In a major reform aimed at easing long-standing registration bottlenecks, the Odisha government has simplified the process for registering common areas in apartment projects by fixing a flat registration fee of ₹20,000. The move is expected to bring clarity to ownership rights and significantly reduce disputes between builders and flat buyers.
The Revenue and Disaster Management Department has issued a formal notification amending existing registration procedures. Under the revised framework, common areas in apartment projects will now be registered directly in the name of the Association of Allottees or flat owners’ societies, instead of remaining under the control of developers.
Long-Pending Issue Addressed
The decision resolves a key hurdle that had stalled apartment registrations across Odisha, even after the Odisha Apartment Ownership Act, 2023 came into force. While the law recognised collective ownership of shared spaces, ambiguity around registration fees and stamp duty had effectively frozen the process.
Officials said the uniform registration fee removes procedural confusion under the Registration Act, 1908, enabling sub-registrars to process deeds more efficiently.
Clear Ownership for Flat Buyers
Real estate stakeholders believe the reform restores full ownership rights to buyers who had paid for their homes but lacked legal control over common facilities such as staircases, corridors, parking areas, and community spaces.
Industry representatives noted that the earlier system caused delays in sale deeds, financial strain for developers, and uncertainty for homebuyers. Flat owners also raised concerns over disputes arising from unclear control of shared areas, which often affected day-to-day management and maintenance.
Boost for Stalled Projects
According to industry estimates, hundreds of apartment projects in urban centres including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Rourkela had pending registrations solely due to unresolved issues around common area transfers. The new rule is expected to unlock these stalled registrations and improve confidence in the real estate sector.
Stamp Duty Yet to Be Notified
While the reform has been widely welcomed, real estate experts caution that the process will remain incomplete until the government formally notifies stamp duty rates applicable to common area registration.
Industry bodies have indicated that a cabinet decision on stamp duty is awaited. Until then, sub-registrars may face limitations in executing registration deeds despite the revised notification.
Concerns Over Older Apartment Projects
Another unresolved issue relates to apartment projects completed after 2016, many of which remain unregistered due to regulatory gaps before the 2023 legislation. Buyers in such projects continue to face challenges in forming associations and asserting ownership over shared infrastructure.
Stakeholders have urged the government to introduce a structured regularisation mechanism for these older projects, especially where residents have been living for several years without formal registration of common areas.
