For example, tenants who break rules by subletting or giving up control of a space face fines up to ₹50,000. Or twice the rent they got from it each month until they stop, whichever costs more. Before, they could pay ₹5,000 or twice the rent, plus up to one month in jail, or both. The Times of India shared these details.
Landlords who evict tenants against the law now get the same kind of fines. This hits hard if courts say the tenant should move back in, the report added.
The state cabinet okayed these updates last week. Lawmakers will review them soon in Belagavi during the winter meetings, per the Times of India.
By dropping jail from the rules, the government cuts down on fear and bad use of the law. Yet the ₹50,000 fine keeps tenants from subletting wrong and landlords from unfair evictions. Real estate pros told HT Real Estate this setup helps both sides fairly.
Why make this change? It matches the national Jan Vishwas Act of 2025. That law ends jail for small wrongs and uses fines or alerts instead. Karnataka cut the one-month jail option for tenant-landlord fights.
New rules swap fines for nine Act sections. They target illegal sublets by tenants, wrong evictions by owners, fake property info, and skipping agent registration with rent controllers, the paper noted.
One rule says a tenant who sublets or hands over a space against the law pays up to ₹50,000. Or double the sublet rent per month until the problem ends, whichever is bigger.
The Karnataka government has updated the 1999 Rent Control Act. It removes criminal charges for rental issues but adds bigger fines. Now, nine parts of the law use heavy penalties instead of jail time. These cover things like tenants subletting without permission, landlords forcing out renters, lying about property facts, and not signing up real estate agents with local rent officials, according to a news report.
For example, tenants who break rules by subletting or giving up control of a space face fines up to ₹50,000. Or twice the rent they got from it each month until they stop, whichever costs more. Before, they could pay ₹5,000 or twice the rent, plus up to one month in jail, or both. The Times of India shared these details.
Landlords who evict tenants against the law now get the same kind of fines. This hits hard if courts say the tenant should move back in, the report added.
The state cabinet okayed these updates last week. Lawmakers will review them soon in Belagavi during the winter meetings, per the Times of India.
By dropping jail from the rules, the government cuts down on fear and bad use of the law. Yet the ₹50,000 fine keeps tenants from subletting wrong and landlords from unfair evictions. Real estate pros told HT Real Estate this setup helps both sides fairly.
Why make this change? It matches the national Jan Vishwas Act of 2025. That law ends jail for small wrongs and uses fines or alerts instead. Karnataka cut the one-month jail option for tenant-landlord fights.
New rules swap fines for nine Act sections. They target illegal sublets by tenants, wrong evictions by owners, fake property info, and skipping agent registration with rent controllers, the paper noted.
One rule says a tenant who sublets or hands over a space against the law pays up to ₹50,000. Or double the sublet rent per month until the problem ends, whichever is bigger.