A Gurugram housing society has courted controversy after its RWA warned that residents who default on maintenance charges could lose access to domestic help, car washes and delivery services from apps like Zomato and Swiggy.
The RWA’s move in Uppal Southend, a residential colony spread over roughly 100 acres in Gurugram, has divided residents, with some supporting the payment push while others terming the action harsh and unnecessary.
The colony is located about 10 km from the luxury residential complex DLF Camellias and is home to several hundred families. A yellow board with the names of residents who failed to pay their monthly maintenance charges was reportedly placed in front of the society’s main gate, Hindustan Times reported.
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According to residents, the monthly fees range between ₹1,100 a ₹1300 depending on the size of the house.
A notice circulated throughout the community warned that services such as domestic help, car washes and deliveries could be suspended until outstanding charges were settled.
“Please note that effective today, all non-essential services – including maid service, car wash and delivery services – will be suspended until the dues are paid in full,” the notice said.
Residents said the message was shared on the company’s Telegram group, on the MyGate app and on the colony’s physical bulletin board.
RWA says unit recovery is in progress
RWA president SK Yadav said the company has been trying to collect outstanding dues for months and has repeatedly reminded residents to settle their payments.
“We have sent several reminders to residents about their fees through the MyGate app,” he said.
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He also clarified that entry restrictions have not yet been implemented for domestic workers or concert delivery people.
The decision followed a general meeting held on March 8, where residents reportedly demanded stronger action against defaulters.
According to the RWA, the warning has already had some impact. From approx ₹44 crore in outstanding maintenance charges, approx ₹10 million was recovered after the last push.
Yadav explained that the maintenance funds are used for several basic services in the colony. These include the maintenance of CCTV cameras, the maintenance of security gates, the installation of convex mirrors, the repair of pipes, street lighting and efforts to address waterlogging in the area.
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Residents are questioning the decision
However, not everyone in the colony agrees with the RWA’s approach.
Rajesh Khantana, who served as president of the RWA from 2019 to 2023, said the council should deal more directly with residents before issuing such a notice.
“The board should liaise with the residents and try to understand the complaints before making such an announcement,” he said.
Other residents also argued that suspending services or publicly naming defaulters could escalate tensions in the community.
Parmod Goyal, whose name appeared on the list displayed outside the gate, said the decision was unfair.
“The RWA’s action is not right; they should have tried to contact the families personally,” he said.
Another resident, Biram Prakash, told HT, voiced even stronger criticism, saying some residents were unhappy with the quality of maintenance being provided.
“The RWA’s action is 1000 per cent wrong. People would be happy to pay maintenance if the board does a proper job,” he said, adding that residents of W Block had to build boundary walls around their houses themselves as RWA did not take any action.
