Parking Wars: Navigating the TNAOA 2022 and Reclaiming Your Rights in Tamil Nadu Apartments

Parking disputes rank among the most frequent sources of friction in Tamil Nadu's apartment complexes. A visitor's car left too long, a second vehicle parked in a neighbour's allotted spot, or a committee that tows first and explains later — these disagreements escalate quickly because residents often assume the rules are informal when they are, in fact, governed by statute.

The Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership Act, 2022 (TNAOA) requires every registered apartment association to maintain a management statement or by-laws that record how common areas — including parking — are allocated and used. Where parking bays are demarcated as limited common areas tied to a specific flat, that allocation is enforceable; a committee cannot arbitrarily reassign it without following the amendment procedure set out in the association's by-laws.

Towing or clamping a vehicle is not a self-help remedy an association can exercise without basis. Any enforcement action should trace back to a specific by-law provision, applied consistently and after notice. Residents who face repeated, selective enforcement have recourse — first through the association's internal grievance process, and if that fails, through a civil suit or a complaint to the competent authority designated under the Act.

If you are a resident facing a parking dispute, or an association drafting enforcement rules that will hold up if challenged, our civil law team can review your management statement and advise on a compliant, defensible process.