How RWAs and Police Crackdowns are Changing Urban Renting

Renting a home is no longer as simple as it once was in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune. There are a lot of rules and regulations that are in place now for both tenants and landlords, in an effort to streamline the entire process and to avoid untoward incidents. For instance, while renting, one now has to go through processes such as police verification of tenants, check RWA/housing society bylaws, and compliance checks. For years, the rental process in India was informal. There were either no rent agreements, or they were written loosely, and ID checks were rare. With increasing checks and increased risks of fraud, criminal activity, and liability concerns, the entire process is now fast undergoing an overhaul.

Pan India, police verification of tenants is not uniformly mandatory. However, it is strongly recommended by authorities, especially to avoid liability under Section 188 of the IPC (for disobedience of public orders), which can result in fines or imprisonment if tenants cause harm and are unverified. In some states like Maharashtra, the police verification of tenants is mandatory. Other places like Delhi have apps for online police verification of tenants. However, in every state, police verification of tenants is strongly mandated.

RWAs and building societies are also not only demanding a police No Objection Certificate (NOC), but requiring that these documents be produced before new tenants move in. Noticeably, tenants are being denied entry based on their lack of police NOC, and landlords are facing notices for reaches and lawsuits for not complying with the process.

Police NOC for Tenant Verification

Police NOC for tenant verification is a process where a tenant's identity and background are verified through the local police department. The landlord (or the tenant) has to fill out a form - either online or at a police station - and provide ID proof, a photograph, and a copy of the rental agreement. Once completed, the police may run some checks against records, and sometimes do some physical checks. If there are no red flags (considering some time), the tenant is verified and can move in officially.

RWAs are now being seen as the first level of enforcement. Some housing societies will not allow people to move in without proof of police NOC, with some stating that they will restrict entries either through security apps or visitor's gates. In some cases, guards have even been instructed to stop a tenant from occupying without formal clearance, even if the transaction was completed with payment and keys were transferred. Some larger housing societies in Mumbai even mandate doing a complete interview process between tenants and the society members irrespective of verified rent agreement and handover of keys by the landlord. The introduction of complexities to verify housing has added to the stress to the tenant and landlord alike, especially for new tenants either new to town or not too familiar with the verification processes.

Police Crackdowns on Landlords

Across cities like Pune, Noida, and Bengaluru police have recently begun raiding landlords and PG operators who are failing to track verification. FIRs have been lodged, and warnings have been issued to errant property owners. For the authorities, it is more than just paperwork, with thousands moving in and out of cities weekly, tenant verification helps track movement, limit illegal activity, and provide safety in the community.

The Future of Renting in India

As our cities become smart, the rental process is naturally likely to become stricter — and digitally advanced. This means:

Mandatory verification in more cities

All tech-enabled RWA systems that tag unverified tenants

Once only a consideration, verified rental histories will now be the standard for long-term renters

With those changes will also come an awareness about application processes. The truth is, many tenants do not know how to get verified, and some landlords still depend on informal ways to do so. Tenant verification is no longer an option, it's now the norm! With the new rules of RWAs, increasingly rigorous verification processes by the police, and prop-tech platforms making it easy to comply, we are witnessing a sea change in tenant verification. We're now seeing trust, security and verified identities at the centre of urban renting in India.

Written by: Sarika Shetty, Co-Founder & CEO, RentenPe

(Disclaimer: Views expressed are the author's own, and Outlook Money does not necessarily subscribe to them. Outlook Money shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.)