Yes. On the facts changing the rented premises is not necessarily the best first step. If you are paying rent regularly and complying with the tenancy, the focus should be on creating a legal record against the persons allegedly interfering with the tenancy and pressuring the landlord/neighbours. Legal steps I would advise 1. Preserve evidence immediately * Keep the rent agreement, rent receipts, bank statements/UPI payments and electricity/water bills. * Preserve WhatsApp messages, calls, recordings, CCTV footage, notices, messages from neighbours/landlord and any evidence showing that family members contacted or influenced them. * Maintain a chronological diary of every incident with date, time, person involved, what was said/done and witnesses. * If there are defamatory statements, obtain written statements/messages from the owner or neighbours showing exactly what was communicated to them. 2. Send a formal legal notice A notice can be issued to the family members/in-laws requiring them to: * cease contacting or intimidating the landlord/neighbours; * stop making false allegations; * stop interfering with the person’s peaceful occupation; * refrain from inducing the landlord to terminate the tenancy on false grounds; * preserve all communications and evidence. The notice should be carefully worded because merely making a complaint or communicating in good faith is not automatically defamation. I can draft the notice incase you need. 3. Police complaint if there is threat, intimidation or harassment If there are threats intended to cause alarm or force the tenant to leave, Section 351 BNS (criminal intimidation) may become relevant. The statutory provision covers threats to a person’s person, reputation or property made with the requisite intention. Therefore, a written complaint can be submitted to the local police station and, depending on the facts, senior police authorities, specifically documenting the interference and apprehension of continued harassment. 4. Defamation proceedings where there is provable false publication If the relatives are deliberately spreading false allegations to the landlord/neighbours to damage the person’s reputation and thereby force eviction, Section 356 BNS (defamation) may be considered. Section 356 covers imputations made with the intention/knowledge that they will harm reputation. Importantly, defamation is generally initiated by the aggrieved person through a complaint before the Magistrate; BNSS Section 222 specifically deals with prosecution for defamation. 5. Civil injunction — this may be the strongest preventive remedy If there is continuing interference, the tenant can consider a civil proceeding seeking an injunction restraining the defendants from interfering with his/her peaceful occupation and from unlawfully inducing or coercing the landlord/neighbours through false allegations. Sections 36–39 of the Specific Relief Act provide for preventive and perpetual injunctions, including circumstances where an existing right is threatened or invaded. Depending on the exact facts, an interim injunction can also be sought during the proceedings. 6. The landlord’s position should be protected separately Under Section 108 of the Transfer of Property Act, subject to the contract/local law, a lessee who pays the agreed rent and performs the lease obligations is entitled to hold the property during the term without interruption. Therefore, the tenant should not voluntarily surrender the premises merely because third parties are creating pressure. If the landlord independently wants to terminate the tenancy, the legality of that termination will depend on the rent agreement and applicable State/local tenancy law. Particularly important in this case “I can change my residence, but they will do the same again.” That is actually the important legal point. If there is a deliberate pattern of following the person from one residence to another and influencing landlords/neighbours, changing the residence alone may not solve the problem. I would therefore build the case around continuing harassment + interference with peaceful occupation + false communications/defamation + intimidation, rather than simply treating it as a landlord-tenant dispute. The person’s neurological condition should also be documented through medical records if the harassment is aggravating the condition. Practical sequence Evidence collection → police complaint/intimation → legal notice → civil injunction if interference continues → criminal defamation/intimidation proceedings wherever the evidence establishes the ingredients. And I would send a separate written communication to the landlord confirming that rent is being paid regularly, the tenancy conditions are being complied with, and that any allegation made by third parties concerning the tenant should be communicated to the tenant in writing rather than acted upon without verification. If you tell me the city/state where the rented property is located and whether there is a written rent agreement, I can identify the applicable tenancy law and advise the exact forum, sections and reliefs that can be used. For further information please contact me j***************@gmail.com
13/08/2026 22:30 pm
