With redevelopment reshaping much of Mumbai’s housing landscape, the Maharashtra Society Welfare Association (MahaSeWA) has urged the state government to introduce uniform guidelines to safeguard residents of private housing societies. The demand comes as nearly 15,000 of the city’s 34,000 registered societies are in a dilapidated condition and awaiting redevelopment.
MahaSeWA Chairman Ramesh Prabhu said that the rules currently applicable to Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects—particularly those concerning rent payment—should also be extended to private society redevelopments.
“The most common issue is that builders fail to pay rent on time once residents vacate their homes. This leaves families in a vulnerable position, sometimes for years,” he explained.
Prabhu pointed out that the SRA had resolved this problem by requiring developers to deposit advance rent at the start of projects, ensuring slum dwellers were not left without support.
Applying similar safeguards to private projects, he argued, would protect middle-class homeowners from financial distress.
Currently, no such framework exists for private redevelopments. Builders often provide only two to four months’ rent to residents to vacate. If projects stall, families are left stranded in temporary housing with little recourse, often leading to lengthy legal disputes.
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Suhas Patwardhan, Vice-Chairman of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Housing Federation, said delays particularly impact senior citizens in ageing buildings. “They are the worst affected when projects are stuck. The government must act swiftly,” he stressed.
Under existing SRA norms, developers must deposit cheques covering two years’ rent in advance, along with provisions for three additional years. The authority also bars defaulting builders from taking on new projects.
MahaSeWA has urged the government to replicate this model in all redevelopment initiatives to ensure greater transparency, accountability, and financial security for residents.
