Basic things you must know about the common areas in your apartment complex

admin | February 9, 2022

The common areas in an apartment are those spaces situated both within and outside the apartment that can be freely accessed and utilized by all the residents and their guests for various purposes.

Some of the most typical common areas seen within apartment complexes in our country are entrance lobbies, corridors, staircases, elevators, parking lots/spaces, gardens, roof/terrace, swimming pool, fitness facilities, recreational areas, clubhouse, etc.

Let us now have a look at the basic things you must know about the common areas in your apartment complex:

1. Responsibility

According to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), the maintenance of common areas in an apartment complex is the collective responsibility of all the residents. There would be a fee for the maintenance and upkeep of these common areas which is usually charged from each apartment owner on a monthly or yearly basis.

However, it is the developers’ responsibility to maintain the common area and pay for its operational expenses until the formation of an official association or community within the residents.

2. Apartment common area rules & restrictions

Apartment associations would bring forth general rules and regulations with regard to the use and accessibility of the common areas. Some of such usual rules would be “Tenants or apartment owners must stay off the landscaping”, swimming pool timings, recreation areas, fitness facilities timings, etc.

Neglecting, or not following these rules regarding the common areas could be viewed as a violation, of which, the association might have some protocols, and it’s always better to follow them as you are living within a neighborhood.

3. Claim

Occupants (tenants or owners) do not have the right to claim a common area as their own. Access to the common areas in an apartment complex is an equal right for all the occupants. However, you are not allowed to create partitions or claim specific spots for your own individual use or benefits which would be improper.

4. Modifications

Although common areas of an apartment complex could be used for other purposes by the occupants, they cannot be ‘transformed’ or ‘modified’ for their individual interests. For instance, if one of the residents chooses a common area to put the clothes to dry than its dedicated space, it does not mean that particular space has now become an official clothes drying spot.

Residents, therefore, should refrain from modifying the common areas and the facilities according to their own personal interests or preferences, until and unless they have obtained permission from the concerned apartment authorities.

5. Damages

Common areas are meant to be utilized in the same regard that the residents use their individual apartments and therefore, any intentional damage from the occupant’s side or their guests could be taken as a lease violation.

Until and unless the damage is caused to the common area or the facilities are by you, it’s obviously not your responsibility to rectify the damage.

6. Selling the rights

Any area of the apartment complex that falls under the category of ‘common area’ is meant to be used only by the residents and owners. The developer’s practice of offering the right to access common areas or selling it to third parties can therefore be considered illegal, and the residents, under such circumstances have the complete right to press charges.

7. No exemption

According to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), it is mandatory that all residents (tenants and owners) should pay a stipulated amount for the running and maintenance of common areas and facilities. No resident can be exempted from the same, even if they do not use the common areas or only live in the apartments occasionally.

8. Downside

Even though there are no direct drawbacks to apartment common areas in plain sight, unlike any other thing, the way an individual’s expectations meet the reality could decide the downsides of common areas for them.

The appearance and feel of common areas could vary from builders to builders and apartments to apartments. However, there is no doubt that they have become an inevitable element of contemporary lifestyle and flats and apartments of Veegaland Homes have well-designed and maintained common areas in all our projects.

Through our integrated solar system, our apartments generate their own share of energy and help to minimize the excess amount of electricity by using it to power the common areas and back up. To know more about the solar system and how it helps the apartment owner to save on common area utility bills read our blog: top 7 benefits of choosing an apartment with integrated solar system.