NEFOWA requested builders not to raise maintenance charges in the housing society during the lock-down.

A representative of homebuyers in Greater Noida, the Noida Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association (NEFOWA) urged builders not to increase maintenance charges in the housing society during the lockdown.

When a few developers in the area increased maintenance prices, the Association wrote to the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India.

Eros Group, which operates a housing society named Eros Sampoornam, has released a notice for raising maintenance fees from Rs 1.95 per sq ft to Rs 2.5 per sq ft.

“We got to know that many other builders have been attempting to increase charges during the lockdown. This can be prevented at this period because most of us are indoors. We will protest from the balconies and if the rise in charges is not rolled back, we can protest on the ground, pursuing social distance rules,” NEFOWA’s Dipanker said.

Eros group, in a circular to the residents, said that “it has become necessary for the maintenance agency to raise maintenance fees and the same has been revised with an increase of 8% compounded annually since 2017 due to minimum entitlement as per maintenance contract.”

“Over the last three years, the maintenance charges have never been updated, keeping in the interest of the residents and giving them ample time to settle in the society. The circular specifying revision to maintenance costs at R 2.50 per sqft. + GST with effect from 01.04.2020 was shared with tenants in January 2020 and is not related or linked to the lockdown,” a spokesperson for the Eros group said.