Community › Forums › Legal Advice India › Tenant hasn’t paid rent for months and refuses to vacate – Need legal advice (Mumbai)
- This topic has 37 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 5 months ago by
User_82a78cbf.
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UUser_82a78cbf
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 1:00 pmI’m seeking legal advice regarding a rental dispute in Mumbai. Here’s the situation:– My father entered into an 11-month rental agreement with a tenant in April 2024
– The tenant paid rent for the first three months (April-June) but hasn’t paid anything since July
– The tenant is now refusing to vacate the premises despite non-payment, claiming they’ll stay until the agreement expires
– We have already approached the police, but the situation escalated as the tenant became aggressive on the phone with the police officers.
– The tenant remains adamant about staying until the agreement term ends
– I can share the rental agreement details via DM if needed (unsure if it’s registered)We’ve already tried:
1. Multiple requests for rent payment
2. Requesting the tenant to vacate
3. Police intervention (which was unsuccessful due to tenant’s aggressive behavior)Questions:
1. What are our legal options to deal with a defaulting tenant who refuses to vacate?
2. Can we file an eviction case due to non-payment of rent despite having a fixed-term agreement?
3. What is the fastest legal recourse available in Mumbai for such cases?
4. Should we approach civil court or rent control authority given that police intervention has failed?
5. Does the registration status of the agreement affect our legal options?Additional Information:
– We have documentation of the initial payments
– We’ve attempted to communicate with the tenant regarding the pending rent
– Police intervention has been unsuccessful
– We’re now looking for proper legal recourse as our only optionAny advice on the legal steps we should take would be greatly appreciated, particularly from those familiar with Mumbai rental laws. We want to handle this situation legally and properly.
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PPrimedude9581
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 1:22 pmLegal options will take time. And he knows that. Pay police or get the electricity and gas disconnected to your house. Or hire a lawyer and send notice to him and start litigation .-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 1:52 pmThank you,It seems that is the only likely recourse… This thing is going to drive us nuts… This is the first time in almost 12-15 years of renting that we have come across such a tenant.
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UUser_44aeded4
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 2:39 pmThis is part and parcel of being a landlord. The trick is to have 6-7 rental properties, so even if 1-2 don’t pay, you still have a healthy cash flow. You need to plan for such things if you’re a serious investor.-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 2:40 pmNot really a serious investor, this flat is from Father’s inheritance, and we have another one where we live. That’s all.-
UUser_44aeded4
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 2:48 pmYeah, that’s a tough one mate. It’s harder for mom and pops to fight stuff like this.ยDid you do a background check? Did you ask for previous landlord referrals? Police background check? Their salary confirmation?ย
I don’t know how these things are handled in Mumbai but it seems to me in the future you need to spend more time and effort in background and credit checks?
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UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 2:52 pmYeah mate, the thing is, there is a police verification document attached to the agreement, but I don’t know what it’s worth now since this hooligan is even being aggressive with the police.And the broker who got us this tenant has been our broker for almost 8-9 years now. So my parents kinda trusted him blindly.
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UUser_44aeded4
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 2:59 pmOk given everything you’ve told me, April is 3 months away. You’ll end up spending more now if you go after him at this point.If I were you, I would spend the next 3 months to make sure he leaves on March, 31, 2025.
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UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 3:23 pmHonestly, that is also something I have given thought to and just chalk up the whole year as a loss of sorts.-
UUser_cef01d25
PARTICIPANT
January 16, 2025 at 5:13 amyou probably need to think of a plan B in case he doesn’t vacate in April. Unfortunately I don’t know the solution.-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 16, 2025 at 12:33 pmSending a legal notice one month prior to the ending date is one option… But by the looks of it… He doesn’t seem to be bothered by much legal stuff.
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MManjeetshark105
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 7:35 pmI am just curious if he is being aggressive with police, why police isnโt showing their real behaviour and beating shit out of him.
Why they are backing off
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SSoniaeagle333
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 3:20 pmhiring lawyer and sending notice and starting litigation is legal option, isn’t it ?
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BBraveseeker242
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 2:07 pmsend legal notice. If you delay, consider your property gone.I am surprised you wasted few months from April
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UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 2:10 pmIt’s basically my father, he’s very non-confrontational whereas I’ve been trying to persuade him for sending a legal notice since September.-
BBraveseeker242
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 2:27 pmHis courage to not vacate property will grow over the months.Send legal notice, cut electricity connection, bribe cops. take help from local goon/MLA by paying some money
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UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 2:28 pmGoing to do as much as I can. Because this whole ordeal is affecting my father’s mental health.
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FFierceanirudh9723
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 3:05 pmTake some goons and throw him out.-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 3:23 pmAt this time I am exploring all options.
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SSoniaeagle333
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 3:21 pmHe is not leaving even after agreement is getting over. He knows you don’t have power.-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 16, 2025 at 12:31 pmYeah, currently it feels that way, maybe i should’ve intervened earlier, but right now, going the legal route seems to be the best course of action… But the fact that it will drag on for ages is what worries me.
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SSmartsanay4859
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 3:28 pmif you can put your own lock over the property when he is away. do that. He breaks it or get it opened by a key maker. Repeat.
Get Gas and Electricity disconnected.
If there is also a parking space assigned to your flat, park any xyz out of use vehicle there instead of his.
Basically now you have to take your legal property back illegally from him.
Send legal notice ASAP.-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 3:31 pmMeeting an advocate in a few minutes and getting a legal notice sent at the earliest.-
SSmartsanay4859
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 3:32 pmmake sure the advocate is not a kind who will keep on dragging your case and milking you, in case if youre talking with him for a full fledged case.-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 3:34 pmThe thing is, he’s the brother of a good friend, so hopefully won’t fleece us… Or maybe he will fleece us more than the tenant. Who knows at this point. ๐-
SSmartsanay4859
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 3:37 pmgood brother of a good friend and a good lawyer too. hope he is all the three goods.-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 3:38 pmThanks buddy! This has been a nightmare, but this reddit conversation has helped me ease my worries somewhat.-
UUser_1252a665
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 6:35 pmWhat did the lawyer say? Having similar kind of issue.-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 16, 2025 at 12:28 pmThe Lawyer has drafted a notice… Because this is a civil matter police may not interfere. Going two ways, either legal(lawyer) or illegal (goons, fights, cutting electricity and water etc,) is the only way to get it done.The dude living in the apartment is so fucking brazen that he said to the police officers that… “I am offering to pay rent, but the landlord(my father) is not accepting it.” Like we have WhatsApp chats showing my father asking for rent and him giving this date and that date, but not complying.
The police officers have also said… We should file an NC against him.
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UUser_1252a665
PARTICIPANT
January 16, 2025 at 1:44 pmHow long does the legal option take?
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UUser_69944d43
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 3:50 pmMy experience in a similar case has yours has not been good with courts. As soon as you go to court, he stays on an and the case drags perpetually! Our Judicial system is terrible. I only get dates-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 4:42 pmWhich is exactly what worries my father… He is afraid that the case will drag for years and he will lose a good source of regular income.-
UUser_69944d43
PARTICIPANT
January 16, 2025 at 1:15 pmWorry about loosing the house. Pray they vacate somehow. Even registered deeds do not mean anything for quick redressal
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UUrbandivya952
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 4:40 pmThere is a one month notice and vacate clause in most rent agreement. Send him a notice for that also.What do you mean by aggressive with police? Police usually get the deed done
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UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 15, 2025 at 4:45 pmThe one month notice is the first thing I told my father to send in September… But it was never served and now we are all bearing the brunt of this situation because of that.Aggressive as in verbally, they had called him, but he started to boss the police officer and blatantly said he will not leave till the agreement is over. I have no idea what his deal is…whether he knows someone big shot to talk to the police like that.
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DDesisunil1025
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 6:02 pmPay someone to steal your electric meter.
Don’t go to the electric company office or provide any documentation if the tenant asks you to for a new one. -
RRapidsarika7484
PARTICIPANT
January 15, 2025 at 6:25 pmFind out the number of people in his house. Send him a contest winning envelope with same of tickets for movie. Change lock when he leaves. Occupy house. Ask for rent if he asks for money.-
UUser_82a78cbf
OP
January 16, 2025 at 12:32 pm๐ that’s an idea…
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