How to Calculate Apartment Maintenance Charges (Worked Example)

Every new secretary faces the same question in month one: how do we calculate each flat's maintenance? There's no single law for small societies — the association decides in a general body meeting — but almost every Indian society uses one of three methods, or a mix.

The three methods

1. Fixed per flat — every flat pays the same (e.g. ₹2,000). Simplest, fits buildings where flats are similar sizes. Most 10–60 flat societies use this.
2. Per square foot — rate × super built-up area (e.g. ₹2.5/sq.ft → a 1,200 sq.ft flat pays ₹3,000). Standard in societies with mixed 2BHK/3BHK sizes; also what RERA-era bye-laws commonly prescribe.
3. Actual bills, split — add up the month's real expenses (watchman, power, lift AMC, water) and divide across flats, equally or by share. Truest to cost, needs bookkeeping discipline — this is where an app helps most.

What goes into the maintenance amount

Salaries — watchman, sweeper, part-time help
Common electricity — lift, pumps, stair and parking lights
Water — municipal + tankers (ideally billed by each flat's meter — see the water billing guide)
AMCs and repairs — lift, generator, plumbing and electrical fixes
Corpus / sinking fund — a small monthly amount for painting and big repairs later

Worked example: a 30-flat building

Monthly expense	Amount
Watchman + sweeper	₹22,000
Common electricity (lift, pumps, lights)	₹9,000
Lift AMC (annual ₹36,000 ÷ 12)	₹3,000
Repairs & misc (average)	₹5,000
Corpus fund (₹200 × 30 flats)	₹6,000
Common total	₹45,000

Common charge per flat = ₹45,000 ÷ 30 = ₹1,500.

Water, by meter: say the month's water cost is ₹24,000 and the building used 600 kL → rate ₹40/kL. A flat that used 18 kL pays ₹720; a flat that used 30 kL pays ₹1,200 — on top of the ₹1,500 common charge. So one flat's bill is ₹2,220, another's ₹2,700, and both are fair.

Rules that keep it peaceful

Decide the method in a general body meeting and record it in the minutes — the method matters less than everyone having agreed to it.
Publish the expense list monthly with receipts — transparency is what makes any number acceptable.
Carry balances forward explicitly — part-payments and dues should never live in anyone's memory.
Review the amount yearly — salaries and power tariffs rise; a small annual bump beats a sudden 40% shock.

Doing all this in Excel is possible — that's how most societies start (grab our free Excel template). Doing it every month without mistakes is what an apartment maintenance app is for: Flatra generates the whole society's bills from your real expenses in one tap, water by meter included, with a preview to check first.

Try Flatra with your society

Set up in one evening — add flats, add bills, generate the month. First 10 societies free, then from ₹10 per flat per month. Residents always free.

Get it on Google Play Visit flatra.in

Frequently asked questions

What is a reasonable apartment maintenance charge in India?

For small standalone societies, commonly ₹1,500–₹3,500 per flat per month depending on staff, lift, water source and city. What matters is that it covers real expenses plus a small corpus, and that the accounts are published monthly.

Should maintenance be equal for all flats or by square foot?

Both are common. Equal suits buildings with similar flat sizes; per-sq.ft suits mixed 2BHK/3BHK buildings. The association should decide in a general body meeting and record it.

What is a corpus or sinking fund?

A small monthly amount (often ₹100–₹500 per flat) saved for large future expenses — building painting, lift replacement, waterproofing — so they don't need a sudden big collection.

How should water be included in maintenance?

Ideally by each flat's meter reading, so families pay for their own usage. The month's total water cost divided by total units gives the rate; each flat pays its units × rate.