Will a High-Rise Block Your View? Light and Air Checks

Apartment towers with sunlit windows beside an open plot in Bengaluru

At a Glance

Short answer: Nobody can promise you a view in Bengaluru. What you can check is what the rules allow next door: the land use of the neighbouring plot in the master plan, the setbacks a tall building must keep, and any building plan already sanctioned there. For your own project, the sanctioned plan you get at booking can't be changed without allottee consent under the RERA Act.

A lot of buyers in Bengaluru pick a tower because the 14th floor looks across a lake, a vacant site or a row of old two-storey houses. Five years later a new tower comes up on that site. It happens on Sarjapur Road, around Hebbal and along the Whitefield corridors, wherever old plots are being redeveloped. You can't stop it, but you can find out before you buy how likely it is.

Is there a legal right to a view?

No. Indian law doesn't give you a right to a view. It does recognise a right to light and air through a building's openings, but only by prescription: the access has to be enjoyed peaceably, as an easement and without interruption, for 20 years (30 years against government land) under section 15 of the Indian Easements Act, 1882. A new flat has none of that history. So the practical question isn't "can they block me?" but "what are they allowed to build next door?"

What can be built on the neighbouring plot?

Three things decide it.

Land use. The Revised Master Plan 2015 maps every area into zones such as residential, commercial and industrial. Open the BDA master plan page, find the zoning map for your area, and check what the neighbouring plot is zoned for. BDA has also published a draft RMP 2031, which may change zoning, so look at both.
Height and FAR. The zoning regulations link FAR (floor area divided by plot area) to plot size and road width. A wider road usually means more floor area is allowed, which often means a taller building. Note the width of the road the neighbouring plot faces.
Setbacks. The regulations set how far a building must stay from its boundary. Up to 11.5 m of height, setbacks are a share of the plot's width and depth. Above that, Table 9 sets an all-round minimum that rises with height, from 5 m (up to 15 m tall) to 16 m (above 50 m). That gap is the one thing you can rely on between a new tower and the plot line.

Setbacks are measured to the plot line, not to your window. If your tower is close to its own boundary, the gap between the two buildings is your setback plus theirs.

How do you find out what's planned next door?

Ask the developer, in writing, what they know about the adjoining plots and whether any sanctioned plan exists. Ask for the reply on email.
Look at the site and around it. A hoarding, a compound wall going up, soil testing or a cleared site are early signs.
Check Karnataka RERA. A large project next door will usually be registered on the Karnataka RERA portal, with its sanctioned plan uploaded. Search by locality.
Look at the master plan map for the zoning, and at the road. A road shown for widening can lift what neighbours may build.
For a resale flat, walk the building at different times and ask the association what it knows about nearby plots.

How do you check light and air in the flat itself?

The view can change. The flat's own layout won't, so check it carefully:

Which walls have windows, and do those walls face the plot boundary or an internal open space of your own project?
How far is the facing tower inside your own project? That distance is fixed by the sanctioned plan.
Visit in the morning and late afternoon. Bengaluru's low winter sun shows you which rooms get light.
Check cross-ventilation: can air move from one side of the flat to the other?
On a lower floor, check what's above the boundary wall: trees, a road, or another building's service area.

What protects your own project's layout?

Section 11(3) of the RERA Act requires the promoter to make the sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications available at booking. Section 14(2) then says the promoter can't make additions or alterations to your apartment's plan without your consent, or to the building or common areas without the written consent of at least two-thirds of the allottees. So if the brochure shows open space in front of your tower, check that it's open space in the sanctioned plan too, not a later phase.

Buyer checklist: light, air and the plot next door

[ ] Neighbouring plots' zoning checked on the RMP 2015 map and the draft RMP 2031
[ ] Width of the road the neighbouring plot faces noted
[ ] Developer's written reply on adjoining plots received
[ ] Karnataka RERA searched for projects next door
[ ] Your tower's distance to its own boundary read from the sanctioned plan
[ ] Open spaces in front of your tower confirmed in the sanctioned plan, not a future phase
[ ] Flat visited morning and late afternoon for light and cross-ventilation

Frequently asked questions

Can I stop a building that blocks my view?

Usually not, if it has a valid sanction and follows the setback and height rules. You can check whether it does: ask the planning authority for the sanctioned plan, and raise a complaint if what's built doesn't match it.

Does a higher floor protect my view?

It helps, but a taller neighbour can still rise above you where FAR and road width allow it. Check the zoning and the road before you pay more for a floor.

Is a lake view safe from new buildings?

The water body itself won't be built over, and lakes carry no-build buffers; our lake and rajakaluve buffer guide has the details. Plots beyond the buffer, including on the far side of the lake, can still be built on.

What is the minimum gap between two towers?

Each building keeps its own setback from its boundary. For a building above 50 m, the RMP 2015 zoning rules set at least 16 m on every side. Within one project, the sanctioned plan fixes the gap.

Lawyer note: Easements, planning rules and RERA rights on this page are general information, not legal advice. Zoning and FAR rules change through amendments and new master plans. Have a lawyer or architect read the sanctioned plan and the current regulations for your site.

Sources

Checked 30 Oct 2026.

Indian Easements Act, 1882, section 15 (acquisition by prescription): https://indiacode.ecourtsindia.com/indian-easements-act-1882/section/15/
BDA, Revised Master Plan 2015, Volume III, Zoning of Landuse and Regulations (setbacks, Table 9, FAR): https://eng.bdabangalore.org/uploads/files/EODB/Additional%20document/Zonal%20Regulation%202007.pdf
BDA, master plan page (RMP 2015 and draft RMP 2031): https://eng.bdabangalore.org/masterplan.html
Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, sections 11(3) and 14(2): https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/resources/staticpage/Real_Estate_Act.pdf
Karnataka RERA, project search: https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/viewAllProjects?language=en