13Protection of a tenant against eviction

(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law or any contract, no decree or order for the recovery of possession of any premises shall be passed by any court in favour of the landlord against any tenant (including a tenant whose tenancy is terminated):

Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall apply to any suit or other proceeding for such recovery of possession if the court is satisfied--

(a) that the tenant has neither paid nor tendered the whole of the arrears of rent due within one month of the date on which a notice of demand for the arrears of rent has been served on him by the landlord in the manner provided in section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 (4 of 1882); or

(b) that the tenant without obtaining the consent of the landlord in writing has, after the commencement of this Act,--

(i) sub-let, assigned or otherwise parted with the possession of, the whole or any part of the premises; or

(ii) used the premises for a purpose other than that for which they were let; or

(c) that the tenant, without obtaining the consent of the landlord had, before the commencement of this Act,--

(i) sub-let, assigned or otherwise parted with the possession of, the whole or any part of the premises; or

(ii) used the premises for a purpose other than that for which they were let; or

(d) that the premises were let for use as a residence and neither the tenant nor any member of his family has been residing therein for a period of six months immediately before the date of the institution of any suit or proceeding for recovery of possession; or

(e) that the premises let for residential purposes are required bona fide by the landlord who is the owner of such premises for occupation as a residence for himself or his family and that he has no other suitable accommodation:

Explanation.--For the purposes of this clause, "residential premises" include any premises which having been let for use as a residence are, without the consent of the landlord, used incidentally for commercial or other purposes; or

(f) that the premises have become unsafe or unfit for human habitation and are bona fide required by the landlord for carrying out repairs which cannot be carried out without the premises being vacated; or

(g) that the premises are bona fide required by the landlord for the purpose of re-building the premises or for the replacement of the premises by any building or for the erection of other buildings and that such building or re-building cannot be carried out without the premises being vacated; or

(h) that the tenant has, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, built, acquired vacant possession of, or been allotted, a suitable residence; or

(i) that the premises were let to the tenant for use as a residence by reason of his being in the service or employment of the landlord, and that the tenant has ceased, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, to be in such service or employment; or

(j) that the conduct of the tenant is such that it is a nuisance or that it causes annoyance to the occupiers of the neighbouring premises or other occupiers of the same premises; or

(k) that the tenant has, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, caused or permitted to be caused substantial damage to the premises, or notwithstanding previous notice has used or dealt with the premises in a manner contrary to any condition imposed on the landlord by the Government or the Delhi Improvement Trust while giving him a lease of the land on which the premises are situated; or

(l) that the landlord requires the premises in order to carry out any building work at the instance of the Government or the Delhi Improvement Trust in pursuance of any improvement scheme or development scheme.

(2) No decree or order for recovery of possession shall be passed on the ground specified in clause (a) of the proviso to sub-section (1), if, on the first day of the hearing of the suit or within such further time as may be allowed by the court, the tenant pays in court the arrears of rent then due together with the costs of the suit.

(3) For the purposes of clause (b) or clause (c) of the proviso to sub-section (1), a court may presume that the premises let for use as a residence were or are sub-let by a tenant in whole or in part to another person, if it is satisfied that such person not being a servant of the tenant or a member of the family of such servant was or has been residing in the premises or any part thereof for a period exceeding one month otherwise than in commonality with the tenant.

(4) Where a decree for recovery of possession is passed on the grounds specified in clause (e) of the proviso to sub-section (1), the landlord shall not be entitled to obtain possession of the premises by an order of the court before the expiration of a period of three months from the date of the decree.

(5) If the tenant contests the suit as regards the claim for ejectment, the plaintiff-landlord may make an application at any stage of the suit for an order on the tenant-defendant to deposit month by month rent at a rate at which it was last paid and also the arrears of rent, if any, and the court, after giving an opportunity to the parties to be heard, may make an order for the deposit of rent at such rate month by month as it thinks fit and the arrears of rent, if any, and on the failure of the tenant to deposit the arrears of rent within fifteen days of the date of the order or to deposit the rent at such rate for any month by the 15th of the next following month, the court shall order the defence against ejectment to be struck out and the tenant to be placed in the same position as if he had not defended the claim to ejectment; and the landlord may withdraw the amount of money in deposit without prejudice to his claim to any decree or order for recovery of possession of the premises.

(6) For avoidance of doubts it is hereby declared that nothing in this section shall apply to any decree or order for recovery of possession of any premises passed before the commencement of this Act.