Residents of dilapidated buildings in Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs, as well as tenants stranded in stalled redevelopment projects, may finally get relief. By December 2025, the Maharashtra government is set to introduce new rules and legislation to address two persistent issues: landlords refusing to opt for redevelopment despite dangerous building conditions, and developers who take over properties but neither begin construction nor pay rent to displaced tenants.
BJP MLAs Yogesh Sagar and Mihir Kotecha raised the issue in the state Legislative Assembly on Thursday through a calling attention motion, highlighting the plight of citizens stuck in limbo, living in uninhabitable buildings or waiting for work that never begins. Industries Minister Uday Samant responded in the Assembly, stating, “By the next session (i.e., the Winter Session in Nagpur), the government will bring in a law that will put an end to such practices.”
Sagar cited how, in Mumbai’s island city, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) is empowered to take over redevelopment of old cess buildings if landlords or developers delay the process. “MHADA proceeds with demolition and redevelopment while protecting the landlord’s share. But no such rules exist for the suburbs. This has left thousands of tenants in limbo,” Sagar said.
The Charkop MLA added that he has been raising this issue since 2018, yet nothing has moved on the ground. “We are now in 2025. It’s been seven years. I urge the government to announce the rules today itself.” Replying to the demand, Samant reiterated the government’s commitment to enact the required laws and plug the policy gap. Kotecha, MLA from Mulund, also urged the government to ensure suburban tenants get a minimum of 300 sq ft flats in redevelopment projects, on the lines of Slum Rehabilitation Authority provisions, even if original homes were smaller.
