Mumbai home redevelopment: what it means for pagdi tenants

I'm 45, and live in a Juhu building under Mumbai's traditional pagdi rental system. The property is set for redevelopment—what are my rights as a tenant?

- Aditya Chopra & Moxy Shah

In Mumbai, the pagdi system, rooted in old landlord-tenant agreements, offers protection for tenants during redevelopment. Under Maharashtra tenancy laws, the key issue is what happens to tenancy or ownership rights when a building is rebuilt. The Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999, protects pagdi tenants, who pay nominal rent in long-term agreements. When a building is redeveloped, developers must provide tenants larger or equivalent flats at no cost. The new unit must match or exceed the original carpet area, wherein tenants can't be charged.