Load Factor: Indian homebuyers are now getting significantly less livable space for their money, as developers ramp up common areas in residential complexes. New data from real estate consultancy ANAROCK showed that the average apartment loading factor across India's top seven cities has climbed to 40 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, up sharply from 31 per cent in 2019.
This means that only 60 per cent of the space buyers pay for is usable carpet area; the remaining 40 per cent goes toward elevators, stairwells, lobbies, and other shared infrastructure.
Prashant Thakur, Regional Director and Head of Research & Advisory at ANAROCK, has raised concerns about the growing gap between what homebuyers pay for and what they actually get. He pointed out that although the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) now mandates developers to disclose the carpet area, there's still no legal cap on the loading factor, the share of common areas bundled into the total saleable space.
Big Cities, Bigger Loading
In the case of metropolitan cities of India, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) continued to lead. A 43 per cent loading rate was recorded in Q1 2025, up from 33 per cent in 2019 and 39 per cent in 2022. Bengaluru recorded a significant increase, from 30 to 41 per cent. This indicated the tech-city's boom in amenity-rich developments aimed at tech-savvy buyers.
Chennai remained the outlier, recording the lowest loading factor at 36 per cent in Q1 2025. The southern metro has seen a more moderate climb from 30 per cent in 2019 and 32 per cent in 2022, signalling a market where end-users still prioritise usable space over flashy common areas.
Luxury Costs Space
The upward trend, experts say, is being driven by rising demand for high-end amenities gyms, landscaped gardens, lounges, and larger clubhouses, which come with spatial overheads.
According to Thakur, recent data from the first quarter of 2025 indicates that in India's top seven cities, only about 60 per cent of the space that homebuyers pay for is actually usable within their apartments. The remaining 40 per cent is taken up by common areas like corridors, lobbies, and amenity zones.
He added that while these facilities may boost resale value and community comfort, they reduce the actual private space that owners get within their homes.
Lack of Transparency Outside Maharashtra
He noted that in earlier years, loading factors of 30 per cent or below were standard. However, that benchmark has shifted dramatically. Thakur claimed he is now expecting far higher loading because developers are packing in more lifestyle features, gyms, clubhouses, landscaped gardens, and lavish lobbies.
What's making the problem worse, he added, is the widespread lack of awareness among homebuyers, particularly outside Maharashtra, about how much of their payment goes toward actual living space. Thakur called on state RERA authorities to tighten regulations, urging them to require developers to clearly spell out how much buyers are paying for private usable space versus amenities.
What Is Loading, Exactly?
A loading factor consists of the difference between the super built-up area, i.e. total space sold, and the carpet area, which is the actual usable area. For example, if a flat's super built-up area is 1,300 sq. ft. and the carpet area is 1,000 sq. ft., the loading is 30 per cent.
While once an obscure metric buried in brochures, loading is now a flashpoint in the battle between developer ambition and buyer expectation, and it's clear that in 2025, size does not equal space.
