Buying a home in a residential society is often seen as a major financial milestone. For most homebuyers, the biggest expense is the monthly home loan EMI. However, there is another recurring cost that can quietly become a significant burden over the years — the monthly maintenance charge.
These charges are collected from residents to maintain the common facilities and services of a housing society. While maintenance costs naturally change over time, a sharp increase can become a serious concern for homeowners, particularly when residents do not clearly understand why the charges are rising or how their money is being spent.
A recent dispute in Gurugram has brought this issue into focus. Residents of a housing society in Sector 108 are protesting against a steep increase in Common Area Maintenance, or CAM, charges. According to the information available about the dispute, the charges have reportedly increased by around 90% over the past two years.
The incident highlights an important question for homebuyers across India: When you buy a home, are you looking only at the EMI, or are you also considering the long-term cost of maintaining the property?
What Are CAM Charges?
CAM stands for Common Area Maintenance charges. These are regular payments collected from residents of a residential complex for maintaining areas and facilities that are shared by everyone.
The money may be used for services such as security, housekeeping, cleaning, lift maintenance, gardening, common-area electricity, repairs and other day-to-day maintenance activities.
For example, residents may use lifts, parking areas, gardens, lobbies, corridors, security gates and other shared facilities every day. Keeping these facilities operational requires staff, electricity, equipment and regular repairs.
Therefore, paying maintenance charges is an essential part of living in a managed residential complex.
However, the important issue is not simply whether residents should pay these charges. The bigger question is whether the amount being collected is reasonable and whether residents are getting the services they are paying for.
What Happened in Gurugram?
A dispute has emerged between residents and the developer and maintenance agency of The Westerlies society in Sector 108, Gurugram.
Residents have reportedly objected to a substantial increase in CAM charges over the past two years. According to the information provided, the maintenance charge was earlier around ₹10 per square yard, while it has now increased to approximately ₹19 per square yard.
That represents an increase of around 90%.
For an individual homeowner, the impact of such an increase depends on the size of the property. But when the same increase is applied across a large residential complex, the additional financial burden on residents can become substantial.
The increase has reportedly led to dissatisfaction among residents, particularly because they believe that the higher charges have not been matched by a corresponding improvement in services and maintenance.
Residents have therefore raised concerns about both the increase in charges and the quality of maintenance being provided.
Why Are Residents Protesting?
One of the major concerns raised by residents is the lack of clarity surrounding the increase in maintenance charges.
If a maintenance agency increases its charges significantly, residents naturally want to know the reason. Have electricity costs increased? Have staff salaries gone up? Has the cost of security services increased? Are additional facilities being maintained? Or have operating and repair costs increased?
These are reasonable questions because maintenance charges directly affect the monthly household budget.
Residents in the Gurugram society have reportedly demanded greater transparency regarding the charges and how the collected money is being used.
They also want problems related to inadequate maintenance to be addressed.
This creates an important principle for residential societies: higher charges should ideally come with clear explanations and proper accountability.
Why Transparency Matters
Maintenance charges may appear to be a relatively small expense when compared with the cost of purchasing a house. But they are recurring expenses.
A homebuyer may spend decades paying for the property through a home loan. During that period, maintenance charges can also change several times.
This means buyers should not consider only the purchase price and EMI when calculating the actual cost of owning a home.
They should also ask:
How much is the current monthly maintenance charge?
Is the charge calculated according to the size of the property?
What services are included?
Can the charges increase in the future?
How are increases determined?
Who manages the maintenance?
What happens if residents have concerns about the services?
Is there transparency regarding the use of collected funds?
Getting answers to these questions before purchasing a property can help buyers understand their potential long-term expenses.
The Hidden Cost of Homeownership
For many buyers, the calculation is simple: property price + home loan EMI.
But the actual cost of living in a residential complex can include several recurring expenses — maintenance charges, parking-related costs, utility charges, property taxes, repairs and other society-related expenses.
Maintenance charges are particularly important because they are paid regularly.
Even a modest increase can make a difference to a household budget. A significant increase, such as the one reportedly seen in the Gurugram case, can make the difference even more noticeable.
This is especially important for middle-class families who carefully plan their monthly expenses around their EMI and other household costs.
What Should Homebuyers Check Before Buying?
The Gurugram dispute offers a useful lesson for prospective homebuyers.
Before purchasing a flat, buyers should ask the developer or society management for detailed information about current maintenance charges and the services included in them.
They should also try to understand whether the charges are fixed or subject to periodic revision.
If future increases are possible, buyers should find out what factors could influence those increases.
It is also useful to speak with existing residents before buying a property. They can often provide practical information about the quality of security, housekeeping, lifts, water supply, common areas and other facilities.
A property may look attractive during a sales visit, but the experience of actually living there can be very different.
A Bigger Lesson for Housing Societies
The Gurugram case is not just about a particular maintenance charge. It highlights a broader issue surrounding residential real estate.
Residents have to pay for the upkeep of their homes and common facilities. At the same time, developers and maintenance agencies need to ensure that charges are reasonable, clearly explained and supported by proper services.
Transparency can help prevent disputes.
When residents understand where their money is going and why charges are increasing, they are more likely to accept reasonable changes. On the other hand, unexplained increases combined with inadequate maintenance can quickly create dissatisfaction.
The Bottom Line
Buying a home is a long-term financial commitment. The cost does not end when the purchase agreement is signed or when the home loan EMI begins.
Monthly maintenance charges can become a significant part of the total cost of living in a residential society. The reported 90% increase in CAM charges at a Gurugram society has therefore raised an issue that deserves attention from both existing residents and future homebuyers.
For buyers, the key lesson is simple: Before purchasing a home, look beyond the EMI.
Understand the maintenance charges, the services provided, the possibility of future increases and the level of transparency offered by the developer or society management.
A home should be financially comfortable not just on the day you buy it, but for the many years you plan to live in it.
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