Fadnavis Orders New Portal, Special Courts For Rental Reforms

To strengthen the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999, the government will appoint Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) as competent authorities. The state also plans to set up 100 special courts, including evening courts, to fast-track rent-related cases. The move is expected to bring nearly 10 lakh houses into the rental market in Mumbai, benefiting working women and single mothers, a senior official said.

Mr. Fadnavis reviewed the affordable rental housing plan at a meeting with senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary (Housing) Aseem Kumar Gupta, Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, MHADA CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal and Principal Secretary (Home) Anup Kumar Singh.

According to government data, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has a population of 27.3 million and 5.9 million households. Of these, 40 per cent live in self-owned homes, 33 per cent in slums and 2 per cent in employer-provided housing.

The Chief Minister said rental homes must be made easily available to people arriving in metros for work and business, adding that the entire mechanism should function as per the housing agreements in place. Effective coordination, he said, would prevent difficulties for both landlords and tenants.

Under the plan to streamline the Rent Control Act, all 12 DCPs in Mumbai and Mumbai Suburban districts will be designated as competent authorities, with provisions to increase their number as jurisdictions expand. A notification to this effect will be issued shortly. Retired judges will be appointed to the proposed special courts.

Officials said landlords often avoid renting out homes due to lengthy litigation. As many as 18,553 rent-related cases are pending in Mumbai’s civil courts. “With new courts, these cases can be disposed of within three years,” an official said.

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr. Gupta said the number of competent authorities would be increased within the next 10 days. “Each case will be disposed of within 30 days, compared to the earlier two to three years,” he said.

He added that the government is developing a portal on which homeowners and tenants can register, execute leave-and-licence agreements and even make rent payments. The system will automatically issue eviction notices in cases of non-payment. “Everything will be recorded, creating a clear rental history and reducing misuse of the law,” he said.

Around Rs 100 crore from the Shelter Fund will be utilised for the initiative. The portal is expected to be operational within three to six months.