Area & Measurement
What is Amenity Space?
The infinity pool in the render is not free. You buy it in the loading factor, and then you pay to heat, clean and staff it every month for thirty years.
The short answer
Amenity space is the clubhouse, gym, pool, courts and landscaping.
You pay for it twice: once in the loading factor, and then every month, forever, in maintenance — to clean it, staff it, light it and repair it.
And most residents use it a handful of times a year. That is not cynicism; it is what actually happens.
What amenity space includes
- Clubhouse — party hall, indoor games, library, business centre
- Gymnasium
- Swimming pool — and often a separate kids' pool
- Sports — tennis, badminton, squash, basketball
- Children's play area
- Jogging track, landscaped gardens, amphitheatre
- Yoga deck, meditation zone, senior citizens' corner — the taxonomy expands every year
What it really costs
1. THE LOADING FACTOR. The clubhouse is a common area, so your share of it is loaded into your super built-up area — and you pay the per-square-foot rate on it. An elaborate amenity block is one of the main reasons loading factors reach 40% and beyond.
2. THE MAINTENANCE CHARGE. Somebody must clean the pool, service the gym equipment, light the clubhouse, pay the security, cut the grass, run the pumps, and repair the tennis court.
That is you. Every month. For thirty years.
3. THE SINKING FUND. And when the pool needs re-tiling, or the gym equipment needs replacing, there is a levy.
The lifetime cost of the amenities
Illustrative. 1,000 sq ft carpet flat.
- Extra loading from an elaborate amenity block (say 10 points)
- 100 sq ft
- At ₹9,000/sq ft, paid at purchase
- ₹9,00,000
- Extra maintenance, per month
- ≈ ₹400
- Over 30 years, before escalation
- ₹1,44,000
- Total, before any levy
- ≈ ₹10,44,000
The honest question
Be honest with yourself, because it is a ten-lakh question.
Will you use the gym? Not 'do you intend to'. Do you currently go to a gym? If not, a gym downstairs will not change that. It never does.
Will you swim? How many times a year?
Will you use the tennis court? Do you play tennis?
Will you book the party hall? Twice a year, perhaps.
For a family with young children, a good play area and a safe garden are used every single day, and are worth a great deal.
For a couple who work long hours, an infinity pool is a photograph they paid ten lakh rupees for.
Neither answer is wrong. But you should know which one is yours before you sign.
What to check
- Is the clubhouse in the SANCTIONED PLAN — or only in the render? This is the big one. Amenity blocks have been promised and never built.
- When will it be delivered? Often it comes in the last phase — years after you move in.
- Is it shared with future phases? A clubhouse built for 200 flats, later shared with 800, is a different clubhouse.
- What is the loading factor? An elaborate amenity block is a large part of it.
- Is there a separate CLUB MEMBERSHIP fee? Many builders charge one — on top of the loading you already paid.
- What will the maintenance cost? Ask for the estimate, in writing.
- Who runs it after handover? The society. Which means you.
Ask to see the amenities on the SANCTIONED BUILDING PLAN. Not the brochure. The stamped plan, from the RERA filing.
If the clubhouse is not on the approved plan, it is not approved — and a thing that is not approved may never be built, and cannot lawfully be built if it isn't.
This is a five-minute check. It has saved buyers from paying for swimming pools that were never going to exist.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay extra for amenities in an apartment?
Twice, and then forever. The clubhouse, gym and pool are common areas, so your share of them is loaded into your super built-up area and you pay the per-square-foot rate on it at purchase. Then you pay every month, in maintenance, to clean, staff, light and repair them. And when the pool needs re-tiling, there is a levy.
Are apartment amenities worth it?
It depends entirely on whether you will use them, and you should be honest with yourself because it is a ten-lakh question. Do you currently go to a gym? If not, a gym downstairs will not change that. For a family with young children, a good play area and a safe garden are used every day and worth a great deal. For a couple who work long hours, an infinity pool is a photograph they paid ten lakh rupees for.
How do I know the clubhouse will actually be built?
Check the SANCTIONED BUILDING PLAN — the stamped one, from the RERA filing, not the brochure. If the clubhouse is not on the approved plan, it is not approved, may never be built, and cannot lawfully be built if it isn't. It is a five-minute check and it has saved buyers from paying for pools that were never going to exist.
Is there a separate club membership fee?
Often, yes — and it is charged on top of the loading factor you have already paid for the clubhouse. Ask whether there is one, how much, and whether it is one-time or annual, before you agree a price.
What happens if the clubhouse is shared with later phases?
It gets crowded. A clubhouse built for 200 flats and later shared with 800 is a different clubhouse — the pool has queues, the gym has waits, and the party hall is booked out. Ask specifically whether the amenities will be shared with future phases, and get the answer in writing.