Cantonments Rent Restriction Act, 1963

The Cantonments Rent Restriction Act, 1963 controls rents and protects tenants against eviction for buildings located within cantonment areas (military-administered towns) in Pakistan, administered by a government-appointed Controller of Rents.

Section 3 excludes certain properties from the Act's coverage, including evacuee property and buildings owned by the Federal or Provincial Government, Railways, Port Trusts, or Cantonment Boards. Section 4 lets the Federal Government exempt particular cantonments or buildings from the Act, and Section 5 gives the Act overriding effect over any inconsistent law, instrument, or agreement. Sections 6, 6A, and 6B provide for appointing a Controller of Rents (and Additional Controllers) for one or more cantonments, filing applications with the Controller, and the Controller's power to transfer cases between Controllers.

Section 7 sets out how "fair rent" is determined — the Controller considers comparable rents in the locality over the prior twelve months, changes in construction/repair costs and taxes, and the rental value in the Cantonment Board's assessment list. Notably, if the fixed fair rent exceeds what the tenant was already paying, the maximum increase permitted is capped at twenty-five percent of the existing rent (Section 7(4)), and once fair rent is fixed, no further increase is generally allowed for three years except where the landlord has made improvements at the tenant's request (Section 7(5)). Section 8 addresses further rent increases in specific circumstances. Sections 9-13 protect tenants further: landlords cannot charge above fair rent (Section 9), cannot charge a premium for granting or renewing a tenancy (Section 10), tenants can recover money wrongfully paid (Section 11), tenants must pay applicable taxes (Section 12), and landlords cannot interfere with amenities the tenant enjoys (Section 13).

Section 14 restricts converting residential buildings to commercial use and vice versa. Sections 15-16 address a landlord's failure to make necessary repairs and reimbursement of repair costs. Sections 17 and 17A govern eviction of tenants, including special provisions where the landlord is a salaried employee, widow, or minor orphan needing the property back. Sections 18-22 extend some of these protections to hotels, lodging houses, and government servants' housing. Section 24 provides a right of appeal against the Controller's orders, and Section 25 makes Controller orders enforceable like a civil court decree. Section 28 sets a specific penalty: a fine that may extend to five hundred rupees for contravening the Act or its rules, and Section 29 requires the Controller to file any prosecution within three months of the offence. Section 32 gives the Federal Government power to make further rules.

This is an older act from 1963, amended over time (notably by the Cantonments Rent Restriction (Amendment) Ordinance, 1985, and the 1975 Federal Adaptation of Laws Order). Given its age, the specific rupee figures noted above (the 25% rent-increase cap and the Rs. 500 fine) reflect what is stated in this extract, but readers should verify against the current official text since rent-control laws are frequently updated.