Apartment Maintenance Charges, Bangalore: How They Work, GST and Corpus Fund

Bangalore apartments bill maintenance per sq ft of super built-up area each month, plus a one-time corpus fund. As of September 2026, 18% GST also applies once a home’s monthly bill tops ₹7,500 and the association earns ₹20 lakh or more a year. Large gated projects cost more to run than small ones, so the rate and the advance period matter as much as the flat price.

How maintenance is calculated in Bengaluru

Most Bengaluru projects use one simple formula. You pay a rate per sq ft, times your super built-up area (SBA), each month. SBA includes your share of lobbies, lifts, stairs and the clubhouse. So a bigger home pays more, even if you use the pool less than your neighbour.

Here is a worked example with round, made-up numbers. Say the rate is ₹4 per sq ft. A 1,500 sq ft home would then pay ₹6,000 a month. A 2,000 sq ft home would pay ₹8,000 a month. These figures only show the maths; they are not a quote for any project.

Some Bengaluru communities add a second part to the bill. Water may come as a separate line, split by meter reading. In other projects, clubhouse use, guest rooms or extra car slots carry their own fees. Ask for every line, not just the rate per sq ft, and total them for 12 months.

What your maintenance money pays for

In a gated high-rise in Bengaluru, the bill covers the people and machines that keep the place running. Security guards work in three shifts, 365 days a year. Housekeeping teams clean lobbies, basements and paths. Lifts need a yearly service contract and a safety check.

Power back-up is the second big line after security in many Bengaluru projects. A diesel generator (DG) runs lifts, pumps and common lights and, in many projects, part of each flat’s load. Diesel, service and the operator all come out of the common pool, and diesel prices move 2 or 3 times a year.

In Bengaluru, water can cost more than any other item. A sewage treatment plant (STP) needs power, chemicals and trained staff every day. When the borewell or city supply falls short, tanker water adds to the bill. The 2024 summer shortage in the city showed how fast this line can grow.

Then there are the lifestyle items. Pools need filters, chemicals and a lifeguard. A gym needs a service contract for its machines every 12 months. Lawns, trees and play areas need 2 or more gardeners on a large site. A 75-amenity project will cost more to run than a block with a lift and a terrace.

Bengaluru associations tend to group their budgets under 6 heads.

GST on maintenance: the ₹7,500 rule

GST on maintenance has 2 tests, and a home must meet both. First, the home’s monthly maintenance must be more than ₹7,500. Second, the association’s yearly turnover must be ₹20 lakh or more. The Finance Ministry restated this in April 2025, with GST at 18%.

The tricky part is how much of the bill attracts GST. The CBIC circular of 2019 says GST applies to the full amount once you cross ₹7,500. A Madras High Court ruling read it as a limit, with tax only on the excess. So the question is still open in some courts.

Take the made-up ₹8,000 bill from above. Under the CBIC view, 18% GST on the full sum adds ₹1,440 a month. Under the Madras High Court view, the tax would be 18% of ₹500, or ₹90. Most Bengaluru associations follow the CBIC view, so plan for the higher figure.

A few items sit outside GST. Associations tend to list water and power bills they pass on at cost as separate lines. Property tax paid to the city is not part of the maintenance bill. Ask the facility manager to break out the GST line before you sign.

This is general information, not tax advice. GST rules change with notices and court rulings, so check with a chartered accountant for your case.

Corpus fund, sinking fund and advance maintenance

At handover, most builders collect three separate sums. It helps to know what each one is for.

Advance maintenance covers the first 12 to 24 months of the monthly bill. You pay it in one go at possession. The builder or its facility manager then runs the place until owners take over.

Corpus fund is a one-time deposit for large, rare costs, often 1 or 2 years of maintenance in size. Think of a lift overhaul after 15 years or a new STP motor. It should sit in a separate account and earn interest.

Sinking fund is a slow, yearly top-up for the same kind of repairs. Some projects fold it into the corpus, while others bill it once a year, like a 13th monthly bill.

The RERA Act 2016 sets out who holds this money. Under Section 11(4)(d), the builder must run essential services at fair charges until the owners’ association takes over. Karnataka RERA has also ordered builders to pass the corpus and maintenance accounts to the association after handover. So ask, in writing, where the corpus will sit and when it moves across.

Associations and the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act

In Karnataka, the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972 sets the base rules for owners. Under it, a Deed of Declaration defines each home and its share of the common areas. The owners must register it with the Sub-Registrar. The 1972 Act then calls for an association of owners with its own bye-laws.

Those bye-laws decide how Karnataka owners set the maintenance rate. In most Bengaluru communities, the elected managing committee drafts a yearly budget. The general body then votes on it. If costs rise, the rate rises at the next vote.

This matters for your budget over 10 or 20 years. In the builder’s period, your agreement fixes the rate. Once owners take over, it moves with real costs such as wages, diesel and water. Owners who attend the annual general meeting and read the audited accounts tend to keep costs lower than those who skip it.

Three buyer checks help here, before you sign any Karnataka agreement for sale. First, read the maintenance clause in it. Second, check whether the rate can change in the first 12 to 24 months. Third, ask if the clubhouse or any other amenity will run as a paid, separate unit.

What to ask about maintenance at Adarsh Welkin Park

We do not publish a maintenance figure for Adarsh Welkin Park, and you should not trust a number from a portal either. The rate will depend on Phase I or Phase II, the handover date and the final operating plan. What we can do is show you 5 features that tend to drive the bill, so you know what to ask.

Adarsh Welkin Park is a large gated project off Sarjapur Road. The developer’s brochure lists 75+ amenities and a 73,000 sq ft clubhouse with indoor and outdoor pools. The towers are G+25, so lifts run all day. The specifications list an STP, rainwater harvesting and DG back-up of allocated power at 50% diversity. Each of these adds to running costs, and each also adds value to daily life.

The scale also helps. Portals report 832 homes across 8 towers. A large project spreads fixed costs, such as a facility manager, over more homes than a 100-home block. The master plan shows 72% open space, which means more lawns to tend but also more shared green area per home.

Use this short list when you speak to the sales team or to us:

1. What is the monthly rate per sq ft for the first period?
2. How many months of advance maintenance are due at possession?
3. What is the corpus amount, and which bank account will hold it?
4. Will the bill show GST on its own line?
5. Is clubhouse use part of the rate or billed on its own?
6. When will the builder hand over to the owners’ association?

Put the 6 answers next to the home’s cost on the price sheet. That gives you the true monthly cost of living there, compared with the EMI alone.

How to compare maintenance across projects

A lower rate is not always better than a higher one. A project with a ₹3 rate and no STP may spend more on tankers later. A project with a ₹5 rate and a full-time facility team may hold its value better. These are round examples, not real quotes.

Compare like with like. Put 2 projects side by side and list what each rate includes. Check the number of homes, the amenities, the power back-up and the water source. Then work out the yearly bill for the same size of home, say 1,500 sq ft.

If you are also weighing other homes near Sarjapur Road, read our blog for area and buyer guides. For the full project picture, the overview and FAQ cover sizes, phases and RERA details.

Get the brochure and price sheet

Published by IamHere Realty, authorised channel partner for Adarsh Welkin Park. Project details are from the developer’s official material; verify every detail with the sales team before you decide.