The Naga Students’ Federation on Thursday urged the state government to initiate and institutionalize a mandatory Landlord-Tenant Registration System across Nagaland as a critical supporting mechanism for the effective enforcement of the Inner Line Pass (ILP) system under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

In a letter to the Chief Secretary, the NSF explained the rationale behind its proposal that despite the introduction of online ILP portals and QR-code-based verification, there are still serious enforcement gaps—particularly in urban and peri-urban areas—due to the unmonitored settlement of ILP-holders or ILP-defaulters in private and informal rental accommodations. This, the federation stated, undermines the very intent of the ILP regime.

In this regard, the NSF maintained that a landlord-tenant registration framework will hold landlords accountable for verifying the ILP status of non-local tenants prior to renting property, provide law enforcement agencies with a clear and updated database of non-local residents across districts and municipalities, help detect and prevent overstay of ILP holders or the presence of illegal immigrants, especially in the wake of recent developments in neighbouring Assam, and close loopholes where ILP holders move and settle undetected in informal housing or rental arrangements after entry.

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Citing precedents from Mizoram, Assam and even national practice where digitized ILP and sponsor tracking, registration of tenants with local police for security and demographic verification purposes are being enforced, NSF stated that this is particularly important in areas with sensitive socio-political contexts.

“Given the ongoing eviction drives in Assam and the potential for spillover of undocumented or displaced persons into border districts of Nagaland, we believe urgent action is needed to prevent unauthorized settlements and safeguard the demographic integrity of the state,” the NSF stated.

To this end, the federation called upon the state government to initiate necessary steps—either through a government notification or appropriate policy measure—to implement a statewide Landlord-Tenant Registration System, ideally in coordination with the Home Department, Law and Justice department, and local police authorities.

The NSF proposed that the state government notify a system with the following features-

• Landlords must register all tenants, especially non-indigenous persons, with the nearest police station, municipal authority, or designated online portal.
• This registration requirement must extend to all forms of accommodation, including shanties, temporary shelters, makeshift rooms, and informal housing—particularly in urban and peri-urban areas where unauthorized settlements are most likely to occur.
• Registration must include key documents such as copies of the Inner Line Pass (ILP), Aadhaar or other valid identity proof, and contact information for both tenant and landlord.
• A robust mechanism should be instituted to penalize landlords who fail to register non-local tenants, conceal tenant details, or provide accommodation to individuals without valid ILPs. Penalties may include monetary fines, temporary suspension of rental rights, or legal prosecution in repeat or willful defaulter cases.
• Integration of this landlord-tenant registry with the existing online ILP system is essential to enable real-time verification and monitoring by enforcement agencies.