How does a society govern all owners? How does it raise different funds among members? Why is amendment a part of the administration process? Where and when do members raise complaints? These are questions every flat buyer or Managing Committee (MC) member should be able to answer about their housing society bye-laws. Apart from apartment deeds and declarations, you can get a copy of sample bye-laws along with the Declaration statement if you’re a resident or an MC member.
Once a co-operative housing society is formed and registered, a set of instructions, rules, and regulations become applicable to all its members as society bye-laws. The Registrar approves these bye-laws in terms of the overall structure, objectives, membership rights, and more.
There are 174 model bye-laws for a housing society, based on the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act — one of India’s most widely referenced state frameworks for cooperative housing. Bye-laws can also be amended [under section 2(5)], and only the housing society’s management can approve such amendments under the applicable legal provisions.
Important 2026 update: Maharashtra has just notified a major overhaul of the rules governing co-operative housing societies — the first dedicated statutory framework of its kind since 2019. This directly affects how several of the bye-law categories below are applied in practice. Jump to the 2026 regulatory update section below for what’s changed, or read on for the full list of bye-law categories first.
Co-Operative Housing Society Model Bye-Laws in PDF
Table of Contents
Purpose of Housing Society Bye-Laws
Housing society bye-laws are administrative rules that self-regulate the activities of the Managing Committee and other society members. The framework of bye-laws applies to the election method of the MC, RWA, and Board of Management in a housing society. Although details vary from state to state, the broad categories are similar.
Their purpose is to cover the rules and regulations of the management association, including society affiliations, meeting procedures, raising funds and limiting liabilities, membership rights & duties, collecting maintenance, holding elections, raising parking and other complaints, audit affairs, basic redevelopment procedure, and amending the affairs of a housing society.
Several societies amend bye-laws when a pre-existing rule no longer serves current affairs — for maintenance issues, general body decorum, annual meetings, or admins’ code of conduct. Members can amend particular sub-clauses to maintain harmonious citizenship and a proper administrative environment.
List of Co-Operative Housing Society Bye-laws
The Registrar-approved model bye-laws for a co-operative housing society fall under the following broad categories:
1. Preliminary (Registered Name, Classification & Address)
Bye-laws No. 1(a) to No. 2(e) cover regulations for the society’s name, name-changing procedure, housing classification, registered address, address-change procedures, and the exhibition of the society’s Name Board.
2. Interpretation of Words & Terms
Bye-law No. 3 covers commonly used terms such as Act, Promoter Builder, Maintenance & Sinking Funds, Common Areas, Parking and Facilities, Member Types, and Authorized Persons — identifying the actual roles within a cooperative housing association.
3. Area of Operation, Affiliation & Objectives
Bye-law No. 4 covers the society’s locality (town/village/ward/municipal corporation/city survey number). Its main objectives under the Ownership Flats Act and other rules are described under bye-law No. 5. Bye-law No. 6 declares its affiliation with other co-operative institutions, such as the Co-op Housing Federation of the District/Taluka and the District Central Co-operative Bank.
4. Raising, Utilization & Investment of Funds
Bye-law No. 7 covers 13 ways to raise funds (loans, subsidies, entrance fees, corpus fund, etc.). Bye-Laws No. 8, 9(a), 9(b), and 10 cover authorized share capital and share certificates. Member liability restrictions fall under Bye-law No. 11, and the Reserve Fund of the Society is governed by Bye-law No. 12(a, b). Bye-laws No. 13, 14, and 15 cover how the sinking fund, maintenance & repair funds, reserve fund, and education & training funds are created, utilized, and invested.
5. Member Classes, Eligibility & Conditions
Bye-law No. 16 distinguishes members into associate, nominal, active, and non-active types, with eligibility and approval processes under bye-law No. 17(a, b, c). Bye-law No. 18 covers eligibility of local/government bodies, corporations, and firms for membership. Bye-Laws No. 19, 20, and 21 cover conditions for associate and nominal membership and disposal of membership applications.
6. Members’ Rights & Duties
Bye-law No. 22(a-f) covers member rights and disputes categorized under Active & Non-Active members. Bye-law No. 23 covers rights to inspect books/records and obtain a copy of the bye-laws. Bye-law No. 24 clarifies flat occupation for associate and nominal members, while membership restrictions and resignation conditions fall under Bye-laws No. 25 to 29. Bye-law No. 30–37 covers nomination and its revision/revocation, transfer of a deceased member’s shares and interest to nominees or heirs, and related valuation. Bye-laws No. 38–41 cover flat exchange applications, and Bye-laws No. 42 & 43 cover sub-letting and mortgaging of flats.
7. Liabilities & Responsibilities of Members
Bye-laws No. 44 to 47 detail responsibilities such as clean maintenance, permission for additions/modifications to flats, flat examination and repair notices, storage restrictions, and action on bye-law violations. Bye-Laws No. 48 to 53 cover procedures and grounds for expulsion, forfeiture, and re-admission. Bye-Laws No. 54 to 63 cover cessation of membership, restrictions on holding multiple flats, and liabilities of past/deceased members.
8. Levy of Society Charges
Model bye-laws No. 64 to 67 cover society composition, member contribution, and the roughly 16 types of apartment maintenance charges — water charges, property taxes, service and parking charges, sinking fund, defaulter interest, loan installment repayment, lease rent, election fund, education & training fund, and miscellaneous charges. Bye-laws No. 68 to 70 cover repair charges, maintenance, default reporting, and service interest.
2026 update: Maharashtra’s newly notified rules directly reshape this category — see uniform service charges, capped non-occupancy charges, and capped delayed-payment interest below.
9. Powers & Duties of Society
Bye-law sections No. 71 to 83 cover the society’s duties from registration through incorporation and use of a common seal, its power to hold, acquire, and dispose of property, and its authority over flat allotment, handover, cancellation, structural audits, and occupation certificates. Policies for parking allotment and other vehicle parking measures are also covered here.
2026 update: Parking allotment policy is now expected to be decided by the General Body rather than left to committee discretion alone — see below.
10. Society General Meetings (First, Annual & Special General Meeting)
Bye-Law No. 84 to 92 covers the First General Meeting agenda, notice period, and handover from the Provisional Committee. Bye-law No. 93(a) sets 30th September as the deadline for holding the Annual General Meeting, with No. 93(b) covering disqualification for default. Bye-law No. 94 covers AGM functions and annual reports/audits. Bye-Laws No. 95–108 cover the Special General Meeting — date, time, place, notice period, quorum, proxy restrictions, chairman’s role, one-member-one-vote, and resolution procedures.
2026 update: Video conferencing is now expressly permitted for general body and redevelopment meetings — a significant, formally recognised shift from the earlier physical-attendance norm.
11. Management of Society Affairs
Bye-laws No. 109 to 139 cover the MC’s role, bank account and fund-investment authority, committee strength, election procedure, and membership cessation/disqualification. Bye-law No. 120 & 121 cover the newly elected committee’s office period and first meeting. Bye-law No. 137 covers overall committee duties, while No. 138 & 139 cover the powers of the Chairman and Secretary respectively.
12. Book-Keeping of Accounts, Registers & Records
Bye-laws No. 140 to 146 cover maintenance of around 16 types of registers and accounts (member registers, cash books, ledgers, nomination registers), 33 categories of records (capital/property documents, construction agreements, receipts, share certificates), and correspondence with the Registrar. They also cover cash-in-hand limits, cheque-payment limits, accounts finalization, and annual report filing.
13. Profit Appropriation & Distribution
Bye-law No. 147(a) covers contributions to the Statutory Reserve Fund after loan interest and deductions. Bye-law No. 147(b) covers profit distribution — up to 75% of net profit toward dividends (capped below 15% per annum), compensation to office-bearers (capped below 15%), and allocation to the Common Welfare Fund and other objectives under bye-law No. 5(d).
14. Writing Off Accounts & Dues
Bye-law No. 148 allows the society to write off irrecoverable charges, accumulated losses, and recovery expenses, subject to three conditions under Bye-law No. 149: General Body sanction, approval of the financing agency (if applicable), and approval of the Registering Authority.
15. Audit of Society Accounts
Bye-laws No. 150 to 152 cover the annual audit process by a government-authorized Statutory Auditor, the committee’s responsibility to audit society accounts, auditor remuneration, audit report timelines, the Audit Rectification Report (ARP), and penalties for default in submission to the Registrar.
16. Maintenance/Repair & Conveyance of the Property
Bye-laws No. 153 to 160 cover the deed of conveyance/deemed conveyance process, maintenance/repair rules, redevelopment tenders, and dispute settlement. Bye-law No. 158(a) lists 27 maintenance areas at the society’s cost (water pumps, storage tanks, lights, elevators, generators, etc.). Bye-law No. 159 covers member repair expenditure, insurance, and disaster/emergency response planning.
17. Other Miscellaneous Matters
Bye-laws No. 161 to 170 cover notice/resolution communication modes, accounting year requirements, penalties for bye-law breaches, and amendment rules — plus committee approval for installing lifts, solar water heaters, and use of common amenities. Bye-law No. 170 covers charges for document copies (bye-laws copy, active member list, indemnity bond), typically ranging from Rs. 5 to Rs. 100 per page.
18. Committee’s Redressal of Member Complaints
Bye-laws No. 171 & 172 require members to submit complaint applications to the committee for a decision. If the committee doesn’t act within 15 days, Bye-law No. 173 allows escalation to the Registrar, Co-operative Court, local Municipal Corporation, Civil Court, Police, District or State Federation, or General Body Meeting, depending on the matter.
19. Redevelopment of the Property/Building
Bye-law No. 174 governs redevelopment as per state government directives. It covers the Development Agreement with the builder, procedures for appointing new developers, mandatory attendance of the Registrar’s representative, and increasing authorized share capital following redevelopment.
Regulatory Update: What’s Changed for Housing Society Bye-Laws
In June 2026, the Maharashtra government notified the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Rules, 2026, inserting a new Chapter XI-B dedicated specifically to co-operative housing societies into the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Rules, 1961. This is the first time housing societies in the state have had their own dedicated statutory rules, separate from the general co-operative societies framework — closing a gap that had existed since Chapter XIIIB was added to the parent Act back in 2019. The rules took effect from 30 June 2026, and here’s what it means for the bye-law categories above:
- Uniform service charges: Service charges must now be levied uniformly across all flats, rather than varying informally by committee discretion.
- Capped non-occupancy charges: Non-occupancy charges (levied when a flat is rented out) are now capped reported at up to 10% of service charges.
- Capped interest on delayed maintenance: Interest on delayed maintenance payments is now capped — reported at a maximum of 12% per annum, which directly affects the “Levy of Society Charges” bye-law category above.
- Parking allotment by General Body: Allotment of parking is now expected to be decided by the General Body rather than left purely to Managing Committee discretion, aimed at reducing parking-related disputes.
- Video conferencing for meetings: General body and redevelopment meetings can now be conducted via video conferencing a formal recognition that’s especially useful for NRI members and senior citizens who previously had to rely on proxies or skip participation.
- Redevelopment reforms: The new rules streamline redevelopment procedures, including provisions supporting self-redevelopment through institutional finance, alongside a defined member-consent threshold for redevelopment decisions.
- Clearer succession and nomination rules: Provisions around nominee rights, legal heirs, and transfer of a deceased member’s shares — long a source of disputes under the old bye-laws — are now more clearly defined in the Rules themselves rather than relying solely on Model Bye-law interpretation.
- Mandatory Sinking and Repair & Maintenance Funds: Societies must maintain adequate Sinking Funds and Repair & Maintenance Funds, with charges outside what’s permitted under the Rules now prohibited.
- Digitised registration: New societies and housing federations must now use prescribed digital forms for registration, name reservation, and bank account approval.
What this means for your society: Revised Model Bye-laws aligned with Chapter XI-B are expected to follow, and societies will likely need to adopt them within a prescribed period once notified. If you’re in Maharashtra, it’s worth reviewing your society’s current bye-laws particularly around maintenance charges, parking allotment, and redevelopment consent — against the new Rules, since several previously bye-law-governed matters now carry direct statutory backing. Residents outside Maharashtra should check whether their own state’s Cooperative Societies Act or Apartment Ownership Act has seen similar updates, since bye-law frameworks and their underlying Acts differ by state.
Differences between Old & New Housing Society Bye-Laws
Do you need to adopt a new set of housing society bye-laws if your society was registered a while ago? If your society was registered before 2009, it’s likely still following the old model bye-laws. Cash-on-hand limits, active member provisions and duties, maintenance rates, AGM procedures, and society election rules have all been modified over time — most notably after the 97th Constitutional Amendment and the MCS Amendment Ordinance, 2013, and now again with Maharashtra’s 2026 Chapter XI-B rules.
Many MCs look for the procedure to adopt new bye-laws, while others simply want to understand specific amendments. Download the PDF below for the overall differences and why adopting the updated version matters for your apartment management system today.
Old vs New Housing Society Bye-Laws
Why Do You Need This List of Housing Society Bye-Laws?
The answer to your housing society’s foundational policies, disputes, member complaints, or day-to-day functioning can be found in its bye-laws. Although the full list can be tough to decode line by line, it’s a foundational reference for MCs, owners, and tenants alike. Manipulative or dishonest committees have damaged a society’s reputation in the past by violating member rights — but with a clear understanding of bye-laws (and now the added clarity from Maharashtra’s 2026 Chapter XI-B rules), residents can keep a timely check on management guidelines, annual meetings, and more, to resolve legal breaches confidently.
Familiarize yourself with the housing society bye-laws set under government directives in the PDF above, or ask your MC for a manual copy directly.
FAQs on Housing Society Bye-Laws
1. What are housing society bye-laws?
Housing society bye-laws are the Registrar-approved set of rules that govern a co-operative housing society’s administration — covering membership, funds and charges, meetings, management committee powers, maintenance, dispute redressal, and redevelopment.
2. Are housing society bye-laws the same across all Indian states?
No. While the broad structure is similar, bye-laws are framed under each state’s own Cooperative Societies Act or Apartment Ownership Act (for example, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi each have their own governing legislation), so specific rules and caps can differ by state.
3. What changed in Maharashtra’s 2026 housing society rules?
The Maharashtra Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Rules, 2026 introduced a new Chapter XI-B dedicated to housing societies, bringing uniform service charges, a cap on non-occupancy charges (up to 10%), a cap on interest for delayed maintenance payments (up to 12% per annum), General Body–decided parking allotment, video-conferencing for meetings, and streamlined redevelopment and succession procedures.
4. Does my society need to adopt new bye-laws after this update?
Revised Model Bye-laws aligned with the new Rules are expected to be released, and societies will likely need to formally adopt them within a prescribed timeframe once notified. Until then, existing bye-laws remain valid but should be read alongside the new statutory provisions where they overlap.
5. Can parking be allotted by the Managing Committee alone?
Under Maharashtra’s updated rules, parking allotment is expected to go through the General Body rather than being decided solely by the Managing Committee, to improve transparency and reduce disputes.
6. Is there a limit on non-occupancy charges a society can levy?
In Maharashtra, non-occupancy charges (charged when a flat is rented out) are now capped — reported at a maximum of 10% of service charges under the 2026 Rules. Other states may have different or no explicit caps, so check your local Act.
7. Can general body meetings now be held online?
Yes, in Maharashtra, video conferencing is now formally permitted for general body and redevelopment meetings, making it easier for NRIs, senior citizens, and other members to participate without needing a physical presence or proxy.
8. What can a member do if the Managing Committee doesn’t act on a complaint?
Under the standard bye-law framework, if the committee doesn’t act on a submitted complaint within 15 days, the matter can be escalated to the Registrar, Co-operative Court, Municipal Corporation, Civil Court, Police, or the relevant District/State Federation, depending on the nature of the issue.
9. How can I get a copy of my society’s bye-laws?
You can request a copy from your Managing Committee (typically for a nominal per-page charge) or refer to the Model Bye-laws applicable in your state, which your society’s own bye-laws are usually based on.
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