Hyderabad Real Estate Builders Charge Bomb for Amenities in Gated Communities

Hyderabad: For many, owning a home in a gated community is a dream, a place with clean roads, security, and luxurious amenities like a gym, swimming pool, and clubhouse. But behind this dream lies a growing financial burden that most homebuyers never anticipate until it’s too late.

A retired government employee, who purchased a flat in Kapra a decade ago, is now grappling with the harsh reality. “I bought my apartment for ₹33 lakh, at ₹3,000 per sq. ft. for 1,100 sq. ft., and paid an additional ₹5 lakh towards the corpus fund and amenities. Even after regularly paying ₹2,000 monthly as maintenance charges, when I decided to sell, buyers were only considering the flat price, not the lakhs I paid for facilities,” he laments.

The story is no different for a senior IT professional who bought a flat in a premium gated community in Kukatpally for ₹80 lakh. “I paid ₹10 lakh extra for the promised amenities, swimming pool, gym, and play area. But two years after the handover, the pool is unusable, and gym equipment is gathering dust due to poor maintenance,” he says, after being transferred to Bengaluru.

These experiences are becoming increasingly common. Gated communities across Hyderabad and many other cities are seeing a disconnect between the facilities promised and the long-term usability of those amenities.

Rising Costs, Questionable Value

Builders today market a range of luxury amenities: clubhouses, celebrity gyms, swimming pools, squash courts, badminton courts, indoor games, jogging tracks, guest rooms, and even 7-star restaurants. But each of these comes at a steep cost. In many cases, charges for these amenities are not part of the flat cost but are collected separately, often in lakhs.

As per RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) guidelines, these charges should be included within the flat’s base price. However, builders continue to sidestep this rule, demanding separate fees for basic infrastructure like water supply, piped gas, green landscaping, and even EV charging points.

In a recent project in Hyderabad’s Financial District, the base cost of a 2,050 sq. ft. flat was ₹1.84 crore. But when amenity charges were included, the total price rose to ₹2.13 crore — an increase of nearly ₹30 lakh.

Violation of Occupancy Norms

According to building regulations, developers are not permitted to collect maintenance or amenity charges before obtaining an Occupancy Certificate (OC). Yet, many builders violate this rule openly. Municipal bodies, tasked with enforcing these laws, rarely intervene. OCSS are being issued without physically verifying whether promised facilities have been delivered.

Once the OC is granted, the builder is legally no longer responsible for the property, leaving residents to manage everything, even when amenities are half-finished or unusable.

The New Trend: Luxury in Open Plots

It’s not just apartments. Developers selling open plots are also cashing in on the amenities craze. In areas like Shamirpet, Shadnagar, Tukkuguda, Yadadri, Chevella, and the Srisailam highway corridor, open plot ventures are being marketed as “weekend resorts” with clubhouses, golf courses, and farming zones. Buyers are being charged lakhs for access to these so-called amenities, many of which remain on paper or fall into disuse soon after completion.

Expert Suggestions for a Fairer System

Consumer rights groups and real estate experts recommend a set of reforms to ease this burden on homebuyers:

• No Charges for Unused Amenities: Most residents don’t use all the amenities provided. Builders should not pass the entire cost to the buyer. Maintenance should be the builder’s responsibility for at least two years after project completion.
• Transparent Handovers: Once all sales are completed, developers should hand over management to the housing society. However, residents must be made aware that without proper planning and budgeting, facilities can deteriorate quickly.
• Equal Maintenance Charges for All: Maintenance fees should be based on the number of flats, not square footage. Larger homes do not necessarily consume more services like drainage or electricity.
• Outsource Clubhouse Management: Facilities like supermarkets, medical stores, or cafes should be leased to third parties, generating revenue that can support maintenance costs.
• Shared Amenities Across Projects: Building a single clubhouse for 3–4 nearby communities can cut construction and upkeep costs, benefitting both builders and residents.

A Call for Accountability

As Hyderabad’s real estate continues to expand, the focus must shift from glossy brochures to sustainable living. Amenities are an important part of modern housing, but they shouldn’t become a hidden financial trap.

Homebuyers are urged to do their due diligence, question hidden costs, and ensure that their investment leads to long-term comfort — not prolonged frustration.