1.1 These rules govern the installation of all split air-conditioner Outdoor Units (ODUs) in flats within the Society and are binding on every Member, tenant, and their contractors/technicians.
1.2 These rules apply in addition to, and do not override, the builder's approved specifications and wiring diagrams for the Society (available with the Management Office), which remain the primary technical reference for permitted ODU locations.
2.1 These rules are made under the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960, the MCS Rules, 1961, and the Society's registered Bye-laws (based on the Model Bye-Laws for Co-operative Housing Societies, 2014).
2.2 Under Bye-law 1(xxii), "Common Areas and Facilities" expressly includes the building's main walls and roofs, and separately includes "ducts" and "installations for common use." ODU ducts, shafts, and the external facade of the building are therefore common property of the Society, not the exclusive property of the flat to which an ODU duct is assigned.
2.3 These rules are also consistent with, and where applicable supplement, the obligations set out in the Letter of Possession and Sale Agreement executed between the Society's Members and the developer.
3.1 ODUs shall be installed only in the ducts designated for this purpose, or in the Member's own dry/open balcony, strictly as per the builder's specifications and wiring diagrams for the Society.
3.2 No Member shall install, relocate, or extend an ODU or its cabling/piping outside these designated locations without the Managing Committee's prior written permission (Bye-law 45(a)), and no structural change of any kind (including core-drilling of load-bearing walls) may be made without the Committee's permission and, where applicable, that of the Pune Municipal Corporation as the competent local authority (Bye-law 45(c); Bye-law 168(a)).
4.1 All cabling must be fully sealed and concealed. Cabling is not permitted to run exposed on the building's external facade.
4.2 Where cabling must pass through a wall, this shall be done only by core-drilling with proper drilling equipment. Hammering into the wall or plaster is not permitted, to avoid cracking the plaster or the facade finish.
4.3 The condensation water outlet pipe must be routed so that it does not drip, leak, or discharge onto any neighbouring flat, balcony, walkway, or common area.
4.4 On completion, no cable, pipe, or bracket may be left dangling or exposed. A visibly unfinished or untidy installation will be treated as incomplete and non-compliant (see Section 9).
4.5 Members are encouraged to seek the Management Committee's advice or assistance at any stage if unsure how to meet these standards.
4.6 Please carry out the work within the approved timings as prescribed under GUIDELINES HERE
5.1 After installation, the duct must retain sufficient clear passage for one person to walk through safely.
5.2 Ducts also carry water pipelines. Workers must be supervised at all times while working in the duct. Workers must NOT:
(a) stand on any water pipe;
(b) rest weight or equipment on a water pipe;
(c) use existing reinforcement/pipe brackets as a handhold or support; or
(d) alter, reroute, or cut into any existing pipeline or channel.
6.1 Every duct is designed so that ODU stands can be fixed along one side of the duct, leaving the other side clear for SOJ Facility Management Services (FMS) personnel to pass during routine maintenance.
6.2 Members should align their ODU with the units already installed by neighbours directly above and below in the same duct, so that the clear passage stays continuous and in a straight line down the duct.
7.1 If installation work requires rigging a jhula (suspended cradle/scaffold) from the terrace, this counts as "temporary use of open space of the Society's building" and requires the Member's prior written application and the Committee's approval, along with payment of any charges the General Body may prescribe (Bye-law 169). Terrace access for this purpose is not automatic.
8.1 Cabling or piping may NOT be run through, mounted on, or carried across the open balcony of the flat below. The open space, light, and air of that balcony belong to that flat alone. [cited "sale agreement u/s 12.2/iii"] Bye-law 45(a) already requires the Committee's written permission for any addition/alteration, which is a further reason a Member cannot route installations through another Member's exclusive space without both that Member's and the Committee's consent.
8.2 The Society is among the upscale complexes in Kharadi, and the Managing Committee expects installations to be neat and unobtrusive rather than makeshift, to protect the value and appearance of every Member's property, not only the installer's own flat.
8.3 The external walls and roofs of the building are common property maintained by the Society at its own cost (Bye-law 1(xxii)(b); Bye-law 67(a)(xiii)), and the Society is required to carry out a periodic Structural Audit of the building (Bye-law 75(a)). Unauthorised drilling or fixing into the facade increases the building's exposure to sun and rain at the drill points, raising the risk of seepage and structural damage that can affect multiple flats, not only the installer's own.
9.1 Any ODU currently installed in breach of these rules must be corrected. Where an existing installation is removed or relocated, the Member must have the resulting holes properly sealed with waterproofing sealant at their own cost.
10.1 Cost recovery (compensatory, not punitive): Any damage caused to the building structure, facade, or any shared/common space as a result of a non-compliant installation shall be recovered from the Member responsible, at actuals, in addition to any other action under this section.
10.2 Penalty for breach of these rules: A penalty for breach of these rules cannot be levied by the Managing Committee on its own. The correct process, per Bye-law 164(a), is:
(a) the Committee notifies the Member in writing of the specific breach;
(b) if the breach continues, the Committee issues a show-cause notice to the Member;
(c) the matter is placed before the General Body Meeting (AGM or a Special GBM), which -- after hearing the Member -- may levy a penalty; the consolidated penalty on any one Member in a financial year is capped at Rs. 5,000 under Bye-law 164(a).
10.3 External escalation: If unauthorised construction or alteration continues despite the above, the matter falls within the jurisdiction of the Pune Municipal Corporation as the competent local authority for "unauthorized constructions/additions/alterations made by...Member/occupant" and "building's structural problems" (Bye-law 173(d)). A dispute between a Member and the Society over enforcement of this rule may separately be referred to the Co-operative Court under Section 91 of the MCS Act (Bye-law 173(b)).
11.1 Members are encouraged to consult the Management Committee before starting work, to avoid disputes and the need for enforcement action under Section 10.
Bye-law 1(xxii) - Definition of "Common Areas and Facilities" (includes main walls, roofs, and ducts)
Bye-law 45(a)/(c) - Committee's written permission required for any addition/alteration to a flat; no structural change without competent authority's permission
Bye-law 67(a)(xiii) - External walls maintained by the Society at its own cost
Bye-law 75(a) - Mandatory periodic Structural Audit
Bye-law 164(a)/(b) - Penalty for breach of bye-laws: capped at Rs. 5,000/member/financial year; levied by the General Body after show-cause notice and hearing
Bye-law 168(a) - Encroachment of common/open areas: vacate the encroachment and pay 5x monthly maintenance per month of encroachment; no structural change without Society and Municipal Authority permission
Bye-law 169 - Temporary use of terrace/open space requires prior written application and Committee/GBM approval
Bye-law 173 - Redressal of Members' complaints; jurisdiction chart for Registrar / Co-operative Court / Civil Court / Municipal Corporation / Police / General Body Meeting