APP
MULTAN-The disputes between landlords and tenants over rent or possible eviction from residential or commercial premises become a source of nuisance for stakeholders, particularly when they ignore signing an agreement, legal experts warned.
According to the Punjab Rented Premises Act (PRPA) 2009 which regulates relationship of landlord and tenant, both parties tenants and landlords, are bound to sign agreement with rent registrar. “However, it is not practiced usually”, senior Civil Judge Nusrat Saddiqui told this agency. He added that this negligence at the beginning caused nuisance among both parties.
He said that a tenancy agreement was a proof that the landlord would respect rights of tenant before letting out the respective property. He made it clear that in case the tenancy agreement is not registered with rent registrar, then the rent tribunal would not entertain application from landlord/tenants unless he/she deposit fine fixed by the court.
The civil courts have been delegated powers to act as rent registrar and to hear cases, said former district bar association president Wasim Mumtaz.
The tenancy agreement should contain information such as rate of rent, rate of enhancement, due date of rent payment and mode of payment.
He said that fixing rent is a matter between landlord and tenant and no one else can interfere in it.
Waseem said that as per the Act, courts should decide such cases in four months. However, sometimes it becomes impossible due to certain reasons.
Waseem, however, lauded the PRPA Act 2009 and added that the same law was being utilized in most of the countries. He said that only that contract could be termed void which courts would find unlawful. He said both parties enjoyed equal rights under the law.