India, April 23 -- A cooperative housing society cannot raise a single maintenance bill for "jodi flats", according to an order passed by Shahaji Patil, divisional joint registrar of cooperative societies.

Jodi flats refers to apartments that are beside each other. In Mumbai, for want of larger homes, buyers opt to purchase jodi flats.

The order, which was passed in January but made public recently, pertains to RNA Royal Park Cooperative Housing Society in Kandivali West. The developer, East & West Builders, had sold jodi flats by combining a 2BHK with a 1BHK, with a total size of 1,670 sq ft.

At the time of the transaction and registration of the deal, two different agreements for sale were inked for a jodi flat. In fact, in the coope...