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Rent agreement format (eleven months)

A complete residential rent agreement for an eleven-month term, with every clause a landlord and tenant usually argue about written out in plain English.

18 numbered clauses46 blanks to fillFree to copy and adapt

Who uses it and when

Who

A landlord and a tenant letting a flat or house for residence, outside Maharashtra.

When

Signed before the tenant moves in and before the deposit is paid, then stamped and, where your state requires it, registered.

Assumes

Assumes an individual landlord, an individual or family tenant, residential use only and a term under one year. For Maharashtra use the leave and licence format; for shops and offices use the commercial lease.

The full template

Words in [BRACKETS] are blanks. Fill them in below or after you copy it — nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Fill in the blanks on screen (0 of 46 filled)
RENT AGREEMENT (RESIDENTIAL, ELEVEN MONTHS)

This Rent Agreement is made at [CITY] on [DATE OF SIGNING].

BETWEEN

[LANDLORD FULL NAME], aged about [LANDLORD AGE] years, residing at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], PAN [LANDLORD PAN] (the "Landlord", which includes the Landlord's heirs, legal representatives and permitted assigns)

AND

[TENANT FULL NAME], aged about [TENANT AGE] years, whose permanent address is [TENANT PERMANENT ADDRESS], identity document [TENANT ID TYPE AND NUMBER] (the "Tenant").

The Landlord owns the residential premises at [FULL ADDRESS OF THE FLAT OR HOUSE WITH PINCODE], with a carpet area of about [CARPET AREA] square feet, together with [PARKING DETAILS] (the "Premises"). The Landlord has agreed to let, and the Tenant has agreed to take, the Premises on the terms below.

1. TERM
1.1 The tenancy is for eleven (11) months, starting on [START DATE] and ending on [END DATE].
1.2 It may be renewed only by a fresh written agreement signed by both parties.

2. RENT
2.1 The rent is Rs. [MONTHLY RENT IN FIGURES] (Rupees [MONTHLY RENT IN WORDS] only) per month.
2.2 Rent is payable in advance on or before the [DUE DAY] day of each calendar month, by [MODE OF PAYMENT] to the Landlord's account [LANDLORD BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS].
2.3 The Landlord will issue a receipt for every payment received.

3. SECURITY DEPOSIT
3.1 The Tenant has paid an interest-free security deposit of Rs. [DEPOSIT IN FIGURES] (Rupees [DEPOSIT IN WORDS] only) on [DEPOSIT DATE] by [DEPOSIT MODE AND REFERENCE]. The Landlord acknowledges receiving it.
3.2 The Landlord will refund the deposit within [REFUND DAYS] days of the Tenant handing back vacant possession and all keys.
3.3 The Landlord may deduct only: (a) rent unpaid for the Tenant's period; (b) electricity, water, gas and other bills unpaid for the Tenant's period; and (c) the reasonable cost of repairing damage beyond normal wear and tear. Each deduction will be shown in writing with a bill or estimate.
3.4 Normal wear and tear, including fading of paint from ordinary use, is not a ground for deduction.

4. MAINTENANCE, BILLS AND TAXES
4.1 Monthly society maintenance of about Rs. [MAINTENANCE AMOUNT] will be paid by the [LANDLORD OR TENANT].
4.2 The Tenant will pay electricity, water (where metered), piped gas, internet and cable charges for the term, as per actual bills.
4.3 The Landlord will pay property tax, any sinking fund or repair fund contribution, and any one-time levy raised by the society.

5. USE OF THE PREMISES
5.1 The Premises will be used only as a private residence by the Tenant and [OTHER OCCUPANTS, NAMES OR NUMBER].
5.2 The Tenant will not sublet, assign, or let the Premises as paying-guest or short-stay accommodation without the Landlord's prior written consent.
5.3 The Tenant will follow the registered bye-laws and house rules of the society or association.

6. REPAIRS
6.1 The Landlord will carry out, at the Landlord's cost: structural repairs; repairs to seepage or leakage from outside the Premises or from concealed pipes; and repair or replacement of appliances supplied by the Landlord that fail through age.
6.2 The Tenant will carry out, at the Tenant's cost: minor day-to-day repairs such as bulbs, fuses, tap washers and switches, up to Rs. [MINOR REPAIR LIMIT] per instance; and repair of any damage caused by the Tenant, occupants or visitors.
6.3 The Tenant will tell the Landlord in writing of any repair falling under 6.1 within a reasonable time of noticing it.

7. ALTERATIONS
7.1 The Tenant will make no structural change, and no change to wiring or plumbing, without the Landlord's written consent.
7.2 The Tenant may fix curtain rods, hooks and similar fittings, and will make good any holes when leaving.

8. LOCK-IN AND NOTICE
8.1 Neither party may end this agreement during the first [LOCK-IN MONTHS] months (the lock-in period), except under clause 12.
8.2 After the lock-in period, either party may end this agreement by giving [NOTICE MONTHS] month(s) written notice.
8.3 [OPTIONAL: If the Tenant leaves during the lock-in period, the Tenant will pay rent for the rest of the lock-in period. Delete this sentence if not agreed.]

9. INSPECTION
The Landlord, or a person authorised in writing by the Landlord, may inspect the Premises at a reasonable hour after giving at least [INSPECTION NOTICE HOURS] hours' notice to the Tenant.

10. RENEWAL AND RENT INCREASE
If the parties renew, the rent for the renewed term will be increased by [ESCALATION PERCENT] percent, unless they agree otherwise in writing.

11. HANDOVER RECORD
11.1 The Premises are let with the fittings and fixtures listed in the Schedule. Both parties will sign the Schedule, with photographs and meter readings, on the day the Tenant moves in.
11.2 The same record will be repeated, signed and dated on the day the Tenant moves out.

12. TERMINATION FOR BREACH
If the Tenant does not pay rent for [ARREARS MONTHS] consecutive months, or either party commits a serious breach of this agreement and does not fix it within [CURE DAYS] days of written notice, the other party may end this agreement by written notice.

13. TENANT VERIFICATION
Where the local police or authority requires tenant verification, the Landlord will submit it and the Tenant will provide the documents and photographs needed.

14. STAMP DUTY AND REGISTRATION
Stamp duty on this agreement is borne by [LANDLORD, TENANT OR SHARED EQUALLY]. If this agreement is registered, the registration fee is borne by [LANDLORD, TENANT OR SHARED EQUALLY].

15. NOTICES
Notices under this agreement will be in writing and sent to the addresses above, or by email to the Landlord at [LANDLORD EMAIL] and to the Tenant at [TENANT EMAIL].

16. JURISDICTION
This agreement is governed by the laws of India. Courts at [CITY] alone will have jurisdiction.

SCHEDULE: FITTINGS, FIXTURES AND METER READINGS (attach photographs)
1. [ITEM, QUANTITY AND CONDITION]
2. [ITEM, QUANTITY AND CONDITION]
3. [ITEM, QUANTITY AND CONDITION]
Keys handed over: [NUMBER AND DESCRIPTION OF KEYS]
Meter readings on [MOVE-IN DATE]: Electricity [READING], Water [READING], Gas [READING]

Signed by the parties on the date and at the place first written above.

LANDLORD: ______________________   TENANT: ______________________
[LANDLORD FULL NAME]                [TENANT FULL NAME]

WITNESSES
1. Name: [WITNESS 1 NAME]   Address: [WITNESS 1 ADDRESS]   Signature: ____________
2. Name: [WITNESS 2 NAME]   Address: [WITNESS 2 ADDRESS]   Signature: ____________

This is a sample, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and your deal before anyone signs.

What to check, clause by clause

Numbered as they appear in the template.

Parties

Names, addresses and the premises

Use names exactly as on the identity documents and the landlord's title or tax receipt. Describe the flat with its full address, carpet area and parking, so there is no argument later about what was let.

1

Term

Eleven months keeps the agreement below the one-year line for compulsory registration. Renewal should be a fresh signed agreement, not an assumption.

2

Rent

Write the amount in figures and words, the due date and the account. Paying by bank or UPI gives both sides a record; insist on a receipt either way.

3

Security deposit

The refund deadline and the closed list of deductions matter more than the amount. States that have adopted the Model Tenancy Act cap residential deposits; check what applies where you are.

4

Maintenance, bills and taxes

Name who pays society maintenance. Property tax and one-time society levies are normally the owner's; consumption bills are the tenant's.

5

Use of the premises

List who will live there. A clear ban on subletting and paying-guest use protects the owner; a vague ban on 'guests' helps nobody.

6

Repairs

A rupee limit for minor repairs ends most arguments. Seepage and concealed plumbing should sit with the owner.

7

Alterations

Fixing a shelf is not an alteration; changing wiring is. Say so.

8

Lock-in and notice

Keep the lock-in and notice the same for both sides unless there is a reason not to. Delete 8.3 if you have not agreed to pay rent for an unused lock-in.

9

Inspection

Notice in hours, at reasonable times. Without this clause, disputes about the owner turning up have nothing to be measured against.

10

Renewal and rent increase

A stated percentage avoids a fresh negotiation every eleven months. The rent escalation calculator shows what it adds up to.

11

Handover record

Photographs, the fittings list and meter readings, signed on both days, decide most deposit disputes. Do not skip the schedule.

12

Termination for breach

Give a cure period in days. An agreement that lets either side end it instantly for any breach invites bad-faith exits.

13

Tenant verification

Many cities require the owner to submit tenant details to the police. Check your local police's procedure; it is often online.

14

Stamp duty and registration

Decide who pays before buying the stamp paper. The rate is set by your state.

15-16

Notices and jurisdiction

Email addresses make notice easy to prove. Name the city where the flat is.

How to complete it

In the order it happens.

  1. 1

    Agree the rent, deposit, lock-in, notice and who pays what before drafting.

  2. 2

    Fill in every blank in the template and delete optional lines you have not agreed.

  3. 3

    Check your state's stamp duty on the agreement and buy the e-stamp or stamp paper in the name of the party paying.

  4. 4

    Print the agreement on the stamp paper (or attach the e-stamp certificate), and have both parties and two witnesses sign every page.

  5. 5

    Register it at the sub-registrar where your state or the term requires, and submit tenant verification where your city requires it.

  6. 6

    Keep the signed schedule, photographs and every rent receipt for the whole tenancy.

Questions people ask

Does an eleven-month rent agreement need to be registered?

Outside Maharashtra, a lease below one year is not compulsorily registrable under section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908, so most eleven-month agreements are stamped and signed but not registered. Some state rules and the Model Tenancy Act, where adopted, add their own requirements, so check your state. In Maharashtra, leave and licence agreements must be registered whatever the term.

Is notarisation enough?

Notarisation only attests the signatures. It is not registration. It does no harm, but it does not make an agreement that needed registration valid as a registered one.

How much stamp duty is payable on a rent agreement?

It depends on the state, the term, the rent and the deposit. Check the stamp duty page for your state before buying the stamp.

Can the landlord keep the deposit for painting?

Only if the agreement says so, or the damage is beyond normal wear and tear. This template says normal wear is not deductible; change it only if you have agreed otherwise.

Sources

  • Registration Act, 1908, section 17(1)(d) (leases that must be registered)
  • Transfer of Property Act, 1882, section 107 (how leases are made)
  • Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999, section 55 (registration of leave and licence agreements)
  • Model Tenancy Act, 2021 (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs), applicable only where a state has adopted it
  • Your state's stamp act and its schedule for leases