[COVID-19] Plea Moved In Delhi HC Seeking Waiver Of Accommodation Rent For Students, Direction To Govt To Formulate A Scheme [Read Petition]

Moved by Sakshi Arora and Aditya Yadav, the petition contends that the Ministry of Home Affairs' Circular dated 29.03.20 is unclear as to whether it has waived off the rent payable by students or it has merely postponed such a payment.

This ambiguity, the Petitioners worry, might result in landlords asking for consolidated rent of 2 months in one go.

While highlighting that most of the students who come from economically disadvantaged families take up tuitions and other small jobs to sort themselves, the Petitioners argue that both the Central and the Delhi Government have failed the cause of students.

It is submitted by the Petitioners while the government has announced support for migrant workers and other professionals, no such support has been extended to students who come from families that cannot support them financially.

'As many of the students take tuitions, part time jobs etc to fulfil their daily needs and this lockdown had snuffed out their opportunity to earn and pay rents', the petition states.

The Petitioners further contend that most of these students used to teach in coaching institutes to support themselves. However, the shutting down if these coaching institutes due to the nationwide lockdown has resulted in extreme economic distress to such students.

The petition states:

'in absence of any relief scheme by Government, the students will be left with no options but to pay the rent as per the agreement, even when they didn't use the accommodation premises at all. As there is no clause of non payment of rent in such extraordinary situations in most of the rent agreements. If the tenant had this clause, it would be easy to invoke this by sending a letter, but in absence of this they are to be forced to make payments.'

In light of these circumstances, the Petitioners have asked the court to declare that the students are exempted from making monthly rental for the premises rented for accommodation purposes.

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[Read Petition]