How to calculate Maintenance Fee in Apartments?

The maintenance fee is what you pay for the maintenance of the society. It’s simple. You live inside your 1/2/3 BHK’s and keep it clean and beautiful and neglect everything outside the main door. So how will it be cared?

By the maintenance fee you pay. This additional amount is taken from the residents of apartment complexes for the development, repairs and sort out sticky situations like water logging etc. But how the maintenance fee is calculated?

Every society forms an association to calculate and collect the fee. There are different methods with which the amount is calculated. We will tell you those methods by which you can calculate the exact rate and know if you are paying it correctly.

• Pay Per Square Feet Method

It’s the simplest and typical way of calculating the maintenance fee. A fixed rate per sq ft is defined and calculated accordingly. However this method is a bit unfair for those who own larger area as facilities like lift, garden and the club are used by everybody irrespective of the area possessed.

• Flat Monthly Fee Method

A definite amount needed for the maintenance is decided by the association, divided and equally collected from the residents irrespective of flat sizes they own. They are generally followed where flat sizes are nearly equal.

• Partial Flat Rate Method

The association charges a flat rate for a limited sq ft and each additional unit will be charged extra. For example, one has to pay fixed price upto 1000 sq ft but on addition of 100 sq ft, extra charges will be calculated.1

• Combined Maintenance Charge Method

The total expected maintenance charge is calculated in two parts.

One being the expense of maintaining lifts, salaries for security and other common charges like taxes of society office, legal fees, common electricity charges etc., that is equally taken from every residence owner. The other is calculated on the basis of area possessed and includes fees like property taxes and water charges, etc. This amount will go in the sinking fund which will be used in the hour of need and trouble.

These (above) are several ways by which the maintenance fee is calculated. It is majorly based on the byelaw (The Constitution of your Apartment Association) of the association.