Cops want all rental deals reported Defaulting Tenants, Estate Agents & Landlords Face Action

Mumbai: Every rental deal, including sub-lets, will have to be reported to the nearest police station following several high-profile crimes in the western suburbs. The police have also warned people entering into leave and licence agreements that they should update the police or face action. 

    The deputy commissioner of police (operations) issued a temporary order effective from May 4, in which he told tenants, estate agents and landlords to report to the local police while entering into agreements for rental accommodation. The order will be valid for two months. On administrative grounds, the police issue such orders after regular intervals considering the threat perception. The order empowers the police to initiate action against defaulters. 

    It states that terrorists/ anti-social elements may seek hideouts in residential areas and there is every likelihood of a breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquility, and also there is grave danger to human life, health and safety and injury to public property. 

    The order says it is necessary that checks should be there on landlords/tenants so that terrorists/ anti-social elements in the guise of tenants "may not cause explosions, riots and shoot-outs", and that immediate action is necessary for their prevention. 

    The police officer said such orders have been in practice since long but for administrative reasons the DCP (operations) has to issue such orders after regular intervals. 

    The police have also told foreigners to furnish their name, nationality, passport and visa details to them. 

    Last month, the police arrested gangster Vijay Palande along with three accomplices from Andheri in a double murder case. The accused lived in a posh building in Andheri (W) after providing police fake identity details. The gang's activities were exposed when two members killed a senior citizen in Oshiwara and a society resident noticed them committing the crime. 

    A senior officer said that it was a preventive measure to curb criminal activities. "In case a tenant is involved in criminal activities, their details help us to trace them. Very often after the offence we spend few days to collect basic details of the suspect as they didn't provide details to the housing society and police" he said.