Gujarat Government Backs Down on New Rent Bill After Statewide Lawyers Go on Strike

What Happened

Lawyers across Gujarat went on a statewide strike to protest the Gujarat Rent Bill 2026, forcing the state government to take a step back. The Advocate General informed the High Court that the bill has not received approval from Governor Acharya Devvrat and the old rent law remains in effect.

The Protest

The Gujarat Legislative Assembly had passed the bill unanimously on September 11, 2026, during the monsoon session after urban development minister Kanubhai Desai introduced it. The new law aimed to replace the old legal framework by making written rent agreements mandatory, capping security deposits at three months of rent, and creating a three-tier system of Rent Authority, Rent Court, and Rent Tribunal. Lawyers strongly objected to taking rent and property dispute cases away from regular judicial courts and giving the power to hear them to revenue and administrative officers like deputy collectors and additional collectors. Thousands of lawyers from Ahmedabad's metro, city civil, and small causes bar associations went on a three-day strike. The agitation spread as 182 bar associations across city, district, and tehsil levels joined the protest with support from the Bar Council of Gujarat and the High Court Advocate Association. In Ahmedabad alone, the strike left more than 30,000 cases pending.

Government Response

Advocate General Kamal Trivedi stated in court that after a meeting between Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, the Bar Council, and other groups, a positive decision will be reached. Anil Kela, the co-chairman of the Bar Council of Gujarat, confirmed that the strike will continue until a final meeting is held with the Deputy Chief Minister.

Context

Property and rent disputes often involve complex legal rights between landlords and tenants. When administrative officers take over judicial duties, it raises questions about legal expertise and the speed of justice, especially when government officials already carry heavy administrative workloads.