India, Aug. 5 -- The Bombay high court has ruled that flat owners with larger apartments must pay higher maintenance charges in housing complexes, in line with the Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act, 1970.

Although the terms flat and apartment are often used interchangeably, both are defined differently under the law- The Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act, 1971 and the Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act, 1970. (SEE BOX). This distinction affects how maintenance is calculated. In most co-operative housing societies governed by the 1971 Act, maintenance is typically charged equally per flat. However, in apartment-condominiums governed by the 1970 Act, maintenance must be charged in proportion to the carpet area of each unit, since every ap...