Kochi is a Municipal Corporation, so its building permits follow the Kerala Municipality Building Rules, 2019 (KMBR). On 29 October 2025 the Local Self Government Department notified the Kerala Municipality Building (Amendment) Rules, 2025 (G.O.(P) No. 53/2025/LSGD). The amendment substituted Rule 29, the off-street parking rule, and came into force at once.
The headline for mechanical parking is short. Only half of the mandatory car parking may be mechanised. This note sets out the figures and what they mean for a stack or puzzle layout.
The residential numbers: Table 9
Rule 29(2) requires the parking inside the plot, as set in Tables 9 and 10. Rule 29(3) says the requirement is calculated on total floor area. For flats and apartments (Group A1), Table 9 works on the floor area of each dwelling unit.
| Floor area of dwelling unit | Off-street car spaces |
|---|---|
| Up to 75 sq m | 1 for every 2 units |
| Above 75 up to 185 sq m | 1 per unit |
| Above 185 up to 300 sq m | 1.5 per unit |
| Above 300 sq m | 2 per unit |
Rule 29(6) then adds visitors. For apartments and flats, 15% of the Table 9 figure "shall be provided additionally" and kept for visitors.
Other occupancies: Table 10
Table 10 gives one car space per stated floor area.
| Occupancy | One car space per |
|---|---|
| A2 lodging, special residential | 90 sq m up to 1,170 sq m; 60 sq m beyond |
| C medical, hospital | 90 sq m |
| D wedding, community, convention halls, auditoriums | 15 sq m |
| D other assembly | 20 sq m |
| E office | 90 sq m up to 1,170 sq m; 60 sq m beyond |
| F mercantile, commercial | 90 sq m up to 1,170 sq m; 60 sq m beyond |
| G1, G2 industrial; H storage | 240 sq m |
| J multiplex | 60 sq m |
Rule 29(5) adds two-wheeler parking equal to 25% of the mandatory car parking area.
Space, driveway and ramp sizes
- Car space: not less than 5.5 m x 2.7 m (Rule 29(1)). Parallel parking: 6.0 m x 2.7 m.
- Two-wheeler space: 3 sq m, minimum dimension 1.5 m.
- Driveway to the parking: at least 3 m wide (Rule 29(4)).
- One-way ramp: at least 3.5 m wide, no steeper than 1:7.
- Aisle between rows of cars: at least 4.0 m.
The mechanised rules
The 50% cap. Rule 29(10): of the mandatory off-street car parking, "fifty per cent at the maximum may be provided for by mechanised parking". The owner or occupant must ensure proper safety, structural stability and functioning.
Twin stacks count twice. The Rule 2 definition says that in twin car parking units, where one car is parked above the other by mechanical means, "both cars parked shall be considered under the mechanised parking category". A two-level stack uses two places of the 50% allowance, not one.
Setback and queuing. Rule 29(11) keeps mechanised structures at least 1.0 m from the plot boundary when 10 m high or less, and 1.5 m when taller. Each facility also needs at least one car space next to it, as a queuing space for hindrance-free entry and exit.
Parking plots. For occupancies other than Group A1, a Rule 29(3) proviso allows up to 75% of the required parking in a separate parking plot under the same ownership, within 200 m motorable distance. In that parking plot, up to 70% of the parking may be mechanical.
EV charging. Rule 29(12): all buildings requiring parking "shall have a facility for charging electrical vehicles". The number of charging points is left to a government notification.
What this means for a mechanical parking design
Take 40 flats of 100 sq m each. Table 9 gives 40 spaces. Visitors add 15%, so 6 more, 46 in total.
| Step | Spaces |
|---|---|
| Table 9 requirement (40 x 1) | 40 |
| Visitor add-on, 15% | 6 |
| Total to provide | 46 |
| Mechanised maximum, 50% of 40 | 20 |
| Mechanised maximum, 50% of 46 | 23 |
| Twin stacks possible (both cars count) | 10 or 11 |
So at least 23 to 26 spaces must be conventional bays of 5.5 m x 2.7 m, served by a 4.0 m aisle. In Kochi a stack system cannot be the whole answer on a tight plot. It can only double up the other half.
Three practical points follow:
- Plan the conventional half first. Its aisle and ramp geometry usually sets the basement or stilt layout. The stacks then go where they fit.
- Keep the queuing bay. It is one more conventional space beside each mechanised facility, and it must stay clear.
- Free-standing or multi-level puzzle structures above 10 m need the 1.5 m setback. Check this against the plot's yards early.
Caveats and what is pending
- The 2025 text does not say whether the 15% visitor spaces fall inside the "mandatory" base for the 50% cap. The table shows both readings. Confirm with the Kochi Corporation town planning section before fixing the count.
- The EV charging point count is still to be notified. Leave conduit and panel space for it.
- A further Kerala Municipality Building (Amendment) Rules, 2026 was notified on 2 August 2026 (G.O.(P) No. 37/2026/LSGD). A secondary summary reports changes to yards and room heights, not Rule 29. We have not yet read that gazette in full.
- Rule 29 does not set a fire NOC route for mechanised parking. Fire requirements come from the occupancy and building size, so check them separately.
Related reading
- Primary source: Kerala Municipality Building (Amendment) Rules, 2025 (G.O.(P) No. 53/2025/LSGD) (Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala, 2025)
- Coimbatore parking under TNCDBR: the Annexure IV numbers
- Bengaluru: the 18 sqm bay and the 3.6 m basement
- How Indian codes count a mechanical parking space
- Check your city's parking norms in the Compliance Atlas