Common service centres will start accepting applications from landlords and tenants for registration of tenancy agreements under the new statutory provisions and rules on Monday.
After notification of rules pertaining to the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act 2017, the government has developed a portal and will generate tenancy registration numbers for each agreement between a landlord and tenant. Following the inauguration of the portal (www.tenancy.tn.gov.in) by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday, the government has asked for an increase in manpower in all the districts for registration of agreements.
Rent authorities in Chennai and suburbs are expected to register at least 10 lakh tenancy agreements in the next 90 days. According to a study, Chennai has 49% of its residents and Coimbatore has 41% of its residents living in rented accommodation.
Nature of landholdings
Housing and Urban Development Secretary S. Krishnan said the new tenancy rules recognise the fact that housing ownership and the nature of landholding has changed. “Rental housing is an important service. The purpose of the Act is to rebalance the interest of the tenants and landowners,” he said. The earlier statutory provisions pertaining to rent control were heavily oriented towards the interests of the tenants and landlords had the tendency to not rent out their properties. After the notification of the new rules, the number of unoccupied houses is expected to reduce in cities such as Chennai and Coimbatore.
