Chandigarh, Sep 10: The Chandigarh Administration on Thursday notified the Union Territory of Chandigarh Tenancy Rules, 2026, which make online intimation of tenancy agreements mandatory and provide for a government-issued Unique Identification Number (UIN) for landlords and tenants.
What the new rules require
Under the new rules, every tenancy agreement in the Union Territory must be intimated to the Rent Authority through an online portal within two months of execution. On receipt of such intimation, the Rent Authority is required to issue a UIN to the landlord and tenant as an electronic receipt within seven days. The UIN will be sent to the parties' registered mobile numbers or email addresses.
The rules operationalise the Assam Tenancy Act, 2021, as extended to Chandigarh, and establish a three-tier institutional framework — the Rent Authority, Rent Court and Rent Tribunal — to handle registration, rent fixation and revision, recovery of possession and dispute resolution. Officials said the framework is intended to bring greater transparency, accountability and speed to the tenancy ecosystem.
Digital platform and language accessibility
The Rent Authority has been directed to set up a digital platform to facilitate online submission of tenancy documents. The portal is to be made available in the local vernacular and other languages as decided by the Administrator, and must be operational within three months of the authority's constitution. Submissions on the portal will be secured using OTP-based validation, and tenancy details will be uploaded to the portal within seven days of registration.
Confidentiality and access to records
The rules provide for strict confidentiality of tenancy records. Access to such information will be limited to the concerned parties and authorised officials of the Rent Authority and will not be made available to the public or other unauthorised persons, officials said.
Dispute resolution and rent matters
The framework lays down provisions for fixation and revision of rent and related charges. Landlords or tenants can approach the Rent Authority for fixation or revision of rent. The three-tier mechanism — Rent Authority, Rent Court and Rent Tribunal — is designed to adjudicate differing levels of disputes and appeals arising under the tenancy law.
| Requirement | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Intimation of tenancy agreement to Rent Authority | Within two months of execution |
| Issuance of UIN to parties | Within seven days of intimation |
| Digital platform operational | Within three months of Rent Authority constitution |
Practical implications for residents
Tenants and landlords should note the new compliance timelines. Failure to intimate an agreement within the stipulated two months may affect the ability to obtain the UIN and could complicate future rent disputes or claims. The digital portal will centralise tenancy records, which may streamline processes such as rent fixation petitions and recovery of possession, but will also require parties to provide accurate contact details for receipt of the UIN.
- All tenancy agreements must be registered online with the Rent Authority within two months.
- Parties will receive a UIN electronically within seven days of registration.
- The Rent Authority must launch a multilingual digital portal within three months.
Officials described the rules as an effort to standardise tenancy procedures across the Union Territory and to provide a statutory mechanism for quicker adjudication of rent-related matters. The notification takes effect across the whole of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
