DDA begins rent payments to Signature View residents

A DDA official mentioned that more residents will be included in the rent disbursement process starting September.

After a long wait, the residents of Signature View Apartments in Mukherjee Nagar, north Delhi, finally saw progress on Wednesday as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) began releasing compensatory rent payments. These payments are being made to the original flat owners who have vacated their homes in the soon-to-be-demolished apartment complex, The Times of India reported.

According to the DDA, rent has already been transferred to 56 residents who submitted the necessary documents and handed over possession of their flats. The payment covered rent up to the end of July.

As per TOI, a DDA official mentioned that more residents will be included in the rent disbursement process starting in September. Those who vacated their flats before the Delhi High Court issued its directive in December 2024 have received rent from January 1 to July 31, based on previously agreed rates. Rent payments will continue until residents are given possession of their newly rebuilt homes.

While the residents’ welfare association welcomed the move, it demurred on DDA remaining silent about a 10 per cent increase in rent every year. “The RWA managing committee, after a meeting on Aug 3, acknowledged the memorandum of understanding on rent vacation received from DDA,” TOI quoted Amarendra Kumar Rakesh, president, Signature View Apartments RWA, as saying.

RWA general secretary Gaurav Pandey added that they plan to raise these issues during the next court hearing scheduled for August 25. Key matters like the floor area ratio (FAR), arrears, and the yearly hike in rent need to be resolved through a legal process, he said.

Earlier, on July 11, the DDA had announced the monthly rent compensation rates: Rs 50,000 for High-Income Group (HIG) flats and Rs 38,000 for Middle-Income Group (MIG) flats. These amounts are to be paid during the entire reconstruction period.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), this rent will be transferred unit-wise as soon as a flat is vacated. Owners or occupiers will receive rent for the previous month by the 7th of the next month. To confirm the flat is truly vacant, water and electricity bills must show either no usage or only minimal fixed charges.

The Signature View complex consists of 12 towers, 10 of which are stilt plus 10 storeys and the remaining two are stilt plus six storeys. Built between 2007 and 2010, the apartments were allotted to residents during 2011–2012. However, within just a few years, residents began noticing major structural issues. In response, the DDA requested a structural audit by IIT-Delhi in 2021–22, which recommended that the buildings be immediately vacated and dismantled for safety reasons.