Renters left vulnerable as landlords flout rules

Bengaluru: While laws exist to protect the rights of both renters and landlords, tenants of ten continue to draw the short straw, as regulations intended to balance the power dynamic between the two sides are frequently not followed in practice.

For example, many landlords still demand security deposits far exceeding two months’ rent, despite the Model Tenancy Act clearly stipulating that the deposit payable by a tenant should not exceed two months’ rent for residential property.

The relevant laws also affirm that tenants are entitled to protection from invasion of privacy, a livable and well-maintained environment, and proper documentation such as receipts for rent and copies of rental agreements.

For Anjali, several of these provisions were not honoured during her tenancy. She did not receive a rental agreement for the first two months, and when she requested it, her landlords dismissed the matter.

“They told me to go and make the agreement myself if I wanted it done so badly, and said that everything was already recorded in the PhonePe app anyway. Although the agreement was supposedly effective from May, I only received a copy in September.

They also ignored issues with the property, such as not having a working geyser,” she said. This situation is far from uncommon in the city, where rental agreements are often delayed or not issued at all, leaving tenants with no documentation to rely on when disputes arise.

Such was the experience of Aanand, who shared a rented home in BTM Layout and faced a difficult landlord. “We had a one-year rental contract and informed them that we intended to renew it as we planned to continue living in the same apartment.

However, they refused to issue a new agreement reflecting the extension. When we eventually decided to vacate, we served one month’s notice and asked them to deduct the last month’s rent from the security deposit and return the balance,” he said.

Instead, the landlord rejected the request and demanded that the tenants pay two months’ additional rent and hand over the entire deposit amount. According to the tenants, the landlords then threatened them, saying: “We will show you who we are; we have a big gang here, and we will not let you leave Bengaluru.”

With some of the tenants preparing to move abroad for jobs, they were worried that pursuing legal action might affect their visas. As a result, they felt compelled to pay the amount demanded.

They now regret not insisting on receipts for rent payments and the security deposit from the very beginning.