Telangana Tenant Rights Under the Model Tenancy Act Laws (2026)

Tenant rights during a tenancy in Telangana are governed by the Telangana Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1960 (Act XV of 1960), adapted through the Telangana Adaptation of Laws Order, 2016. The last substantive amendment was Act 17 of 2005. The Model Tenancy Act, 2021 has not been adopted in Telangana, so its 2-month deposit cap, 90-day rent-hike notice, and Rent Authority/Court/Tribunal structure do not apply here.

• Advance / security depositMoney you pay at the start of a lease that the landlord holds to cover unpaid rent or damage beyond normal wear and tear. Most states cap the amount and require the landlord to return it (with an itemized list of any deductions) within a set number of days after you move out. (§7): Section 7(1)(a) proviso and §7(2)(a) proviso cap the advance at one month's rent. Section 7(3) voids any stipulation in excess, and §§7(1)(b)/7(2)(b) require refund or adjustment. The Hyderabad custom of 6-10 months' deposit is not backed by statute.
• Fair rent fixation (§4): Either party may apply to the Rent Controller to fix fair rent using the 1944-reference formula with statutory uplifts of 12.5% to 150% depending on the building category.
• Rent increases (§§5, 6): Once fair rent is fixed, further increases are barred under §5(1) except for landlord improvements with tenant consent, capped at 6% per annum of the improvement cost. Under §6(1), a landlord may pass through only half of any municipal tax increase.
• No self-help eviction (§10(1)): Eviction is permitted only on statutory grounds in §§10, 12, and 13. Locking out a tenant or cutting services to force departure is unlawful.
• Eviction grounds (§10(2)): Willful default (non-payment within 15 days of the agreement date), unauthorised subletting or change of purpose, waste, nuisance, alternative accommodation or 4 consecutive months' cessation, and non-bona-fide denial of title. The proviso to §10(2) permits the Controller to give the tenant up to 15 days to pay arrears; on payment the eviction application is rejected.
• Bona fide own-occupation (§10(3)): A landlord who has purchased the building cannot invoke this ground until 3 months after registration, and a landlord who has already obtained possession once cannot re-apply for another building. Under the second proviso to §10(3)(e), the tenant may get up to 3 months' aggregate time to vacate.
• Restoration right (§10(5)(a)): If the landlord fails to occupy within 1 month or vacates within 6 months without reasonable cause, the evicted tenant may apply for restoration of possession.
• Defence in eviction (§11): The tenant must pay or deposit all arrears and continue paying rent during proceedings to contest eviction. Failure triggers the Controller to stop proceedings and order eviction.
• Exemptions (§32): The Act does not apply to Government-owned buildings, buildings within 15 years of construction or substantial renovation, or buildings with monthly rent above ₹3,500 in Corporation areas or ₹2,000 elsewhere. This excludes most modern Hyderabad rentals, which are governed by contract and the Transfer of Property Act, 1882.

Worked example: An Abids tenant in an old building pays ₹3,000/month, which sits within the Corporation threshold, so the Act applies. The landlord collects a ₹30,000 (10 months) deposit. Under §7, the lawful cap is one month's rent = ₹3,000, and the excess ₹27,000 is refundable or adjustable. If the landlord demands a ₹4,500 (50%) hike without improvements, the tenant can invoke §4 fair-rent fixation. By contrast, a 2023-built Gachibowli flat at ₹25,000/month is exempt under §§32(b) and 32(c), so eviction there runs via contract plus a civil suit under the Transfer of Property Act, 1882.