Dial 100 if Landlord asks for Rent, reprieve for Workers
Delhi Government has issued an order asking landlords not to demand rent for one month from migrant workers who have been devastated by the lockdown. Any landlord found violating it will be booked under Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The order issued on April 22 states that action would also be taken if landlords forced students for immediate payment of rent and threatened them with eviction.
The Government has urged migrant workers and students to dial 100 if they are being forced by their landlords to pay the rent. Chief secretary VijayDev has directed officials to take strict action against landlords who are found demanding house rent from migrant workers.
The coronavirus crisis has caused huge financial distress to migrant workers and students among others because of business establishments, trade centres, construction activities, etc., coming to a halt during the lockdown. The landlords demanding rent from the tenants could add to their woes and may force them to move out of the house and in the hour of crisis.
The Chief Secretary has directed all district magistrates to hold awareness campaigns on the issue, particularly in areas having higher density of workers, migrants and students. The affected persons will be adised to lodge complaints against the erring landlords by calling 100.
A Government official said:
“Even during the lockdown, instances of landlords demanding house rents have come to the knowledge of the government. During this crisis, the workers who have been the worst hit need the support.”
Earlier, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had requested landlords to show compassion and postpone the house rent or take it in instalments from the tenants who were unable to pay. In response to it, many landlords had even waived off the rent for a month.
However, many landlords in the city are dependent on the house rent for a living. Not asking for it could cause financial distress to them as well.
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