24. Receipt to be given for rent paid. -

(1) Every tenant shall pay rent within the time fixed by contract or in the absence of such contract, by the fifteenth day of the month next following the month for which it is payable.

(2) Every tenant who makes a payment of rent to his landlord shall be entitled to obtain forthwith from the landlord or his authorised agent, a written receipt for the amount paid to him, signed by the landlord or his authorised agent.

(3) If the landlord or his authorised agent refuses or neglects to deliver to the tenant a receipt referred to in sub-Section (2), the Rent Controlling Authority may, on an application made to it in this behalf by the tenant within two months from the date of payment and after hearing the landlord or his authorised agent, by order direct the landlord or his authorised agent, to pay to the tenant by way of damages, such sum not exceeding double the amount of rent paid by the tenant and the costs of the application, and shall also grant a certificate to the tenant in respect of the rent paid.

25. Deposit of rent by tenant. -

(1) Where the landlord does not accept any rent tendered by the tenant within the time referred to in Section 24 or refuses or neglects to deliver a receipt referred to therein or where there is a bona fide doubt as to the person or persons to whom the rent is payable, the tenant may deposit such rent with the Rent Controlling Authority in the prescribed manner and such deposit of rent shall be a full discharge of the tenant from the liability to pay rent to the landlord.

(2) The deposit shall be accompanied by an application by the tenant containing the following particulars, namely :

(a) the accommodation for which the rent is deposited with a description sufficient for identifying the accommodation;

(b) the period for which the rent is deposited;

(c) the name and address of the landlord or the person or persons claiming to be entitled to such rent;

(d) the reasons and circumstances for which the application for depositing the rent is made; (e) such other particulars as may be prescribed.

(3) On such deposit of the rent being made, the Rent Controlling Authority shall send in the prescribed manner a copy or copies of the application to the landlord or persons claiming to be entitled to the rent with an endorsement of the date of the deposit.

(4) If an application is made for the withdrawal of any deposit of rent, the Rent Controlling Authority shall, if satisfied that the applicant is the person entitled to receive the rent deposited, order the amount of the rent to be paid to him in the manner prescribed and such payment of rent shall be a full discharge of the Rent Controlling Authority from all liability to pay rent to the landlord :

Provided that no order for payment of any deposit of rent shall be made by the Rent Controlling Authority under this sub-Section without giving all persons named by the tenant in his application under sub-Section (2), as claiming to be entitled to payment of such rent, an opportunity of being heard and such order shall be without prejudice to the rights of such persons to receive such rent being decided by a Court of competent jurisdiction.

(5) If at the time of filing the application under sub-Section (4), but not after the expiry of thirty days from receiving the notice of deposit, the landlord or the person or persons claiming to be entitled to the rent complains or complain to the Rent Controlling Authority that the statements in the tenant's application of the reasons and circumstances which led him to deposit the rent are untrue, the Rent Controlling Authority, after giving the tenant an opportunity of being heard, may levy on the tenant a fine which may extend to an amount equal to two months' rent, if the Rent Controlling Authority is satisfied that the said statements were materially untrue and may order that a sum out of the fine realised be paid to the landlord as compensation.

(6) The Rent Controlling Authority may, on the complaint of the tenant and after giving an opportunity to the landlord of being heard, levy on the landlord a fine which may extend to an amount equal to two months' rent, if the Rent Controlling Authority is satisfied that the landlord, without any reasonable cause, refused to accept rent though tendered to him within the time referred to in Section 24 and may further order that a sum out of the fine realised be paid to the tenant as compensation.

26. Time limit for making deposit and consequences of incorrect particulars in application for deposit. -

(1) No rent deposited under Section 25 shall be considered to have been validly deposited under that Section, unless the deposit is made within twentyone days of the time referred to in Section 24 for payment of the rent.

(2) No such deposit shall be considered to have been validly made, if the tenant wilfully makes any false statement in his application for depositing the rent, unless the landlord has withdrawn the amount deposited before the date of filing an application for the recovery of possession of the accommodation from the tenant.

(3) If the rent is deposited within the time mentioned in sub-section (1) and does not cease to be a valid deposit for the reason mentioned in sub-Section (2), the deposit shall constitute payment of rent to the landlord, as if the amount deposited had been validly tendered.

27. Saving as to acceptance of rent and forfeiture of rent in deposit. -

(1) The withdrawal of rent deposited under Section 25 in the manner provided therein shall not operate as an admission against the person withdrawing it of the correctness of the rate of rent, the period of default, the amount due, or of any other facts stated in the tenant's application for depositing the rent under the said Section.

(2) Any rent in deposit which is not withdrawn by the landlord or by the person or persons entitled to receive such rent shall be forfeited to Government by an order made by the Rent Controlling Authority, if it is not withdrawn before the expiration of five years from the date of posting of the notice of deposit.

(3) Before passing an order of forfeiture, the Rent Controlling Authority shall give notice to the landlord or the person or persons entitled to receive the rent in deposit by registered post acknowledgment due at the last known address of such landlord or person or persons and shall also publish the notice in his office, and if the amount of rent exceeds hundred rupees, shall also publish it in any local newspaper.