D.M.J. De Silva v. Mallika Perera – sllr 1989 volume 2 page 352

In the case between D.M.J. De Silva (landlord/landlord’s heirs) and Mallika Perera (tenant’s representative), the court addressed the issue of whether rent deposited by the tenant’s daughter at the Urban Council qualified as payment by the tenant under Section 21 of the Rent Act, No. 7 of 1972. It was held that such a deposit, though made by the tenant’s daughter and in her name, constituted a valid rent payment on behalf of the tenant and was deemed to have been received by the landlord pursuant to the statutory provisions. The court reaffirmed the principle that the statutory mechanism for depositing rent should not be narrowly construed, ensuring protection for tenants depositing rent through authorized channels. This interpretation relied on the text of Section 21 and prior court pract