Landlords can invoke Old Rent Control Act, rules HC

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court today ruled that all landlords and landladies are entitled to file or initiate rent control proceedings by invoking the Old Rent Control Act, namely The Tamilnadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act 1960 until the new Act was notified by the State government.

Justice M V Muralidaran gave the ruling allowing a revision petition filed by a landlord B Venkatesh.

The petition was filed after the rent controller/District Munsiff of Ramanathapuram returned his petition on the ground that the new Rent Control Act, namely The Tamilnadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act 2017 had come into force, without ascertaining it.

Also, the judge directed that the rent control original authorities/appellate authorities/court of small causes( in Chennai city) to number all the rent control original petitions and rent control appeals filed under the old Act till the new one was notified.

Advocate Chellapandian, who appeared on behalf of the government, said though the passing of the Bill in the legislative Assembly and publication in the government had happened, the government was yet to notify/bring into force the new Act.