Extra FSI can hit the Redevelopment work

Recently, the proposal of Maharashtra government to put extra charge on builders more for the extra 0.33 floor space index (FSI) given for housing projects is likely to hit redevelopment work in Mumbai‘s suburbs. The Maharashtra government has increased the ready reckoner rates by an average 15% every year since 2008 and now government is now considering linking the premium to be paid by real estate developers for the 0.33 extra FSI to ready reckoner rates of 2015 as against current base of 2008 rates.

Effect of an extra FSI:

If this proposal will be accepted, so according to real estate experts, so real estate developers may not find smaller redevelopment projects in Maharashtra viable because of the financial outgo, as the base rate for calculation of premium will increase by almost 100 per cent. This move will push up the costs for home buyers in Mumbai’s suburbs. If central government is serious about project “Housing for All” or to make homes affordable than they need to take the extra measures as most of the announced aim to boost the government’s revenue, but these, including the latest one, will impact home buyers in terms of prices and lower areas offered to existing owners in redevelopment projects.”

In some of the localities and zones, ready reckoner rates have been revised upward by more than 30 per cent to 40 per cent on yearly basis. For the year 2015, revision in rates is popular in suburbs such as Malad, Chembur, Goregaon, Borivali, Ghatkopar and Vikhroli have been increased by 30 per cent to 40 percent. It is the same for plush residential localities such as Worli and areas near Bandra-Kurla Complex. In a sluggish real estate market where prices are weakening, a rise in cost for real estate developers is bound to hit their margins. This is expected to see low number of real estate developers coming forward for smaller redevelopment affordable residential as well as commercial projects in the suburbs.

As per the Nayan Bheda, CMD of Neptune Group, “All the equations in real estate market will change as costing itself will double with this proposal. Redevelopment projects in suburbs like Borivali, Kandivali, Mulund, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg and Dahisar will be hit severely as the cost will move up without much room for recovering it through any price hike”.  Once the proposal is notified, real estate developers are likely to renegotiate on the old redevelopment project agreements as construction is yet to start for them, because most of the real estate builders will be interested in reducing the compensatory benefits, including extra space for tenants.

In 2001, the state government of Maharashtra had decided to grant 0.33 additional FSI to real estate projects in the suburbs and extended suburbs of Greater Mumbai and central Mumbai by sanctioning an amendment to the Development Control Regulations for Greater Mumbai, 1991. As per the Vvikas Aroraa, Director, Marketing & sales, Runwal Group, “The costing is growing up and it will have two possible ramifications. Either home-buyer will have to pay more, which looks unlikely given the current market scenario, or developers’ margins will suffer whereas; other industries in real estate market is assessed on its net realization and profitability , and based on that redevelopment projects in suburbs may not see many takers”.

It is expected that this will make an impact as additional space to be shared with existing tenants. it is expected that this move will help to low the price of housing on the back of augmented supply in the suburbs. The premium accrued to the state government and the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai from this additional 0.33 FSI was to be used on upgrade the city’s infrastructure. The additional FSI could be availed of on payment of premium.

Realty market Mumbai

Now Mumbai is seeking to amend its more than 24 year old building rules which will allow slums to mushroom and it will keep housing beyond the reach of most of more than 19 million residents. As we all know the fact that world’s second-most densely populated mega city is the part of the prime minister’s “Housing for All” programme in which more than 20 million new homes will be available in all over India by the end of 2022 to help eliminate urban slums and squalor.

According to theory of experts, in real estate market the supply of apartments should increase with cut or discount in property prices to help India’s financial capital emulate wealthy peers including New York and Shanghai. This island-city has little available land for development and it is promising challenge to its floor space index (FSI) regulations that may permit developers to tear down old structures and build skyscrapers. It could be good news for some real estate developers such as; Sunteck Realty, Godrej Properties, Peninsula Land and Oberoi Realty as per the reports of Edelweiss Financial Services.

As per the statement of Vyomesh M. Shah, Managing Director of Hubtown, which is Mumbai based developer house, it is the only way to solve the perennial housing shortage in this city, where most of the people are living in pigeonhole-size apartments. Recently, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has proposed to increase the FSI, to range between 2 and 8, compared with an earlier cap of 1.33. FSI determines the maximum floor area allowed in a building relative to the land on which it is erected. In 1964, when first time it was introduced than it was set on the cap of 4.5, which means on a one acre (0.4 hectare) plot of land, which is little smaller than a football field, living space totaling only 196,000 square feet could be built. However in 1991, policy makers make it low as 1.33 times, which was a move contrary to what most cities with limited land have tended to do for raising the permitted FSI to accommodate demand of real estate, as in Singapore, HongKong, Manhattan and some Chinese cities.

The proposed change will allow for variable building heights depending on consumption patterns, location and logistics. In past FSI was acting as the tool to limit the congestion in Mumbai, but under the new plan it is designed primarily to be a tool to manage physical development of Mumbai by laying out uniform rules, so that each and every location in Mumbai can provide good connectivity with other parts, said Aashiesh Agarwaal, an analyst at Edelweiss Securities. The more he added that now we are seek to address key lacunae impacting Mumbai’s real estate sector.

Real estate developers are stepping in right direction and its positive sign with strong governance, brand and execution capabilities. Most of the proposals are available for public comments after which final regulations will be released, which could be as late as end-2015. The S&P BSE India Realty Index has noticed the growth of 15 per cent in 2015 whereas; compared with the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex its 7.6 per cent gain. However; the Oberoi Reality which is country’s second-largest real estate developer by value climbed 13 per cent in the period while Godrej Properties added 16 per cent.

On Wednesday, cabinet defers on the approval of Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Bill, which is committed to ensure consumer protection and to establish regulatory bodies at Centre and states for transparent and ethical business practices in country’s real estate sector. As per sources, the housing ministry has been asked to review the real estate bill explore that how it can be more consumer-friendly and to have better provisions for promotion of affordable housing.

Country’s Real Estate Sector

In review low cost housing and roof have been identified as a focus area by central government and it has promised the housing for all by 2022. Low-cost housing and roof to all have been identified as a focus area by the Narendra Modi government and it has promised shelter to all by 2022. TOI has learnt that there was a suggestion and strong argument during the Cabinet meeting that the provisions relating to Centre-state issues need to be made clearer in the bill. In current session of Parliament, central government has included the bill as one of the legislations for passage.

Recommendations in Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Bill:

The real estate bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in August 2014 and referred to the parliamentary standing committee for modifications and later committee had made several recommendations particularly in favor of consumers and greater check on unscrupulous developers, the housing ministry has rejected most of them. According to committee there are also several provisions in the revised bill with a single aim to protect the consumer’s interest. This has reference to recent cases in Noida where a developer had changed plans and built towers to increase economic viability without taking buyers into confidence. The real estate bill also included that the condition prohibits a developer to change the plan in a project unless 2/3rd of the allottees have concurred for such change.

As per new recommendations, now it will include checking the antecedents of project promoters before their registration is done and ensure that all real estate developers who have defaulted in two earlier cases be blacklisted. But later housing ministry has ministry rejected this by arguing that this a provision will work as a deterrent for the sector. The panel of committee had also recommended all real estate agents involved in sale of secondary market projects also need to be regulated through real estate bill. But this was not accepted. Similarly, the panel also suggested that promoters be made to enclose names of contractors, architects and structural engineers, which were also turned down.

Earlier housing ministry have allowed to builder to divert up to 50% of buyers’ investment in case of special projects to other real estate projects which are under criticism. But the original real estate bill had mandated the developer to put more than 70 per cent of the buyers’ investment to an escrow account to be used only for construction of that project.