Several recent incidents have come to light where tenants have presented forged leave and license agreements, often using modified PDFs created by local agents. “Societies must remain vigilant. Fake documents can put property owners in legal jeopardy. Many tenants are tricked into submitting altered PDFs instead of legitimate registered documents, as they are taken advantage of. They should use authorized agents,” stated association president Sachin Shinghavi, emphasizing the urgent need for a robust verification system.
In one instance, a society member only uncovered a forged document after verifying it with the registration department. “An agent manipulated the document and presented it as authentic. It was only upon consulting officials that we realized it was fake,” the member recounted, noting that the department took action against the agent.
To address this issue, the association that assists with tenant registrations has urged societies to require an official digital copy of the registered agreement, which includes a unique registration number and is accessible via the state IGR (Inspector General of Registration) portal. They also suggested that the state government should authorize service providers to facilitate this process, similar to previous arrangements.
Shinghavi pointed out flaws in the current leave and license 1.9 software, where police verification is frequently absent despite being a mandatory requirement. “While the process comprises Aadhaar verification, witness information, address confirmation, and sharing data with police through CCTNS, there are still loopholes that need thorough checking using the department’s website,” he stated.
To tackle these challenges, the registration department has rolled out QR code-based verification in Mumbai City and its suburbs under the leave and license 2.0 software. “The QR code facilitates instant verification and ensures automated police verification,” explained deputy inspector general (IT) Abhay Mohite, adding that efforts are underway to expand this feature across Maharashtra.
Members of the housing federation emphasized that landlords suffer the consequences of fake registrations and called for a simplified and transparent system. Tenants have also found themselves as victims. “An agent assured me that the agreement was registered, but it turned out to be fake. There should be a method for tenants to verify the process independently,” expressed Seema N., a tenant in Pune.
