Tenant Rights in India: How to File a Complaint Against Your Landlord for Illegal Rent Hike and Unfair Charges

Rohan Gupta had been renting a two-bedroom flat in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, for nearly three years. His landlord, a property investor who owned multiple units in the locality, had always been firm but civil. That changed around early February 2024. Without any prior written notice or negotiation, the landlord raised the monthly rent by close to 30%, citing "market rates." Rohan paid under protest. Then, in April 2024, the landlord sent a bill demanding over Rs. 45,000 for exterior painting and whitewashing — work the landlord had never done before handing over the property to Rohan at the start of the tenancy.

Rohan approached a local general practitioner first. The advocate sent a basic legal notice, which the landlord ignored entirely. Months stalled by. A colleague then suggested Rohan speak to Advocate Sudhir Rao, whose team handles tenancy and property disputes with a specific procedural focus. The approach shifted immediately. A rent control complaint was filed before the Rent Control Authority, Lucknow, alongside a consumer complaint before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission targeting the arbitrary and unilateral charges. The landlord, suddenly facing coordinated proceedings on two fronts at once, agreed to roll back the painting charges and cap further rent increases in accordance with the applicable Rent Control Act. Rohan got a written settlement, duly recorded before the Commission.

The outcome turned on knowing exactly which forum to approach, in what sequence, and with what documentary backing. That procedural precision made all the difference.

You can read about this case in detail at https://sudhirrao.com/how-to-file-complaint-against-landlord-illegal-rent-hike-unf/