Forget rising fuel costs, Delhi-NCR apartment residents may soon face higher maintenance bills

Your society's maintenance bill may be the next household expense to increase. Across Noida, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Gurugram, resident welfare associations and apartment owners' associations are recalculating budgets after revised minimum wages increased the cost of employing the workers who keep residential communities running, reports TOI's Akanksha Gupta and Meenakshi Sinha.

For many societies, manpower expenses account for the largest share of operating costs. Security guards, housekeeping staff, gardeners, plumbers, electricians and lift operators together make up as much as 70-85% of maintenance spending, according to society representatives.

As those costs rise, several societies are considering increasing common area maintenance (CAM) charges.

How much have minimum wages increased in Noida and Ghaziabad?

The revised wage structure shows notable increases across all worker categories.

Unskilled workers

• Old wage: Rs 11,313
• Revised wage: Rs 13,690
• Increase: Rs 2,377 (around 21%)

Semi-skilled workers

• Old wage: Rs 12,445
• Revised wage: Rs 15,059
• Increase: Rs 2,614 (around 21%)

Skilled workers

• Old wage: Rs 13,940
• Revised wage: Rs 16,668
• Increase: Rs 2,728 (around 20%)

These categories include housekeeping staff, sweepers, sanitation workers, security personnel, gardeners, plumbers and electricians.

How much have minimum wages increased in Gurugram?

The revised wages are even higher in several categories.

Unskilled workers

• Old wage: Rs 11,274
• Revised wage: Rs 15,220
• Increase: Rs 3,946 (around 35%)

Semi-skilled workers

• Old wage: Rs 11,838-12,430
• Revised wage: Rs 16,780
• Increase: roughly 35-42%

Skilled workers

• Old wage: Rs 13,051-13,704
• Revised wage: Rs 18,500
• Increase: around 35-42%

Highly skilled workers

• Old wage: Rs 14,389
• Revised wage: Rs 19,425
• Increase: Rs 5,036 (around 35%)

Highly skilled categories include rope-access technicians, multi-skilled technicians, shift engineers and STP supervisors.

Why are housing societies saying maintenance charges must increase?

Society representatives say the maths is becoming difficult to ignore.

A large residential complex with hundreds of flats can employ dozens of security guards, housekeeping workers and maintenance staff. Even a salary increase of a few thousand rupees per employee can add several lakh rupees to monthly expenses.

At Emaar Palm Gardens in Gurugram, CAM charges were increased from Rs 3.15 per square foot to Rs 4.37 per square foot after revised wages significantly raised manpower costs.

Other societies in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad are either implementing increases or discussing proposals with residents.

Can societies reduce costs instead of increasing fees?

Many associations say they are trying to.

Several AOAs told residents they are reviewing staffing requirements, negotiating vendor contracts and looking for operational savings before passing the burden on to homeowners.

Some are also exploring long-term solutions.

At Arihant Arden in Greater Noida West, a 500 KWp solar system is being commissioned to reduce electricity expenses in common areas and offset part of the financial impact.

However, many RWAs say they have already adopted LED lighting and other efficiency measures, leaving limited room for additional savings.

Why are residents questioning the proposed maintenance hikes?

Not everyone is convinced that higher bills are the only solution.

Residents in several societies have raised concerns about transparency and have asked management bodies to explain how the revised charges were calculated.

Some homeowners argue that maintenance agencies should disclose detailed cost breakdowns before seeking approval for increases.

Others say societies should first optimise manpower deployment and operational expenses before asking residents to pay more.

What are residents saying?

Resident reactions have been mixed.

At Supertech Eco Village 1 in Greater Noida West, residents protested against a proposed increase in maintenance charges, saying it would place an additional burden on homeowners.

Residents in other societies have also questioned frequent revisions, especially where maintenance charges were increased recently and another hike is already being proposed.

Some have demanded greater visibility into vendor costs, budgeting decisions and maintenance spending before approving revised charges.

Will maintenance charges increase across NCR?

The answer will likely vary from one society to another.

Several RWAs and AOAs have called general body meetings where residents will vote on proposed revisions. Some societies may be able to absorb part of the increased costs through savings or reserves, while others say a fee hike is becoming unavoidable.

(With TOI inputs)