Apartment federation welcomes Karnataka’s new ownership and management law

For Bengaluru’s apartment residents, the Karnataka Apartment Ownership and Management Act (KAOMA) 2026 sets a three-month window for promoters to facilitate the formation and registration of an association once a majority of apartments have been allotted.

The Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF) welcomed the law, saying it gives greater weight to residents’ association powers, promoter accountability, common-area protection, building safety and redevelopment. If a promoter does not facilitate the association’s formation, the competent authority can intervene.

BAF president Satish Mallya said the Act improves substantially on the 1972 legal framework, but said implementation would be crucial. The federation noted that promoter obligations under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, continue after management is handed over, and that promoters cannot retain control of common areas after that transfer.

The Act provides for one statutory association per apartment project. A registered association will be a body corporate, with perpetual succession and the capacity to sue or be sued in its own name.

BAF general secretary K. Aun Kumar said management and ownership rights must move together, calling for a clear, time-bound and enforceable mechanism for statutory and deemed conveyance of land and common-area rights.