Gone are the days when flat owners had to navigate a centralised, time-consuming process to recover possession from tenants who refused to vacate after their leave-and-licence agreements expired. The Maharashtra government has now empowered 15 zonal deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) to act as competent authorities under the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, bringing the process closer to landlords/flat owners across Mumbai.

But more than a month after the new system came into force, on August 1, it is yet to see a significant flow of cases. While police have received the necessary notification and directives and DCPs have begun setting up the mechanism, public awareness remains low. Several DCPs this paper spoke to are yet to receive a single application, though officials expect the numbers to rise as awareness grows.