Maharashtra Draft Model Bye-Laws Draw 5,000 Suggestions, Finalization Due Early October

Maharashtra's cooperation department has received more than 5,000 suggestions and objections from the public on its draft model bye-laws meant to govern over 117,000 registered housing societies across the state. The consultation window, opened as part of the state's broader push to modernise the Model Bye-Laws that societies use to frame their internal rules, drew significant participation from residents, managing committees and housing federations.

What residents are asking for

According to Shahaji Patil, the joint registrar heading the drafting committee, four themes dominated the feedback. Members want clearer categorisation of open, stilt and podium parking to reduce disputes that frequently end up before the Cooperative Court. There is strong demand for societies to set up common electric vehicle charging infrastructure rather than leaving individual flat owners to arrange it on their own. Owners of smaller flats have objected to equal-sharing maintenance models and want charges linked to carpet area instead. Several respondents also asked for tighter limits on what a managing committee can decide unilaterally, particularly around issuing No Objection Certificates and approving property transactions.

Timeline for finalization

Patil said around 90% of the drafting work is complete, and the committee expects to finalise the bye-laws by the first week of October 2026. Once notified, housing societies across Maharashtra will get a three-month window to formally adopt the revised model bye-laws at a general body meeting.

What this means for housing societies

• Managing committees should hold off finalising any parking allotment policy or EV charger cost-sharing arrangement until the notified bye-laws are out, since the categorisation rules may change.
• Societies currently using an equal-split maintenance formula should prepare members for a possible shift toward area-based or carpet-area-linked charges once the new bye-laws take effect.
• Once notified, societies will have only three months to adopt the revised bye-laws in a general body meeting — committees should plan to place this on the agenda of their next AGM or a special general body meeting soon after the notification.
• Given the volume of objections on committee powers, expect the final version to include clearer boundaries on what a managing committee can approve without general body consent, particularly for NOCs and transfers.

Puranik & Associates will track the official notification once issued and publish a detailed comparison of the draft versus final provisions. Societies are advised not to amend their existing bye-laws based on the draft alone, as the finalized text due in early October may differ from the version currently in circulation.