Every time you a property owner puts his property on rent he has to do police verification. It is utmost necessity for every landlord. I will be discussing what is police verification and why do you need to do it? In Mumbai police verification is compulsory.
→ Information Required
As a landlord every time you rent your property you are supposed to inform the local police station. You are supposed to give your own details and also the tenants information. The police station needs basic details on the property that is rented. They will need the address of the property which is rented. They need the property owner/s details such as their permanent address, phone numbers, photographs, etc. The landlord’s address should be different from the property which is being rented.
For police verification the tenants details is also recorded. The local police need to know the tenant’s full name, photographs, permanent address, phone numbers along with two local references. The police also needs to be informed on the work place or business details of the tenant. You don’t need to provide the details of every individual staying there, only the name of the primary person who has signed the Leave and License agreement. If any real estate agent is involved then their details is also recorded. Information such as the real estate agent’s phone numbers and his office or home address is also recorded. In addition to all of these, you also need to submit a copy of the leave and license agreement. However, in my experience not all police stations accept that.
→ Who does police verification?
“Police Verification is the Property Owner’s Responsibility”
Yes, it is the landlord’s responsibility. After all it is his property which is at stake. However, if a real estate agent is involved then it is his/her responsibility. If there are more than 2 real estate agents involved in the transaction then the property owners estate agent is responsible for police verification. This can be done online or you can also fill a form and submit it physically at the police station. If physically done then you get a confirmation stamp from the police station with the date. You have to submit a copy of the leave and license agreement also.
→ Why do you need it?
Police verification is important because it is punishable by law by jail of up to 1 month and fines up to Rs. 3,000. There is recent article in Hindustan Times where they have have reported, that in this year itself more than 20 cases have been filed against property owners because they have not done police verification. This system was started after it was found that terrorists were residing in rented apartments. Even in the case of commercial properties, you do not know what type of transactions are taking place at the rented property. It is therefore extremely important for property owners to safeguard themselves by submitting police verification form.