PANAJI
The State government on Thursday notified the imposition of a Rs 10,000 penalty on landlords who fail to comply with tenant verification regulations from December 1, 2024.
The notification issued by the Home Department confirmed that December 1, 2024, is the date on which the provisions of the Goa (Verification of Tenants) Act, 2024, will come into force. The Goa (Verification of Tenants) Bill, 2024, was approved by the Cabinet in July and subsequently tabled during the monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly. In October, the government extended its tenant verification drive by about a week to identify residents living without proper documentation.
The police across Goa have verified around 2 lakh tenants as part of the ongoing verification drive.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had cited the importance of tenant verification in light of recent incidents involving serious crimes by migrants. He urged landlords to submit tenant details promptly to ensure compliance and avoid penalties while explaining that the initiative will enhance security for both residents and visitors.
This legislative action gained urgency following the murder of OCI citizen Arnold Soares at his ancestral home in Candolim.
The Bill, initially introduced in 2021, was referred to the Select Committee after the Opposition’s demand. The 2021 version of the Bill proposed a minimum six-month imprisonment and specified that “no court other than the court of a judicial magistrate of the first class shall take cognisance of, and try an offence under this Act.”
