Rent control act in India: what it covers and what it means for landlords

What a rent control act does

• Fair or standard rent. The older acts let a tenant or landlord ask the controller or court to fix the rent, which kept rents in protected premises low for decades.
• Eviction only on listed grounds. Non-payment after a demand, subletting without consent, misuse, the landlord's genuine need and a few more. The landlord applies to the Rent Controller or the court the Act names.
• Duties on both sides. For example, section 26 of the Delhi Act requires the landlord to give a signed receipt for rent (section 26), and Delhi's section 45 and Karnataka's section 49 bar cutting off essential supplies (Delhi, Karnataka).

Rent control laws by state

Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Assam had revised their tenancy laws on the lines of the Model Tenancy Act by July 2022 (PIB). Read what the Model Tenancy Act says.

Rent control act in Karnataka

The Karnataka Rent Act, 1999 is Karnataka's rent law today. It requires tenancy agreements to be in writing, and section 27 lists the eviction grounds, including rent not paid within two months of a notice under section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act.

• Most new Bengaluru flats are outside it. Section 2(3) leaves out buildings for 15 years after they are built or substantially renovated and premises above a rent threshold. For those, the agreement and the Transfer of Property Act govern, and disputes go to the civil court or Small Causes Court.
• 2025 amendment. The Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Bill, 2025 replaces jail terms in the Act with money penalties. It does not adopt the Model Tenancy Act.
• Older, low-rent tenancies in older buildings can still be inside the Act. If yours is, rent increases and evictions follow the Act's rules; ask a lawyer before you act.

If your tenancy is outside the rent control act

The rent agreement and the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 decide most things. Section 106 lets either side end a month-to-month residential lease with 15 days' written notice unless the agreement says otherwise, and section 108 sets default duties of landlord and tenant that the agreement can change. The rent is what you agree, and an increase follows the agreement's escalation clause. You still cannot evict without a court order. Read landlord rights in India and the eviction notice format.

How to tell whether your property is covered

1. 1

   Find your state's law

   Use the table above, or your state's law department or India Code.

2. 2

   Check the exclusions

   Look at the year the building was completed, the monthly rent, and who the tenant is (a person or a company).

3. 3

   Read your agreement

   A written agreement, its term and its notice clause matter whether or not the Act applies. See the rent agreement format.

4. 4

   Ask a local lawyer

   Courts have read these exclusions in different ways, so get advice before you raise rent sharply or send an eviction notice.

Sources and date checked

• Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 (India Code)
• Delhi Rent Control Act, section 3 (AdvocateKhoj copy)
• Delhi Rent Control Act, section 26 (AdvocateKhoj copy)
• Delhi Rent Control Act, section 45 (AdvocateKhoj copy)
• Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 (Government of Maharashtra PDF)
• Maharashtra Rent Control Act, section 3 (AdvocateKhoj copy)
• Karnataka Rent Act, 1999 (India Code PDF)
• Karnataka Rent Act, sections 27 to 46 (Vidhi Judicial copy)
• Karnataka Rent Act, sections 47 to 49 (Vidhi Judicial copy)
• Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (PRS)
• Tamil Nadu tenancy portal (Housing and Urban Development Department)
• Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Ordinance, 2021 (SCC Online report)
• PIB, 25 July 2022: Rajya Sabha reply on states that adopted the Model Tenancy Act
• Transfer of Property Act, 1882 (India Code)

We last checked these on 21 October 2026. Laws are amended and courts reinterpret them, so have a lawyer confirm the current text before you rely on any section number.

Frequently asked questions