com/leave-and-
license-agreement/comment-page-1/
Months only ?
There is a practice prevalent in Bombay that Leave & Licence Agreement in respect of a
residential premises is entered into and executed for a maximum period of 11 months. The
A licence has been defined in Section 62 of the Indian Easement Act, as a right to do or
continue to do something in or upon an immovable property . It does not transfer the interest
or create any interest in the immovable property , like a � LEASE�, as defined in Section
105 of the Transfer of Property Act, as a right to enjoy property for a certain period in
consideration of the price paid. Provisions of Section 62 of the Indian Easements Act do not
prescribe , any minimum or maximum period for which a licence may be granted.
Hotel & Logging House Rates Control Act, 1947 ( Popularly known as Bombay Rent Act, )
which no where provided , prior to 1.2.1973 for giving a residential premises on Leave &
Licence basis.
Still the practice was in vogue to give the residential premises on Leave & Licence basis . An
instrument creating a lease of immovable property for a term of one year and above was
required compulsorily to be registered by virtue of provisions of Section 17(d) of the Indian
Registration Act. Therefore, such Leave & Licence Agreements were being executed for a
period of 11 months with duel intention namely to avoid the stamping of such agreement and
its registration and , secondly, to avoid interpreting such Leave & Licence Agreement as a
lease of the immovable property to avoid protection against vacation of the occupier, as per
In the year 1973 an amendment was carried out in the said Bombay Rent Act buy the State of
Maharashtra, where section 15A was introduced therein providing that any person in
1.2.1973 , became the statutory tenants of the premises with the benefit of protection against
vacation of the premises, except in accordance with the provisions of the said Bombay Rent
Act.
Leave & License in respect of residential premises, which was contrary to the provisions of
the said Rent Act, yet the Landlords, who did not or do not require the premises for their own
use, were not willing to give the premises to others which created imbalance in the Society in
as much as on the one hand sufficient was available and on the other, people were starving of
the accommodation, albeit for a temporary period. These were being held back by the owners
because of the apprehension of not getting the premises vacated, when they needed in view of
the protection provided to the tenants by said Bombay Rent Act. Therefore, it recognized the
need of giving the premises on Leave & Licence basis as a practical solution, to this problem
and, consequently, made a specific provisions by way of Section 13A2 for giving the
residential premises on licence basis, which also provided that in case of the failure of the
licencee to deliver the possession of the licensed premises on the expiry of the period of
licence , the licencee could be summarily evicted from the premises by the Competent
Authority as per the provisions of Section 31D of the said Bombay Rent Act. Again Section
13A2 does not provide for any specific period of a licence and further clarifies that an
Agreement of Licence in writing shall be conclusive evidence of fact of the licence. By virtue
of Sub-Clause (V) of Section 17(2) of the Indian Registration Act, and Instrument or Deed,
which by it does not create any right, title or interest in an immovable property does not
require registration. As stated above, a licence has been defined in Section 62 of the Indian
Easements Act as an act, which does not create or transfer any interest in an immovable
property.
When the concept of Leave and License has been recognised by the aforesaid Bombay Rent
Act by Section 13A2, which does not provide for any specified period of licence and an
agreement of Leave & Licence, which does not create any right title and interest in an
immovable property does not require registration under the Indian Registration Act, the
author is of the opinion that a Leave & Licence Agreement for more than 11 months is
legally valid and can be entered into for a period for more than 11 months , and such an
Agreement can simply be executed on a non-judicial stamp paper of Rs. 20/- as per Bombay.