CHENNAI: Posts claiming the introduction of New Rent Rules 2026 in India are going viral on social media, creating confusion among tenants and landlords, said a Maalaimalar report.
The posts suggest that the government has introduced sweeping changes to rental agreements, advance deposits and eviction procedures. However, these claims are misleading, as most of the rules being circulated are not new laws for 2026.
According to the viral posts, several regulations have allegedly come into force this year, including limits on advance deposits and stricter rules for rent increases and eviction procedures.
The widely shared posts claim that under the New rent rules 2026:
Landlords cannot collect more than two months’ rent as advance for residential properties.
For commercial properties, advance deposits can be collected only up to six months’ rent.
Landlords can revise rent only after 12 months and must provide at least 90 days’ written notice before increasing the rent.
If major repairs are needed, tenants must inform the landlord. If the landlord fails to fix the issue within 30 days, tenants can carry out repairs themselves and deduct the cost from the rent.
Actions such as changing locks, disconnecting electricity or water supply, or threatening tenants are punishable.
Rental disputes related to non-payment, property damage, or contract violations will be resolved within 60 days through rent courts or tribunals.
These points are being widely shared online as part of the so-called New rent rules 2026.
In reality, most of these provisions come from the Model Tenancy Act, 2021, which was introduced by the central government as a model framework for states and Union Territories. The act was designed to guide states in reforming or updating their own tenancy laws.
Housing and tenancy laws in India fall under the jurisdiction of state governments, meaning each state has the authority to create or amend its own rental regulations.
In December 2021, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore clarified in Parliament that land and tenancy fall under the state list, and states have been encouraged to adopt the Model Tenancy Act either by introducing new legislation or modifying existing laws.
According to a reply in the Rajya Sabha, only a few regions have so far adopted laws based on the Model Tenancy Act. These include:
Assam
Arunachal Pradesh
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
Lakshadweep
The government also noted that states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh have issued draft notifications related to tenancy reforms and have been advised to align them with the latest version of the Model Tenancy Act.