Maintenance is a permanent cost that most buyers evaluate for about thirty seconds. Over a decade it often exceeds the stamp duty you agonised over.
How it is calculated
Two common methods:
Per square foot of built-up area. The most common approach. Everyone pays proportionally to flat size.
Equal per flat. Less common, and contentious in projects with a wide size range — a 1,200 sq ft owner pays the same as a 2,800 sq ft owner for the same lift and the same security guard.
Which method applies should be in your agreement or the society bye-laws.
What drives it up
Amenity load. A swimming pool needs treatment, staffing and power. A clubhouse needs cleaning, cooling and maintenance. A gym needs equipment servicing. Every amenity on the brochure has a monthly cost attached.
Lift count and building height. More lifts, more AMC. Taller buildings need more pumping.
Landscaping. Gardens need gardeners and water, permanently.
Security staffing levels. Usually the single largest line item.
Diesel for generators, which varies with grid reliability.
What a reasonable figure looks like
There is no universal number, but the shape of the answer matters more than the figure. Ask for a line-item breakdown, not a single per-square-foot rate. A developer or society that cannot produce one is not managing the budget properly.
Compare against a delivered project of similar size and amenity level in the same corridor. That comparison is far more useful than any published benchmark.
The corpus fund
Separate from monthly maintenance. It is a one-time capital fund for major future repairs — lift replacement, waterproofing, painting. Ask how it is calculated, where it is held, and when it transfers to the society.
Questions to ask before buying
What is the current or projected monthly figure, per square foot? What does it include and exclude? Is there a separate charge for parking, club use or power backup? Who audits the accounts? Is GST applicable?
The trade-off worth thinking about
A project with fewer amenities has a lower monthly cost, forever. If you will not use the pool, you are paying to maintain it for the neighbours who will. That is a legitimate choice either way — but it should be a choice.
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