Maintenance Charges (CAM) in Gurgaon Explained

CAM stands for Common Area Maintenance, the recurring charge that pays for security, power backup, lifts, the clubhouse, landscaping, water systems and housekeeping of the shared areas in a condominium or gated community. In Gurgaon it is billed per square foot per month, almost always on the super built-up or saleable area rather than carpet area, so the bill is larger than the flat's usable size suggests. Mid-range societies typically run Rs 2 to 6 per sq ft a month, while premium and ultra-luxury condominiums on Golf Course Road and along Dwarka Expressway can run well into double digits per sq ft. On a 2,000 sq ft apartment that is roughly Rs 4,000 to 12,000 a month before any luxury loading.

Two one-time charges usually sit alongside monthly CAM. IFMS, the Interest-Free Maintenance Security, is a deposit collected at possession, commonly around Rs 100 to 200 per sq ft, held by the developer or RWA toward the upkeep and future maintenance of the project. A separate sinking or corpus fund covers big-ticket capital work like lift replacement or exterior repainting. IFMS is refundable in principle but is normally transferred to the new owner on resale rather than returned.

GST applies to maintenance only when two conditions are both met: the charge crosses Rs 7,500 per month per flat and the RWA's annual turnover crosses Rs 20 lakh. If both are crossed, 18 percent GST applies to the full amount, not just the part above Rs 7,500. Many luxury Gurgaon condominiums clear the Rs 7,500 line easily, so factor GST into your running cost. Statutory pass-throughs such as municipal property tax and government water charges are billed separately and are not part of CAM.

At launch the developer's facility management team maintains the project and collects CAM. Under RERA and the Haryana Apartment Ownership Act, 1983, after the project receives its Occupancy Certificate and the residents' association is formed, the promoter is meant to hand over the common areas, records and maintenance corpus to that association, though handovers in Gurgaon are often delayed in practice. Independent builder floors and plots on municipal roads carry little or no society CAM, just your own upkeep and MCG property tax, whereas gated villa enclaves still levy CAM for shared roads, security and services. Before you buy, always ask for the current per sq ft rate, the IFMS figure, and whether the RWA has taken over from the developer.