Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017

1. This Act may be called the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017.
2. It shall extend to all urban areas of the State of Tamil Nadu.
3. It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act:

   Provided that the Government may, by notification, exclude any area or units or class of buildings from the operation of this Act or any provision thereof.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1. "agreement" or "tenancy agreement" means the written agreement executed by the landlord and the tenant as required under this Act;
2. "Government" means the State Government;
3. "landlord" means a person who, for the time being is receiving, or is entitled to receive, the rent of any premises, whether on his own account, or on account of, or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any other person or as a trustee, guardian or receiver of any person or who would so receive the rent or be entitled to receive the rent, if the premises were let to a tenant, and shall include his successor-in-interest;
4. "local authority" means,—
   1. a town panchayat or municipality constituted under the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920;
   2. a municipal corporation established under any law for the time being in force; and
   3. a cantonment board constituted under the Cantonments Act, 2006;
5. "person with disability" has the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (s) of section 2 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016;
6. "premises" means any building or part of a building which is, or is intended to be, let separately for the purpose of residence or for commercial or for educational use, except for industrial use and includes—
   1. the garden, grounds and out-houses, if any, appertaining to such building or part of the building;
   2. any fitting to such building or part of the building for the more beneficial enjoyment thereof, but does not include hotel, lodging house, dharamshala or inn, or the like;
7. "prescribed" means prescribed in the rules made under this Act;
8. "property manager" means a person or company who is employed by the landlord to manage the premises and who represents the landlord in his dealings with the tenant;
9. "Rent Authority" means an officer appointed under section 38;
10. "Rent Court" means a Rent Court constituted under section 31
11. "rent payable" in relation to any premises means the rent as per section 8;
12. "Rent Tribunal" means the Rent Tribunal constituted under section 32;
13. "Schedule" means the Schedule to this Act;
14. "tenant" means a person by whom or on whose account or behalf the rent of any premises is, or, but for a contract express or implied, would be payable for any premises and includes any person occupying the premises as a sub-tenant and also, any person continuing in possession after the termination of his tenancy whether before or after the commencement of this Act; but shall not include any person against whom any order or decree for eviction has been made
15. "Urban Area" means the areas that fall under the jurisdiction of either the Municipal Corporation or the Municipality or the Town Panchayat or the Cantonment Board, as the case may be.