BDA puts full stop on post-OC plan tweaks

BDA has barred builders from changing plans after full Occupancy Certificate and FAR utilisation, aiming to protect apartment owners from arbitrary post-handover modifications Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has tightened the rules governing changes to apartment projects after occupancy, in a move aimed at protecting homebuyers from arbitrary alterations to sanctioned building plans. The authority has clarified that once a project has received its Occupancy Certificate (OC) and the permissible Floor Area Ratio (FAR) has been fully used, builders will no longer be allowed to seek approval for fresh or modified plans. The new guidelines mean that developers cannot return after handing over flats and attempt to add extra floors, blocks or amenities that were never part of the original approval. Any scope for additional construction using remaining FAR, Transferable Development Rights (TDR) or Premium FAR will be strictly regulated and allowed only under clearly defined conditions. In particular, such future development must have been explicitly disclosed in sale deeds or agreements signed with buyers, so that purchasers are fully aware of the possibility before investing. Where only a partial OC has been issued and some FAR still remains unused, BDA will consider modified plans, but with key safeguards. The site area approved in the first plan cannot be altered, and parks, open spaces and civic amenity areas shown in the sanctioned layout must be retained as is. These spaces cannot be converted into buildable area later. Additionally, if flats have already been sold and third-party rights created, builders will need the consent of at least two-thirds of apartment owners before applying for any changes or additional construction. Also Read: Nandini ghee, butter get costlier again across Karnataka BDA has also stressed that any new construction using balance FAR, TDR or Premium FAR should not change the undivided share (UDS) of land belonging to existing flat owners. Developers must obtain all required no-objection certificates and clearances from competent authorities before moving ahead with such work. To strengthen implementation, the authority has directed its planning and engineering sections to verify the OC status of a project before processing revised plan applications and to dispose of all such requests within a fixed time frame, either approving or rejecting them. By drawing a clear line at the point of full OC and FAR utilisation, BDA is seeking to curb the practice of builders trying to monetise completed projects a second time, and to ensure that buyers receive exactly what was promised at the time of purchase. This is expected to bring more predictability for apartment owners and reduce disputes over late-stage changes to layouts and common areas. Also Read: Fill your enumeration form or lose voter ID, warn officials

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