (RWA) to operate in each apartment complex.
Key provision of the bill mandates that developers and existing owners cannot register multiple RWAs for the same building, thereby preventing disputes over management decisions, maintenance funds and by‑laws. The bill also outlines penalties for non‑compliance and a transition period of six months for societies to consolidate under a single association.
Stakeholders have offered mixed reactions; housing experts argue that a single RWA can reduce legal battles, while some resident groups fear reduced representation for diverse blocks within large complexes. The state government has indicated that the rule will come into effect from April 2027, after a mandatory awareness campaign for owners and developers.
Key provision of the bill mandates that developers and existing owners cannot register multiple RWAs for the same building, thereby preventing disputes over management decisions, maintenance funds and by‑laws. The bill also outlines penalties for non‑compliance and a transition period of six months for societies to consolidate under a single association.
Stakeholders have offered mixed reactions; housing experts argue that a single RWA can reduce legal battles, while some resident groups fear reduced representation for diverse blocks within large complexes. The state government has indicated that the rule will come into effect from April 2027, after a mandatory awareness campaign for owners and developers.