The basic objective of the rent control legislation is to protect the tenant against exorbitant

rents, arbitrary increases in the rent and ensure him security of tenure. The legislation has been
necessitated by conditions of scarcity prevailing in rental housing markets of urban areas. As housing is a
State subject, different State Governments have framed their own rent control laws. By 1972, almost all
the States in the country had enacted Rent control Acts (RCA).

The Rent Control Act typically contain the provisions on the fixation of fair or standard rent
and the ways to calculate the fair rent and other rent control matters such as control on letting and
leasing of vacant buildings to assist tenants in their search for desirable rented accommodation,
protection to tenants against indiscriminate eviction by unscrupulous landlords, obligations and duties
of landlords vis-a vis maintenance and upkeep of their rented properties, rights of landlords against
tenants who default in paying rent or misuse the premises, and rights of landlords for the recovery of
premises in specific cases.

This paper primarily focuses on the fixation of fair rent, its merits, demerits and the extent to
which the application of fair rent is really possible in the present day situations. To define in simple
terms, a Fair Rent is a rent which is fair between landlord and tenant and subject to
prevailing rent law of a locality, enacted by a legislative body of the State concerned
or Central Government.

This article is divided into 3 parts dealing with introductory aspects containing the historical
aspect of the emergence of rent control legislations and fixation of fair rent, a special empahasis on The
Tamilnadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act,1960 with reference to fair rent in tamil nadu
and calculation thereon, and the problems arising in the enforcement of rent control provisions
on fixation of fair rent

Research problem:

In strict sense, the application of provisions of fair rent is not practically possible. The
problems which support the contention is that:

The Fixation of standard/ fair rent (Worked out on the basis of the value of
land and cost of construction when built, as per the provisions of the Rent
Control Act) as a percentage of the cost of construction is a major
disincentive for those wanting to invest in rental housing as it gives a
very low rate of return as compared to other assets. This presents a gloomy
picture of the future supply in the rental housing markets.
Problems as to Demand and Supply

Object of research:
Hypothesis:

Enforcement of provisions of fair rent may be a dream, yet to be realized.