Registration changed the practical position
Tenancy agreements are required to be registered with the Rent Authority, and disputes go before the Rent Court and Rent Tribunal rather than the ordinary civil court. The framework is designed to be faster than the old rent control litigation, and broadly it is.
The practical consequence is that an unregistered tenancy weakens whichever party relies on it. Landlords with informal arrangements and tenants paying in cash both find themselves proving basic facts that a registered agreement would have settled.
Eviction, arrears and deposits
Each of the three common disputes has a defined route, and none of them permits self-help.
Where we see disputes actually start
Almost always in the agreement. Vague notice periods, no clause on how the deposit is adjusted, silence on who bears major repairs, and no schedule of the property’s condition at handover.
For landlords, an inventory and dated photographs at the start and end of a tenancy resolve most deposit disputes before they begin. For tenants, paying rent through banking channels and keeping receipts does the same.