Free rent agreement format
Fill in the details and download a ready-to-use rent agreement — or, for Maharashtra, a leave and licence agreement. We will also tell you the stamp duty and registration position for your State. Free, no login, nothing stored.
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This generates a document from a standard template using the details you enter. It is not legal advice and has not been reviewed by an advocate for your circumstances. Stamp duty, registration and notarisation remain your responsibility. Nothing you type here is stored.
Stamp duty and registration, State by State
Stamp duty on a tenancy agreement is a State subject, so the rate depends on where the premises are. Registration is governed centrally: under s.17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908 a lease for a term exceeding one year must be registered — which is why almost every Indian rent agreement runs for 11 months.
| State | Stamp duty | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra | 0.25% of the total consideration — the aggregate rent for the term plus a notional 10% per annum on any interest-free deposit. | COMPULSORY for any leave and licence agreement, whatever the term, under s.55 of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999. |
| Delhi | 2% of the average annual rent for a lease of up to 5 years; higher slabs apply for longer terms. | Compulsory only where the term exceeds 12 months (Registration Act, s.17). |
| Karnataka | Computed on the annual rent plus deposit, subject to a ceiling for short-term agreements. | Compulsory where the term exceeds 12 months. |
| Tamil Nadu | Computed on the total rent for the term plus any deposit. | The Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017 requires every tenancy to be registered with the Rent Authority, in addition to the Registration Act threshold. |
| Uttar Pradesh | Charged on the annual rent and deposit; slab-based by term. | Compulsory where the term exceeds 12 months. The UP Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act, 2021 additionally requires the tenancy to be reported to the Rent Authority. |
| Telangana | Charged on the annual rent, with the deposit taken into account. | Compulsory where the term exceeds 12 months. |
| West Bengal | Slab-based on the rent and the term. | Compulsory where the term exceeds 12 months. |
These figures are indicative and compiled from public sources. Rates change with State budgets and notifications — confirm the current rate with the sub-registrar or your State's registration department before executing an agreement. Under-stamping costs the document its evidentiary value under s.35 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899.
Common questions
- Why are rent agreements always for 11 months?
- Because s.17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908 makes registration compulsory for a lease from year to year or for any term exceeding one year. An 11-month term stays below that threshold, so the parties can avoid registration. It is not a rule that agreements must be 11 months — only that longer ones must be registered.
- Is an unregistered rent agreement valid?
- An agreement for 11 months or less is generally valid between the parties without registration. But an instrument that required registration and was not registered cannot be received in evidence of its terms under s.49 of the Registration Act — so a long unregistered lease may be unusable in exactly the dispute it was written for.
- What is the difference between a rent agreement and a leave and licence agreement?
- A rent agreement creates a lease — an interest in the property, governed by the Transfer of Property Act, 1882. A leave and licence grants only permission to occupy; juridical possession stays with the licensor and no tenancy is created. Maharashtra uses the licence form because its rent control law gives tenants protections a licensee does not attract. Renaming the parties on a lease does not turn it into a licence — the operative clauses have to differ.
- Do I have to pay stamp duty?
- Yes. Stamp duty is a State subject and the rate depends on where the premises are. An instrument that is not duly stamped is inadmissible in evidence under s.35 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, and can be admitted only on payment of the deficit duty plus a penalty. Confirm the current rate with your sub-registrar before executing.
- Do I need witnesses?
- Two witnesses are the normal practice and the document produced here includes a witness block. The commonest defect in a self-drafted tenancy agreement is signing it without witnesses.
- Is this document legal advice?
- No. It is a standard template filled with the details you enter. It has not been reviewed by an advocate for your circumstances, and stamp duty, registration and notarisation remain your responsibility.
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