Rent agreement format: 11-month rental agreement sample, stamp paper and cost in Bangalore

Lease or leave and licence: which rent agreement format should you use?

There are two common formats. Both are written agreements on stamp paper, but they are covered by different laws and give the occupant different rights.

Calling a document a licence does not make it one. What the arrangement actually gives the occupant decides it. If you let a whole flat for the tenant's exclusive use, a lawyer will usually draft it as a lease. For PG beds, see our PG rental agreement format.

Why is a rent agreement made for 11 months?

Section 17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908 makes registration compulsory for leases from year to year, for more than one year, or reserving a yearly rent. An 11-month agreement stays below that line, so many owners and tenants sign one, stamp it and skip the sub-registrar's office.

• What 11 months saves you. No registration fee, no visit to the sub-registrar, and a lower stamp duty than a long lease.
• What it costs you. You sign a fresh agreement (or a renewal) every 11 months, and you pay stamp duty again each time.
• Not a loophole for long stays. If the tenant will stay for years, a registered lease of the real term may protect both of you better. Ask a lawyer which suits you, and see rent agreement registration for the charges by state. However long the tenant stays, they cannot claim ownership; see the 12-year tenant rule.
• Rules differ by state. In Maharashtra, section 55 of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 requires every leave and licence agreement to be in writing and registered, whatever its length. Check your own state's rule.

Rent agreement stamp paper value in Karnataka

Stamp duty on a lease in Karnataka is charged under Article 30 of the Schedule to the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957. For a residential lease of up to one year, the rate is 50 paise for every ₹100 (0.5%) of the average annual rent, premium, fine and money advanced, subject to a maximum of ₹500. Longer leases pay more, at rates that depend on the term.

So for most Bengaluru flats renting above about ₹8,400 a month, the 11-month stamp duty is ₹500.

Other states use different rates and bases. Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and others each have their own stamp schedule, so a stamp paper value quoted for one city does not carry over to another. See stamp duty on rent agreements by state, with a calculator.

How much does a rent agreement cost in Bangalore?

An 11-month residential agreement in Bengaluru has three possible costs. You can split them between owner and tenant in any way you agree; write it in the agreement.

Notarising an 11-month agreement is common, but notarisation is not registration and does not replace stamp duty.

Rent agreement online in Bangalore: e-stamp and registration

1. 1

   Draft the agreement

   Use the clause checklist below. Agree rent, deposit, due date and notice period before anyone pays for stamp paper.

2. 2

   Buy e-stamp paper for the right amount

   Buy it from an authorised e-stamp vendor or collection centre, in the name of the party paying the duty, for the duty worked out above. Each e-stamp certificate has a unique number you can verify. Karnataka has also notified the Karnataka Stamp (Digital e-Stamp) Rules, 2025, which allow fully digital e-stamps and Aadhaar e-sign, from a date the government notifies. Check whether that system is live for rent agreements when you sign.

3. 3

   Print, sign and witness

   Print the agreement on or attached to the e-stamp paper. Owner and tenant sign every page, and two witnesses sign at the end. Each side keeps an original or a signed copy.

4. 4

   Register it if the term is over 11 months

   Lease registration in Karnataka runs through Kaveri 2.0: you enter the document details, pay duty and fees online and book a slot at the sub-registrar's office, where the parties usually appear in person.

5. 5

   Store it with the tenant's records

   Keep a scan of the signed agreement next to the tenant's KYC documents and rent receipts. You will need all three if there is ever a dispute.

Key clauses every rental agreement should have

• Parties: full names, addresses, ID numbers and phone numbers of owner and tenant (and the tenant's family members who will live there).
• Property: full address, flat number, and a list of fittings and furniture handed over (an annexure works well).
• Term: start date, end date and how renewal works.
• Rent: amount, due date (for example "on or before the 5th of every month") and how it is paid, such as to your UPI ID or bank account. Any charge for late payment must be written here; see late fee on rent.
• Maintenance and bills: who pays society maintenance, electricity, water and property tax.
• Security deposit: amount, that it is interest-free, when it will be refunded and what may be deducted. See our security deposit rules in Bangalore guide.
• Rent increase: the escalation on renewal, for example 5% every 11 months. Our rent increase calculator shows what that adds up to.
• Lock-in and notice period: any lock-in months, and the notice each side must give (one or two months is common).
• Repairs: minor repairs by the tenant, structural and major repairs by the owner.
• Use and subletting: residential use only, no subletting without written consent.
• Entry: when the owner may inspect, with prior notice.
• Move-out: joint inspection, meter readings, key return and deposit settlement.
• Verification: the tenant will provide ID and cooperate with tenant police verification where the local police require it.

Sample rent agreement format (outline)

SAMPLE OUTLINE ONLY. HAVE A LAWYER ADAPT THIS TO YOUR STATE AND SITUATION BEFORE USE.

RENTAL AGREEMENT

This agreement is made at [city] on [date] between:

[Owner name], [age], residing at [address], ID [type and number] ("Owner")
and
[Tenant name], [age], permanently residing at [address], ID [type and number] ("Tenant").

1. Property
The Owner lets the residential premises at [full address, flat no.] ("the Premises") with the fittings and furniture listed in Annexure A.

2. Term
11 months, from [start date] to [end date]. It may be renewed by a fresh written agreement on terms both parties accept.

3. Rent
₹[amount] per month, payable on or before the [day] of each month to the Owner's [UPI ID / bank account]. The Owner will give a receipt for every payment.

4. Maintenance and utilities
Society maintenance: paid by [Owner / Tenant]. Electricity and water: paid by the Tenant as per actual bills. Property tax: paid by the Owner.

5. Security deposit
The Tenant has paid an interest-free refundable deposit of ₹[amount] by [mode, reference]. The Owner will refund it within [number] days of the Tenant handing over vacant possession, after deducting unpaid rent, unpaid bills and the cost of damage beyond normal wear and tear, with written reasons for each deduction.

6. Rent on renewal
On renewal, the rent will increase by [5]% unless both parties agree otherwise in writing.

7. Lock-in and notice
Lock-in period: [none / number] months. After that, either party may end this agreement by giving [one / two] months' written notice.

8. Use
The Tenant will use the Premises only as a residence for the Tenant and family members named in Annexure B, and will not sublet or part with possession without the Owner's written consent.

9. Repairs
Minor day-to-day repairs: Tenant. Structural repairs, plumbing and wiring faults not caused by the Tenant: Owner.

10. Inspection
The Owner may inspect the Premises at a reasonable time after giving [24] hours' notice.

11. Alterations
No structural changes without the Owner's written consent.

12. Verification
The Tenant will provide identity documents and photographs and cooperate with police verification where required.

13. Move-out
At the end of the term, the parties will jointly inspect the Premises, note meter readings, and the Tenant will return all keys.

14. Breach
If either party breaches a material term, the other may end this agreement by giving [15] days' written notice to fix the breach.

Signed:
Owner ____________   Tenant ____________

Witnesses:
1. Name, address, signature ____________
2. Name, address, signature ____________

Annexure A: List of fittings and furniture
Annexure B: Names of occupants

Looking for a rental agreement format in Word? Copy the outline above into Word or Google Docs, fill the brackets, and send it to your lawyer for changes. Do not print the final version until the stamp duty and wording are confirmed. To fill in these clauses from a form and print the draft, use our rent agreement generator. For the same agreement in Hindi, see the kirayanama format (किरायानामा).

Does the Model Tenancy Act apply to your rent agreement?

The Model Tenancy Act, 2021 is a template law. The Union Cabinet approved it in June 2021 and sent it to states to adopt by passing their own law or amending an existing one (PIB). It is not binding in a state until that state legislates (what the Model Tenancy Act says). It proposes a written agreement reported to a Rent Authority within two months, and a deposit of up to two months' rent for homes (PRS summary).

• Which states have acted. In July 2022 the government told Parliament that Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Assam had revised their tenancy laws on the lines of the model Act (PIB). We have not found a more recent official list.
• Karnataka. We found no Karnataka law adopting the model Act. The Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Bill, 2025 only replaces jail terms with penalties in the existing Rent Act. Some websites claim a 2026 Karnataka law caps deposits at two months; we could not confirm this from any official source.
• The Karnataka Rent Act, 1999 (text on India Code) requires tenancy agreements to be in writing, but section 2(3) leaves out many homes, including buildings for 15 years after construction or substantial renovation and premises above a rent threshold. Most newer Bengaluru flats fall outside it, so the agreement and general contract and property law govern them. A lawyer can tell you whether your building is covered.

After you sign: keep the agreement where you collect rent

An agreement only helps if you can find it, along with proof of every payment. Store the signed copy and the tenant's KYC in one place, and give a rent receipt for every month's rent.

Frequently asked questions