Real Estate Mumbai

Pre-1990 Navi Mumbai Societies Exempt From CIDCO Charges: HC

By GeoSquare News Desk · Published 2026-10-11

The Bombay High Court has granted relief to older cooperative housing societies in Navi Mumbai, holding that societies registered before 1990 need not pay the transfer charges levied by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO).

What the ruling covers

CIDCO, the planning authority for Navi Mumbai, had been demanding transfer charges on the sale or transfer of flats in housing societies developed on leasehold plots. The court's verdict applies specifically to societies established before 1990, observing that the demand could not be applied retrospectively to them.

Impact on flat owners and societies

The order is expected to benefit thousands of residents in older Navi Mumbai localities such as Vashi, Nerul, Belapur, Kharghar and Panvel, where many original occupants and subsequent buyers faced demands running into several lakh rupees per transaction.

For resale deals in these societies, the exemption removes a significant additional cost, potentially improving transaction volumes in one of the Mumbai metropolitan region's more affordable housing belts.

What buyers should note

Buyers purchasing in pre-1990 societies should still verify the society's registration date, lease documents and any pending dues with CIDCO before finalising a deal. Societies formed after 1990 remain subject to the applicable transfer charges, and developers continue to pass these costs on in new projects.