BENGALURU: Even though it is not mandatory for building owners to get the background of their tenants checked, police top brass have advised them to do it for their safety.
In the background of the recent Mangaluru bomb blast, senior police officers have urged the owners to take that extra effort to get the antecedents of the tenants checked in their jurisdictional police station. As long as nothing happens, the owners will not be in trouble. In case of any untoward incident, the first thing any police do is check the house where the suspects were staying and this is when the role of the owners becomes crucial. The house owners have all the rights to collect the identity proof of the tenants while making a rental agreement.
The same copy can be verified from the jurisdictional police. The police will check in their records and will confirm whether the tenant has any previous history of criminal activities.
Speaking to TNIE, Additional Commissioner of Police, Law and Order (East) Dr A Subramanyeswara Rao said that background verification is an option. “It is not mandated and we need to see what to do about it. But we have been issuing advisories. The owners will be on safer side if they get their tenants background verified,” he added.
“We have been continuously giving advisories to building owners to check the antecedents of the tenants before renting out their properties. When raids happen on the residents of drug peddlers, who are mostly foreign nationals, the owners will also be booked if they do not have the identity proof of the tenants. In the background of the recent Mangaluru incident, every house owner should ensure that the tenants background is verified,” Sandeep Patil, Additional Commissioner of Police, Law and Order (West), told
The New Indian Express.
In case of foreign nationals, house owners must collect the copy of the passport along with other travel documents and for locals, an Aadhaar card is enough.