Secure Your Mumbai Home: A Super Simple Guide to Fixing Old Building Problems (Building Control Regularisation)

Hey! Imagine you’re chilling abroad, maybe in Dubai or London, and you get a message that your family flat in Mumbai (the one your parents bought 30 years ago) has a big problem. No one can sell it, no bank will give a loan, and the BMC might even send a demolition notice. Scary, right?

Thousands of Mumbai families are in the exact same boat. But there’s good news the Maharashtra government just launched a brand-new, super-easy rule in 2025 that lets you fix everything and make your home 100% legal again. They’re even giving zero penalties for the first few months! This fix is called Building Control Regularisation. Let’s make it simple.

What Does “Regularisation” Actually Mean? (Building Control Regularisation)

Sometimes builders or societies added extra rooms, closed balconies, or built a little more than the original plan allowed. They forgot (or skipped) getting proper permission from BMC. Because of that, your building never got the final “all-clear” paper called the Occupation Certificate (OC).

Building control regularisation is basically you saying,
“Hey BMC, we missed some steps earlier. Please check the building now, tell us the fees, and give us the OC.”

If the building is safe, BMC checks everything and says,
“All good! Pay this amount and your building is officially legal.”

Why You Should Do This RIGHT NOW

The new 2025 rule is like a limited-time discount:

• First 6 months → often ZERO penalty!
• After that → big fines come back.

If you keep waiting:

• You can’t sell or rent properly
• Banks say “no loan”
• Redevelopment? Forget it many societies only give new flats to people who fixed their old ones first
• BMC can fine you huge money or even break parts of the building
• Your flat can lose 20-30% of its value. That’s lakhs or crores gone!

Real story: Rajesh uncle in London ignored the missing OC. When his society went for redevelopment, he got ZERO new flats. He lost crores. Don’t be Rajesh uncle!

Step-by-Step: How to Fix It

Step 1: Get a Cool Architect or Engineer You need a licensed pro (costs ₹25,000–50,000). They visit your building, measure everything, and make a list of what’s extra or different from the old plan.

Step 2: Check If the Building Is Safe For old buildings (30+ years), they do a quick safety check (structural audit). It’s like a health check-up for your building.

Step 3: Collect These Papers (ask your parents or society secretary)

• Flat papers (share certificate, agreement)
• Old approved plans
• If you’re NRI → Power of Attorney (POA) from Indian embassy
• Property tax paid receipt
• Safety report from the engineer

Step 4: Apply Online (Super Easy Now) Everything happens on BMC’s website. Your architect uploads everything for you. You just pay a small checking fee first (0.5–1% of construction cost).

Step 5: BMC Uncle/Aunty Comes to Visit A BMC team checks the building in real life. If something tiny is wrong, they’ll tell you to fix it fast.

Step 6: Pay the Regularisation Fee They calculate how much extra was built and where your area is.

• Example: ₹5,000–15,000 per extra square meter (but ZERO penalty in the first months!)
• Whole society together can cost ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore, but everyone shares it.

Step 7: Boom! You Get the OC Usually done in 2–4 months now (super fast because of the new rule).

Extra Tips for NRIs & Societies

If you live abroad:

• Make a digital POA at the Indian embassy (easy now)
• Give it to a trusted relative or hire a consultant in Mumbai
• Track everything online from your phone

If you’re in a housing society:

• Call a society meeting and pass a resolution saying “yes, we all want to do this together”
• Once you get the OC, you unlock bonus area in redevelopment (up to 35% extra!). That means bigger new flats!

Quick Myth Buster

“Every illegal building gets demolished!” → Totally wrong! If your extra construction is not too wild and the building is safe, BMC regularises most cases.

Chill!

FAQs

Q: Can we really do everything online?

A: Yes! BMC and other Maharashtra cities have online portals now.

Q: What if we do nothing?

A: Flat becomes almost worthless, no new flat in redevelopment, maybe demolition notice.

Q: How much money are we talking?

A: Depends on how much extra was built, but the new rule slashes penalties big time.

Q: I live in the US/UK/Dubai can someone else do it for me?

A: 100%. Just give POA to a family member or professional.

Conclusion

You now know exactly what to do and it’s easier and cheaper than ever before because of the 2025 Maharashtra rule. The discount window is closing soon.

Talk to your parents today. Hire that architect. Get on the BMC website. Fix the papers.

About lawcrust Realty

At LawCrust Realty, we stand apart as a premium real estate consulting partner for NRIs worldwide, offering end-to-end solutions in Property Management, Property Regularisation, Construction & Redevelopment, and Project Management Consulting.
Rooted in a legacy of legal and hybrid consulting, we understand the unique challenges NRIs face in managing and safeguarding Indian assets. Our mission is to bridge these gaps through compliance-driven execution, strategic foresight, and client-first innovation.
Whether it’s managing NRI-held properties, transforming long-pending assets into legally regularised holdings, or delivering turnkey redevelopment solutions LawCrust Realty combines authority with accessibility.
By choosing us, you don’t just solve property challenges from overseas you future-proof your assets with one of India’s most trusted and forward-thinking realty partners.

Contact LawCrust Today

• Call Now: +91 8450968472
• Email: inquiry@lawcrustrealty.com