There is good news for people buying vacant flats in old LDA (Lucknow Development Authority) projects in Lucknow.
The LDA has decided that new buyers will not have to pay maintenance fees for three years. An official order regarding this decision has also been issued.
Why Buyers Were Unhappy
Earlier, the LDA was charging three years’ worth of maintenance fees even from people who had recently purchased flats.
Buyers questioned this rule, asking why they should pay maintenance charges for a period when they neither owned the flat nor lived there. They felt it was unfair to pay old maintenance dues.
The LDA justified this by referring to a rule that required maintenance fees to be charged for three years from the date of the first registration after the completion of the apartment.
Based on this rule, even new buyers who were not previous allottees were asked to pay the pending amount.
Heavy Financial Burden on New Allottees
Due to this rule, each flat carried an extra financial burden of around ₹50,000 to ₹60,000. For almost a year, the LDA has been selling flats under a first-come, first-served scheme with discounts.
However, when buyers reached the stage of registration and possession, they were asked to pay three years’ maintenance fees, which reduced the benefit of the discounts.
Buyers also pointed out that the Housing Development Board does not follow such a system and charges maintenance fees only after possession. They argued that the LDA’s rule was incorrect and unfair.
LDA Changes the Rule
After strong objections from allottees, the LDA reviewed the matter and decided to change the rule. LDA Secretary Vivek Srivastava confirmed that the proposal has been approved by the LDA Board.
Under the new decision, maintenance fees for three years will be waived for new buyers, providing significant relief to them.
