A day before the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) was scheduled to hear the matter, the UT administration on Thursday notified the Union Territory of Chandigarh Tenancy Rules, 2026, operationalising the Assam Tenancy Act, 2021, as extended to Chandigarh.

The rules, notified by the administrator through the estate department, would lay down procedures for tenancy registration, rent disputes, recovery of possession and appeals.

The HC had, on May 29, stayed UT’s May 6 notification adopting the Assam Act, directing that it “shall remain in abeyance”. The court had also held that the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949, would continue in the city, noting that rules under the new law had not been framed, the Rent Authority had not been notified and the required implementation infrastructure was not in place.

Senior advocate Chetan Mittal, who had appeared in the matter, said the stay did not prevent the UT from notifying the rules. “Only the implementation was stayed,” he said.

Deputy commissioner-cum-estate officer Nishant Kumar Yadav said the matter would come up before the court on Friday. “The hearing is tomorrow. The applicability was stayed; rules weren’t stayed,” he said, adding that the administration had already created the necessary infrastructure, including the tenancy portal and notified authorities. These were the key points on which the May 29 order was argued upon. Yadav said the administration had notified the tehsildar as the Rent Authority and the additional deputy commissioner (ADC) as appellate authority/rent court authority, in accordance with the framework.

He added that the rules would bring greater ease, transparency and predictability to landlord-tenant relations while providing a structured mechanism for dispute resolution.

Sheetal is a senior correspondent with Hindustan Times with over seven years of reporting experience. She currently covers the Mohali administration, including the Municipal Corporation Mohali, municipal councils across SAS Nagar district, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), political parties, Chandigarh International Airport, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and other key civic, urban development and infrastructure beats. Her reporting focuses on governance, land acquisition, urban planning, public infrastructure, environmental issues and local politics, with an emphasis on stories that shape public policy and impact everyday life. Previously, she covered the crime beat, reporting on policing, cybercrime and criminal investigations across the Tricity. She has also covered lifestyle and entertainment, reporting on arts, culture, fashion, food and events. Her diverse reporting experience enables her to track complex civic, governance and law enforcement issues with depth and context.Read More