Lawyers face higher office rents as Kolhapur prepares for circuit bench inauguration

Time of India

2 days ago

Kolhapur: The announcement of the Kolhapur circuit bench on Aug 1 has led to an increase in property listings on online rental platforms over the past few weeks.
A practising lawyer in the Bombay high court for the past 18 years expressed concerns over inflated rent prices for office spaces in Kolhapur.
"I am from Kolhapur, but I had shifted to Mumbai for practice in the high court.
The rents in Kolhapur, meanwhile, have increased by around 15-20%, which I think is not natural," the lawyer said. He further highlighted the higher cost of living in Mumbai compared to Kolhapur, noting, "I started working with a big firm, then I started as an independent. However, I have rented my home as my office, as it is very costly to own both a house and an office in Mumbai or its suburbs.
In comparison, Kolhapur is still affordable for mid-career advocates."
Approximately 250 advocates practising in the Bombay high court are set to relocate to Kolhapur to operate from the newly established circuit bench, which starts operations from Aug 18. In addition to the advocates, more than 100 staff members are expected to move to Kolhapur to support the circuit bench operations. New and young lawyers affiliated with large firms are also anticipated to relocate to the city.
These advocates will handle cases from six districts — Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg — with an estimated 85,000 pending cases expected to be transferred to the circuit bench. The number of judges assigned to oversee the hearings at the circuit bench has not yet been disclosed.
In response to the rising rent concerns, the developers' body Credai has appealed to property owners to refrain from increasing rents, emphasising the importance of maintaining Kolhapur's reputation for hospitality over profit.
"Kolhapur is known for hospitality over profit; the perception should not be damaged by artificially hiking office rents, rents for residential properties, even the hotel and autorickshaw fares," said K P Khot, the president of the Kolhapur chapter of Credai.
Ratnesh Shirolkar, the president of the Kolhapur Realtors' Welfare Association, however, added, "There is no hike in the property prices or rents. We also have appealed to the owners not to raise the rents."
Free breakfast, rooms to get ready for lawyers: Hoteliers
To accommodate the influx of legal professionals, Kolhapur-based hotels will offer assistance to lawyers from the six districts attending the inaugural function of the circuit bench on Sunday. Upon presenting their identity cards, lawyers will receive free breakfast and access to rooms and dormitories to freshen up. The hoteliers' association has listed several hotels providing these amenities and has also agreed to offer discounted overnight stays.
It is estimated that up to 5,000 lawyers will attend the inaugural function.
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