A homeowner has taken to Reddit seeking advice after his housing society in Mulund remained stuck in redevelopment for more than 15 years, highlighting the prolonged uncertainty faced by residents of stalled redevelopment projects across the Mumbai real estate market.
The homeowner said that his small cooperative housing society, comprising around 20 members, entered into redevelopment agreement around 2011-12. The project was initially expected to be completed in about two years. However, more than a decade later, the building remains incomplete, with construction having reached only around six of the planned nine floors.
The homeowner said the developer had cited various reasons for the delay over the years, including approvals, permissions and funding issues. According to the post, the developer initially paid rent to members for around two years, but those payments stopped a long time ago. Since then, residents have reportedly been paying for their accommodation from their own pockets while waiting for the redevelopment project to progress.
The situation has been particularly difficult for the society's senior citizen members, the resident said. He noted that members had remained patient and trusted the developer for years, and consequently, the society did not take major legal action against the developer during the earlier stages of the delay.
"Everyone has been patient and trusting the builder for years, so no major legal action was taken till now. But now people are finally starting to realise that we can't just keep waiting without knowing what is actually happening," the Reddit post reads.
{{/usCountry}}"Everyone has been patient and trusting the builder for years, so no major legal action was taken till now. But now people are finally starting to realise that we can't just keep waiting without knowing what is actually happening," the Reddit post reads.
{{/usCountry}}The homeowner sought advice on whether replacing or terminating the developer would be practical when a substantial portion of the building has already been constructed. Another concern raised was whether individual flat owners could independently pursue claims relating to unpaid rent and prolonged delays, or whether such action would have to be undertaken collectively through the cooperative housing society.
"What would be the most realistic way to push this towards completion without getting stuck in another 5-10 years of legal battles?", the Reddit post reads.
Netizens debate redevelopment risks
Several users replied to the Reddit post, sharing their experiences and advice on dealing with prolonged redevelopment delays. One user suggested checking the CC, unsold inventory, revised plans, FSI potential and the Development Agreement. The user also urged society members to seek legal advice, demand outstanding rent and insist on written timelines instead of verbal assurances.
"I have dealt with a similar situation. After 15 years you need to stop asking only for timelines and start asking very specific questions. If the project has been stuck for this long has the developer already sold the sale inventory? How much inventory is actually left unsold? Most importantly read your Development Agreement. Is there a step-in/termination clause? What happens if the developer fails to perform? What are the consequences for prolonged delay and non-payment of rent?," a user replied on the Reddit post.
According to the user, the homeowners should be stern on the developer considering 15 years is not a small delay.
"This may sound harsh but the society members also need to understand something. The developer probably knows that most members are senior citizens who are already financially burdened by paying rent themselves. He may be banking on the fact that nobody wants the stress and expense of litigation. As long as there are no real consequences there is very little incentive for things to suddenly change after 15 years," the user said.
The user said they faced a similar situation and things started moving after taking legal action. "We faced a similar situation. Things started moving only after we appointed a good redevelopment lawyer and counsel and took serious legal action. Legal expenses can easily run into ₹20- Rs30 lakh depending on how far the matter goes but in our case we ultimately recovered the rent, penalty, legal fees and got the flats," the user said.
Mumbai redevelopment scenario
Mumbai’s real estate redevelopment market grew 16% in 2025 compared to the previous year, driven by a rise in redevelopment deals across the city. A total of 229 development agreements (DAs) for the redevelopment of old buildings were signed in 2025, up from 196 in 2024, according to data from Knight Frank India.
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The momentum continued into 2026, with nearly 30%, or 70, of the total redevelopment agreements for 2025 signed within the first 74 days of the year, up to March 15, the data showed. According to Knight Frank India data, a total of 1,094 DAs have been signed in the last six years, from January 2020 to March 15, 2026. A total of 432 acres of land has been unlocked for redevelopment through the signing of these 1,094 redevelopment deals.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Hindustantimes.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them)