---
title: "Rent Authority and Rent Court, Chennai · Vakyl Rahman"
description: "A tenancy under the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017 has its own forums. The Rent Authority — an officer not below the rank of Deputy Collector — handles registration, deposit of rent where a landlord refuses it, and essential-supply complaints."
url: https://vakyl.in/courts/rent-authority-and-rent-court/
---

# Rent Authority and Rent Court in Chennai — who hears a tenancy matter

In short

A tenancy under the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017 has its own forums. The **Rent Authority** — an officer not below the rank of Deputy Collector — handles registration, deposit of rent where a landlord refuses it, and essential-supply complaints. Disputes go to the **Rent Court**, which in Chennai is the Court of Small Causes, Courts X to XVI; appeals go to the **Rent Tribunal**, the City Civil Court.

## What do the Rent Authority and Rent Court hear?

Tenancy registration and disputes under the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017.

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Rent Authority | An officer not below the rank of Deputy Collector. Registration, deposit of rent where a landlord refuses it, essential-supply complaints. |
| Rent Court | In Chennai, the Court of Small Causes — Courts X to XVI. Hears applications under the Act, eviction among them, and appeals from the Rent Authority filed within 30 days. |
| Rent Tribunal | The City Civil Court, notified as the Principal Rent Tribunal for the State. Hears appeals from the Rent Court, filed within 30 days. |
| Outside Chennai | The Rent Court is a District Munsif Court and the Tribunal the District Court. |

## Does your matter belong here?

It probably does if:

- There is a tenancy — not a licence or a mere permission to stay — governed by the 2017 Act.
- The question is registration, rent, a deposit, an essential supply, or the tenant’s eviction.

### What looks as if it belongs here and does not?

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| A licensee, a trespasser, or a former owner refusing to hand over | [An ordinary civil suit for possession, in the City Civil Court on value](https://vakyl.in/courts/city-civil-court-chennai/) |

## Where are the Rent Authority and Rent Court?

The Rent Court sits in the Court of Small Causes, and its official address is on that court’s page. No official address for the Rent Authority was found, so none is given here.

[Court of Small Causes, Chennai →](https://vakyl.in/courts/court-of-small-causes-chennai/)

## Which guides apply here?

[**The Rent Court in Tamil Nadu: how a tenancy dispute is actually decided**RLTOP application · 10 min read](https://vakyl.in/practice/rltop-rent-court/) [**Someone will not vacate: Rent Court or civil court?**Eviction · 8 min read](https://vakyl.in/practice/eviction/)

## Which other courts sit in Chennai?

[Madras High Court](https://vakyl.in/courts/madras-high-court/)[City Civil Court, Chennai](https://vakyl.in/courts/city-civil-court-chennai/)[Family Court, Chennai](https://vakyl.in/courts/family-court-chennai/)[Court of Small Causes, Chennai](https://vakyl.in/courts/court-of-small-causes-chennai/) [All Chennai courts](https://vakyl.in/courts/)

## Where do these facts come from?

- [Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017 (Act 42 of 2017), as amended](https://tenancy.tn.gov.in/Content/Documents/TNRRRLTact2017.pdf)

Jurisdiction as stated in the guides linked above. General information, not advice on your facts.

If you are unsure whether your matter belongs in this court, a paid consultation can tell you before anything is filed.

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[Book a Consultation](https://vakyl.in/book-consultation/)