How 'Rent Agreement' can save you during uncertainties!

Most people get a rent agreement made so that their tenant adheres to the terms and conditions, and doesn’t encroach on their house. But a rent agreement should also be made so that you know all the details of the  tenant. Police verification is also necessary so that you know the person you’re giving the house to is genuine and has no criminal record.

What is a Rent Agreement?

Talking about the rent agreement, it is actually a written contract between the property owner and a tenant. It is a document in which the signatures of the landlord, tenant, and witness are required. It is an essential document. This agreement contains instructions related to rent and other arrangements related to the property, such as when the rent will increase, what will be the repair and maintenance charges, etc.

Talking about police verification, it is done both online and offline. However, in both cases, the tenant has to fill out a verification form and submit all the necessary documents. This is very important to do, and it is the responsibility of the landlord. Those who are negligent here may end up putting themselves in great danger.

Supreme Court Advocate Anil Karnawal says that rent agreement and police verification are not only in the interest of the landlord but also in the interest of the people living around. This ensures the safety of your society. That’s why the police also issued this advisory to not give a house to anyone without police verification.

Karnawal says that if you don’t have a rent agreement and police verification in place, you can land in trouble. If a tenant is found involved in any illegal activity and the landlord doesn’t have  necessary documents, then, action can be taken on the landlord under section 188 of the IPC, because the police can assume that the crime was committed with the consent of the landlord. For this, a penalty of one month imprisonment and a fine of 200 rupees can be imposed. On the other hand, if the tenant has committed any serious crime and the landlord doesn’t have these documents, then, he may have to face imprisonment for up to 6 months and a fine of 1,000 rupees.

So, before giving a house on rent to anyone, keep a few things in mind. Get the rent agreement and police verification done at the earliest. Apart from this, ask the tenant for their rent agreements of previous property i.e, of the house where they have lived before this. If they are renting a house for the first time, ask them to show all their original address documents. With all this, you will be saved from renting your house to any suspicious person.