The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, on July 19, 2018, ruled that all landlords and landladies are entitled to file or initiate rent control proceedings, by invoking the Old Rent Control Act, namely the Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960, until the new act is notified by the state government. Justice MV Muralidaran gave the ruling, allowing a revision petition filed by a landlord B Venkatesh. The petition was filed, after the rent controller/district munsiff of Ramanathapuram, returned his petition on the ground that the new Rent Control Act, namely the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017, had come into force, without ascertaining it.
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Also, the judge directed that the rent control original authorities/appellate authorities/court of small causes (in Chennai city) number all the rent control original petitions and rent control appeals filed under the old Act, till the new one was notified. Advocate Chellapandian, who appeared on behalf of the government, said although the passing of the bill in the legislative assembly and publication in the government had happened, the government was yet to notify/bring into force the new Act.
