What tenant rights do renters have in India in 2026?

The Model Tenancy Act, 2021 asks for a written agreement that states rent, term, revision rules, security deposit, entry rules, and maintenance duties, with Rent Authority intimation within two months where the Act is in force. The model caps residential deposits at two months’ rent and commercial deposits at six, and channels eviction through listed grounds rather than informal lockouts. Essential-service cutoffs as a pressure tactic are framed as offences under the model text.

Adoption is state-by-state. Maharashtra still publishes its Rent Control Act framework. Karnataka practice and commentary often note that the state has not simply swapped every lease onto the Union model, so Bengaluru market deposits can still run longer than a two-month template unless a later state amendment clearly applies to your agreement. Always check the live state rule and the signed contract: Rental contracts and deposits.

State notice periods, lock-in, early-exit penalties, society maintenance payer, deposit return deadline, and inventory rules in numbers: How to rent a home. Pay owners by bank transfer with receipts. Film meters and fittings on handover day. Corridor tactics differ in Renting in Bangalore, Renting in Mumbai, and Renting in Delhi.

Society maintenance fights belong in the lease and RWA invoices: Condominium fees. Pet permission needs landlord writing even where societies cannot impose blanket dog bans: Pet-friendly rentals. Verify ownership before you wire money: Avoid rental scams.