Could Your Society Soon Pay BMC a Monthly Waste Charge? What's Proposed and What You Can Do Now

Most owners look at three numbers on a Mumbai flat: rent, maintenance and property tax. A new one may be on the way. BMC is again looking at charging housing societies for processing their waste, and the details matter for every owner and landlord.

What is BMC proposing?

According to Mumbai Property Exchange (15 October 2026), BMC is examining a proposal to levy a flat-wise monthly processing charge on residential bulk waste generators, meaning housing societies and large complexes above the threshold in the solid waste rules, that don't process their wet waste on site.

It is still a proposal. No official rate has been published, and it isn't yet clear whether it would be billed through property tax, water bills or directly to societies, or what rebate societies that already compost would get.

Has BMC proposed a waste user fee before?

Yes. In December 2024, the Free Press Journal reported BMC was considering about Rs 100 a month for residential units up to 500 sq ft and Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for larger properties, added to the property tax bill. That wasn't finalised either, and political parties and activists opposed it. The power to charge a user fee comes from the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, through local bylaws.

Who would pay: owner or tenant?

If it's added to property tax, the owner pays BMC. Whether it is passed on to a tenant depends on your leave and licence agreement. In Mumbai, BMC property tax is the owner's responsibility, so owners should assume they'll carry it unless the agreement says otherwise.