Rent Agreement Format
A residential rent agreement between a landlord and a tenant — rent, deposit, maintenance, lock-in, notice and the fittings handed over — ready for stamp paper.
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This Rent Agreement is made at [place] on 25 September 2026 between:
1.[landlord’s name], residing at [landlord’s address] (the “Landlord”); and
2.[tenant’s name], whose permanent address is [tenant’s permanent address] (the “Tenant”).
The Landlord owns [the property — full address and description] (the “Premises”), and has agreed to let the Premises to the Tenant on the following terms:
Terms
1.The tenancy is for 11 months, from [date] to [end date]. It may be renewed for a further period only by a fresh written agreement.
2.The Tenant shall pay a monthly rent of ₹ [amount], [when the rent is due], by bank transfer or UPI to the Landlord’s account. The Landlord shall give a receipt for every payment.
3.The Tenant has paid the Landlord a refundable security deposit of ₹ [amount]. It carries no interest and shall be returned when the Tenant hands back vacant possession, after deducting any unpaid rent or charges and the cost of repairing damage beyond normal wear and tear.
4.Society maintenance charges are paid by the Tenant. Electricity and water charges are paid by the Tenant as per the meter readings.
5.The Premises shall be used only for residential use by the Tenant and family. The Tenant shall not sublet or part with possession of the Premises, or use them for any commercial or unlawful purpose.
6.The Tenant shall keep the Premises clean and in good condition and shall carry out minor day-to-day repairs. Major and structural repairs are the Landlord’s responsibility. The Tenant shall make no structural alteration without the Landlord’s written consent.
7.The Landlord may inspect the Premises at a reasonable time after giving the Tenant prior notice.
8.Either party may end this agreement by giving the other one month’s notice in writing.
9.When the tenancy ends, the Tenant shall hand back vacant and peaceful possession of the Premises in the condition in which they were received, subject to normal wear and tear.
10.The Tenant shall give the Landlord copies of identity documents for tenant verification wherever the local police require it.
11.Any dispute arising from this agreement shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts at [city].
Signed by the parties on the date and at the place written above.
What is a Rent Agreement?
A rent agreement is the written contract between a landlord and a tenant for a house or flat in India. This rent agreement format records the rent, deposit and term, who pays maintenance and bills, and how either side can end the tenancy. Without one, a dispute over the deposit or the move-out date is one word against another, and a tenant asked for proof of the tenancy has nothing to show.
Landlords letting a flat, a house or part of their own home use it, and so do tenants moving to a city for work and students sharing a flat. It is signed before the tenant moves in and again at each renewal, because this agreement renews only through a fresh one. Tenants are commonly asked for a copy — by the housing society, by an employer checking a house rent allowance (HRA) claim, and by offices that accept it as proof of address, each with its own conditions, such as registration.
Under section 17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908, and section 107 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, a lease for more than a year, or from year to year, must be registered — which is why so many agreements stop at 11 months. Maharashtra’s Rent Control Act, 1999 (section 55) requires registration of every tenancy or leave-and-licence agreement, whatever its length. Each State sets its own stamp duty. Check, too, whether your State has a tenancy law with a Rent Authority, as Tamil Nadu does; the Model Tenancy Act, 2021 applies only where a State enacts it.
Buying stamp paper pays the stamp duty; it does not register the agreement. Registration is a separate step at the sub-registrar’s office, or online where your State offers it, and under section 49 of the Registration Act an unregistered lease that needed registration cannot be received as evidence of the lease itself. Nor does the agreement override your State’s rent or tenancy law; if a clause seems to conflict with it, ask a lawyer. And it does not verify the tenant: many city police forces want their own verification form.
What to put in a Rent Agreement
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Printing on stamp paper? | Free text |
| Stamp paper value optional | For example: $100 |
| Landlord (owner) | For example: K. Venkata Ramana |
| Landlord’s parentage and age optional | The way Indian agreements describe a party: son, daughter or wife of, and age |
| Landlord’s address | For example: H.No 3-14-22, Arundelpet, Guntur 522002 |
| Tenant | For example: Priya Menon |
| Tenant’s parentage and age optional | For example: D/o Rajan Menon, aged 29 years |
| Tenant’s permanent address | For example: 14/220 Palace Road, Thrissur 680020, Kerala |
| The property | For example: Flat No. 302, Sai Residency, Brodipet 4th Line, Guntur 522002 — a two-bedroom,… |
| Tenancy starts on | Free text |
| Length of the agreement | Most rent agreements run for 11 months — the guide below explains why |
| Monthly rent (₹) | For example: 14,000 |
| Rent is due | For example: on or before the 5th of every month |
| Rent is paid by | Free text |
| Security deposit (₹) | For example: 42,000 |
| Society maintenance charges are | Free text |
| Electricity and water charges are | Free text |
| Lock-in period (months) optional | Neither side can end the agreement during this time |
| Notice to end the agreement | Free text |
| Rent increase on renewal optional | For example: 5% |
| The flat is let for | Free text |
| Fittings handed over optional | One per line: Item | Quantity |
| Courts at (city) | For example: Guntur |
| Witness 1 — name and address optional | For example: S. Ravi Kumar, Brodipet, Guntur |
| Witness 2 — name and address optional | For example: M. Lakshmi, Arundelpet, Guntur |
How to write a Rent Agreement
Buy stamp paper, then set the page
Stamp duty is set by your State, so confirm the amount with the sub-registrar’s office before you buy. Buy the stamp paper or e-stamp certificate in the landlord’s or tenant’s name, dated on or before the day you sign. Then tell the form which you are printing on and its value: the page leaves the top of the first sheet blank, so the text starts below the stamp.
Identify both parties and the property
Write each name as on the person’s ID, then the parentage and age the Indian way — ‘S/o R. Krishnan, aged 61 years’ — which tells apart two people of the same name. Give the tenant’s permanent address, not the rented flat, so letters reach them after they leave. Describe the property fully: ‘Flat 204, Lakshmi Towers, Benz Circle, Vijayawada 520010, with one covered parking space’, not ‘a flat near Benz Circle’.
Fix the term, the rent and payment
Enter the start date and choose 11, 12, 24 or 36 months; the end date follows. A term over a year brings in compulsory registration. Enter the rent and the page adds the amount in words, which makes any alteration obvious. Say when rent is due — ‘on or before the 5th’ — and how it is paid: a bank transfer or UPI leaves a record; cash needs a signed receipt.
Settle deposit, bills, use and fittings
Enter the deposit; the agreement makes it refundable without interest, less unpaid dues and repairs for damage beyond normal wear and tear. Choose who pays society maintenance, electricity and water, because unpaid bills come out of that deposit. Say whether the flat is for the tenant alone or the family. List the fittings one per line with quantities — ‘Ceiling fans | 3’ — so move-out can be checked item by item.
Set the exit terms, then sign
A lock-in stops either side ending the agreement for the months you enter; after it, either can end it with the one, two or three months’ written notice you choose. Add any rent increase agreed for renewal, and the city whose courts will hear a dispute. Sign in front of two witnesses who add their names and addresses, fill in the place and date, and keep a copy each.
Common mistakes
- Signing on plain or under-valued stamp paper leaves the agreement not duly stamped, and it cannot be admitted in evidence until the missing duty and a penalty are paid.
- Never registering a 24- or 36-month agreement means that, under section 49 of the Registration Act, it cannot be received as evidence of the lease in a dispute.
- Skipping registration of an 11-month agreement in Maharashtra breaks a duty the law puts on the landlord, and the tenant’s account of the terms then prevails unless proved otherwise.
- A blank fittings table leaves no record of the fans, geyser and wardrobes that came with the flat, so any shortfall at move-out becomes a deposit dispute.
- Paying rent in cash without a signed receipt leaves the tenant unable to prove payment, or to produce the receipts an employer asks for with an HRA claim.
Frequently asked questions
What is the lock-in period in a rent agreement?
A lock-in is a stretch at the start of the tenancy during which neither side can end the agreement, giving the landlord a minimum run of rent and the tenant a minimum stay. Here you enter the number of months; once they pass, either side can end it with the notice you chose — one, two or three months. Leave the box blank for no lock-in.
Why is a rent agreement made for 11 months?
Because of the registration rule. Under the Registration Act, 1908, and the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, a lease for more than a year, from year to year or reserving a yearly rent must be registered, which adds cost and paperwork. An 11-month agreement stays outside that rule, though it can still be registered. Maharashtra is different: there, every tenancy or leave-and-licence agreement must be registered.
Is a notarised rent agreement valid?
Notarisation is not registration. A notary attests that the parties signed; registration happens at the sub-registrar’s office for the area where the property is, under section 28 of the Registration Act, 1908. Where no registration is needed, a stamped, notarised agreement adds proof of signing. Where it is — a term over a year, or any term in Maharashtra — notarisation does not replace it.
Which stamp paper is required for a rent agreement?
Non-judicial stamp paper, or an e-stamp certificate where your State issues them, of the value it fixes. The duty, and whether it follows the rent, the deposit or the term, differs by State, so check the current rate with your State’s registration and stamps department. Paper of too low a value leaves the agreement inadmissible in evidence until the shortfall and a penalty are paid.
Who pays for the rent agreement, landlord or tenant?
Under section 29 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, the tenant bears the cost of the stamp for a lease unless the two sides agree otherwise; States with their own Stamp Act set their own rule, so check yours. Settle other costs, such as registration fees, between you before buying the stamp paper, and buy it in the landlord’s or tenant’s name.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.