Buying a flat? Pay only for carpet area

The Bill, introduced in the Legislative Council by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Patil, aims at regulating promotion of construction, sale, management and transfer of flats on ownership basis.

The Bill also aims at preventing abuses and malpractices, which have been on the rise due to acute shortage of housing in several parts of the state.

"It has come to notice of the state government that promoters and developers are not selling the flats on the basis of carpet area," the Minister noted

The flat purchaser is often unable to understand exactly the difference between carpet area, built up area and super built up area of the flat, he said.

"The government last year declared a new housing policy aimed at preventing such malpractices. The Bill provides that sale and purchase of flats is done on basis of carpet area only."

The Maharashtra Ownership Flats (Regulation of the promotion of construction, sale, management and transfer) Act, 1963 is being amended to facilitate this, he said.

The Bill allows the promoter to charge separately for common areas and facilities in proportion of the carpet area of flats.

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