The Karnataka State Legislature (KSL), on January 8, 2026, notified the Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Act, 2025, following the assent of the Governor on January 7, 2026, as published in the Karnataka Gazette (Extra-ordinary). The amendment aims at decriminalising and rationalising offences under the Karnataka Rent Act, 1999 to promote trust-based governance and improve ease of living and doing business.
The Act empowers the Rent Controller to act as an adjudicating officer for determining penalties and omits Section 53 of the principal Act. It substantially revises Section 54 by replacing criminal punishments such as imprisonment with a structured penalty-based regime, significantly enhancing monetary penalties across various contraventions and introducing a mechanism for automatic escalation of penalties every three years.
Further, Section 55 is amended by substituting the term “offences” with “contraventions,” aligning the Act with a civil liability framework. Liability is extended to directors and officers in cases of consent, connivance, or neglect, while providing a due diligence defence where contraventions occur without knowledge. The amendments come into force with immediate effect.
[Notification No. DPAL 44 SHASHANA 2025]
