What is a rent agreement?
A rent agreement is a written contract recording the rent, deposit, tenancy period, notice period and who pays which costs. In India it is usually made for 11 months, because leases of a year or more generally require registration.
- Records rent, deposit, duration, notice period and cost responsibilities
- 11 months is standard — a year or more generally needs registration
- Stamp duty is set by each state, so the amount depends on where you are
- Both parties sign and keep a copy, usually before two witnesses
- RentStalk's generator gives you a free 11-month template to print and sign
What goes into a rent agreement
The parties and the property
Full names and addresses of landlord and tenant, and a clear description of the unit.
Rent, deposit and due date
The monthly rent, when it is due, the security deposit and how it is refunded. Keep the same figures in your rent records.
Duration and notice period
Start date, how long it runs, and how much notice either side must give to end it.
Who pays what
Electricity, water and maintenance. If electricity is by meter, see rental billing.
Stamp paper and signatures
Printed on stamp paper as your state requires, signed by both, usually with two witnesses.
A free template to start from
Use the rent agreement generator — no signup needed.
Why 11 months, and what registration actually changes
Under the Registration Act, 1908, a lease of one year or more generally has to be registered. An 11-month agreement sits below that line, which is why it became the default across most of India — it is renewed rather than registered.
Registration and notarisation are not the same thing. Notarising a document is optional and does not replace registration. Requirements and practice vary between states, so if your tenancy runs a year or longer, or the deposit is large, confirm the position where the property is rather than assuming the 11-month norm covers you.
Stamp duty is a state matter
There is no single national figure for stamp duty on a rent agreement. Each state sets its own rate, and it is often worked out from the rent and the length of the tenancy, sometimes counting the deposit as well. The stamp paper value you need follows from that.
This is the one detail worth checking freshly each time, because rates change and a template cannot know your state. Everything else in an agreement is fairly standard.
The clauses that actually prevent arguments
Most disputes are not about rent, which is agreed and rarely questioned. They are about the deposit at the end, who was supposed to pay for a repair, how much notice was owed, and what the electricity reading was when the tenant moved in.
Writing those four things down precisely is worth more than any amount of legal language elsewhere in the document. Record the opening meter reading in particular — it settles the final bill without argument, and it feeds straight into your monthly billing.
After the agreement is signed
The agreement fixes the terms; the month still has to run. Put the same rent, deposit, due date and billing cycle into RentStalk and the bills, reminders and receipts follow those numbers instead of being retyped each month.
That also gives you a payment history against the tenancy, which is what you want if the deposit is ever disputed. See tenant management, or make the agreement itself over chat as described in making a rent agreement on WhatsApp.
How to make a rent agreement
Agree the basics with your tenant
Rent, security deposit, who pays maintenance and electricity, the start date, the duration and the notice period each side needs to give.
Fill in the free template
Use the RentStalk rent agreement generator. It asks for the landlord, tenant and property details and produces a standard 11-month agreement you can download.
Check your state's stamp duty
Stamp duty on rent agreements is set by each state, so the amount and the stamp paper value depend on where the property is. Confirm the current rate locally before printing.
Print, sign and keep copies
Both parties sign, usually with two witnesses. Landlord and tenant each keep a signed copy — that copy is what settles most disputes later.
Put the same terms into your rent records
Add the rent, deposit and billing cycle to RentStalk so the monthly bills and receipts run off the same numbers the agreement states.
Make your rent agreement free
Fill in the details and download a standard 11-month agreement. No signup, no charge.
Rent agreement FAQs
What is a rent agreement?
A rent agreement is a written contract between a landlord and a tenant that records the rent, the security deposit, how long the tenancy runs, the notice period, and who is responsible for costs such as maintenance and electricity. Its practical value is that it settles disagreements later by pointing to something both people signed.
Why are rent agreements usually for 11 months in India?
Under the Registration Act, 1908, a lease of one year or more generally has to be registered. Agreements of 11 months fall below that threshold, so landlords and tenants commonly use an 11-month term and renew it. Rules and practice can differ by state, so check the position where your property is.
Does a rent agreement need to be registered or notarised?
Registration and notarisation are different things. Agreements of a year or more generally require registration; shorter ones commonly are not registered. Notarisation is optional and is not a substitute for registration. Because state rules vary, confirm what applies in your state before you rely on either.
How much stamp duty is payable on a rent agreement?
Stamp duty on rent agreements is fixed by each state, and is often calculated on the rent and the term, sometimes with the deposit included. Because the rate and the required stamp paper value differ from state to state, check your own state's current rate rather than relying on a general figure.
What should a rent agreement include?
Full names and addresses of both parties, a clear description of the property, the monthly rent and the due date, the security deposit and how it is refunded, the start date and duration, the notice period, who pays electricity, water and maintenance, and any rules on subletting or alterations. Both parties sign, usually before two witnesses.
Can I make a rent agreement online for free?
Yes. RentStalk has a free rent agreement generator that produces a standard 11-month agreement from the details you enter, with no signup. You still print it on the appropriate stamp paper for your state and sign it — RentStalk does not e-stamp, notarise or register agreements.
Is a rent agreement valid without registration?
An unregistered agreement is commonly used for short tenancies, but registration affects what a document can be used to prove in a dispute, and requirements differ by state and by the length of the tenancy. If the tenancy is a year or longer, or the amounts involved are significant, take local legal advice rather than assuming.