RENT AGREEMENT

Residential — Eleven Months

This Rent Agreement ("Agreement") is made at __________ on __________.

BETWEEN

__________, __________, resident of __________, PAN __________, mobile __________

(the "Landlord", which expression includes the Landlord's heirs, legal representatives, successors and permitted assigns)

AND

__________, __________, permanently resident of __________, mobile __________

(the "Tenant", which expression includes the Tenant's heirs and legal representatives)

The Landlord and the Tenant are together the "Parties" and each a "Party".

BACKGROUND

A. The Landlord is the owner of, and is lawfully entitled to let out, the residential premises described in Clause 1 (the "Premises").

B. The Parties record that __________.

C. The Tenant has inspected the Premises, is satisfied with their condition and fittings, and wishes to take them on rent to live in.

D. The Parties are recording their agreed terms in writing.

The Parties agree as follows.

1. THE PREMISES

1.1 The Landlord lets to the Tenant, and the Tenant takes on rent, the residential premises at __________.

1.2 The Premises are described as: __________

1.3 The Premises are handed over on a __________ basis. The fittings, fixtures and articles handed over with the Premises are those, and only those, set out in Schedule A, which the Parties have jointly checked on the Start Date and have initialled.

1.4 The Landlord delivers vacant, peaceful possession (kabza) of the Premises to the Tenant on the Start Date, along with all keys, access cards and remotes.

2. TERM

2.1 The tenancy runs from __________ to __________, both days included (the "Term"), being a term not exceeding eleven months.

2.2 Eleven months, and not a round twelve, is deliberate. Section 17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908 makes a lease of immovable property from year to year, for any term exceeding one year, or reserving a yearly rent compulsorily registrable; section 107 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 provides that such a lease can be made only by a registered instrument; and section 49 of the Registration Act makes an unregistered one inadmissible as evidence of the transaction, which is precisely when it would be needed. Rent under this Agreement is therefore fixed and reserved monthly and never annually, and the Term is kept clear of the one-year line rather than sitting on it.

2.3 The Term does not extend or renew automatically. Any continuation beyond the End Date requires a fresh written agreement under Clause 4.

3. RENT

3.1 The Tenant shall pay the Landlord rent of __________ per month, in advance, on or before day 5 of each calendar month.

3.2 If the Term begins on a day other than the first of a month, rent for that first month is payable proportionately for the days of occupation.

3.3 Rent shall be paid by bank transfer (NEFT, IMPS, RTGS or UPI) to:

__________

The Landlord may change these details by written notice. The Landlord shall issue a rent receipt within seven days of any request, which the Tenant may need for an HRA claim.

3.4 The rent is fixed for the whole Term. The Landlord shall not increase it during the Term for any reason.

3.5 Clause 3.4 binds the Parties; it does not bind the Rent Controller. Where the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 governs the tenancy — which in the Union Territory of Chandigarh is every tenanted building whatever the rent — either Party may apply to the Rent Controller under section 4 of that Act to have the fair rent of the building determined, and a fair rent so fixed displaces the rent agreed in Clause 3.1 for as long as it stands.

3.6 Rent unpaid beyond the due date carries simple interest at 1% per month until paid. This is without prejudice to the Landlord's rights under Clause 15.

3.7 Rent does not include electricity, water, gas, internet or other utilities, which are dealt with in Clause 6.

4. RENEWAL AND RENT ON RENEWAL

4.1 Either Party may propose renewal by written notice given at least 1 month(s) before the End Date. Neither Party is obliged to renew.

4.2 If the Parties do renew, the rent for the renewed term shall be the rent last payable increased by 5%. Where that figure is zero, the rent stays the same.

4.3 Every renewal must be by a fresh written agreement for a term not exceeding eleven months, separately stamped and, if the Parties so choose, separately registered. The Parties do not intend any rolling, automatic or self-extending tenancy, because a tenancy that continues past one year attracts compulsory registration and is stamped on a higher slab.

4.4 On renewal, the Parties may by written agreement increase the security deposit so that it stays in proportion to the revised rent.

5. SECURITY DEPOSIT

5.1 The Tenant has paid, or shall pay on or before the Start Date, an interest-free refundable security deposit of __________. The Landlord acknowledges receipt on signing.

5.2 The deposit is not rent. Neither Party may adjust it against rent — including the last month's rent — unless the other agrees in writing.

5.3 At the end of the tenancy the Landlord may deduct from the deposit only: (a) rent that remains unpaid; (b) unpaid electricity, water, gas, society or estate charges for the Tenant's period of occupation; (c) the reasonable cost of repairing damage caused by the Tenant beyond fair wear and tear; and (d) any other amount the Tenant owes under this Agreement.

5.4 The Landlord shall refund the balance within 15 days of the later of (i) the Tenant handing back vacant possession and all keys, and (ii) receipt of the final utility bills — together with a written, itemised statement of every deduction, supported by bills or estimates.

5.5 If the refund is delayed beyond that period, the unpaid amount carries interest at 12% per year until paid.

5.6 The Landlord shall not deduct for fair wear and tear, or for routine repainting or deep cleaning at the end of the tenancy, unless the Tenant has caused damage going beyond ordinary use.

6. UTILITIES AND OUTGOINGS

6.1 From the Start Date until handover, the Tenant shall pay, as billed: electricity, water, piped or cylinder gas, internet, cable or DTH, and any usage-based society or estate charge.

6.2 The regular monthly society, RWA or estate maintenance charge is payable by the __________.

6.3 The Landlord shall pay, whatever Clause 6.2 says: municipal property tax, ground rent and lease money on a leasehold site, society sinking fund, non-occupancy charges, capital or major-repair levies, and every other charge that is an owner's liability.

6.4 The Landlord shall clear all dues on the Premises up to the day before the Start Date. The Tenant shall clear all dues for their period of occupation before handing back possession.

6.5 The Parties shall jointly record the electricity and water meter readings on the Start Date and again on the date of handover, and shall each keep a signed copy.

7. MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS

7.1 The Tenant shall keep the Premises clean and in good order and shall pay for day-to-day minor repairs and consumables — bulbs, tubes, tap washers, fuses, minor drain blockages and the like — up to __________ per repair.

7.2 The Landlord shall pay for and carry out: structural repairs; repairs to the roof, external walls, waterproofing and seepage; main plumbing, sanitary, drainage and electrical lines; repair or replacement of any Schedule A fixture that fails through age or fair wear and tear; and any single repair costing more than __________.

7.3 The Tenant shall tell the Landlord in writing as soon as a repair is needed. The Landlord shall attend to it within 15 days, or within 7 days where it affects an essential service such as water supply, sewerage, electricity or a leaking roof.

7.4 If the Landlord fails to act within those periods, the Tenant may get the repair done and deduct the actual cost from the next month's rent, on producing the bills.

7.5 The Tenant shall pay for any damage caused by the Tenant, their family, guests, staff or pets.

8. USE OF THE PREMISES

8.1 The Premises shall be used only as a private residence. They shall not be used as an office, shop, showroom, godown, clinic, coaching centre, paying-guest accommodation, guest house, or for short-stay letting through any holiday-rental or homestay platform.

8.2 The Tenant shall not use the Premises for any unlawful, immoral or hazardous purpose, and shall not store inflammable, explosive or prohibited goods.

8.3 The Tenant shall not cause nuisance or annoyance to neighbouring occupiers and shall comply with the bye-laws and rules of the society, the RWA or the estate. The Landlord shall give the Tenant a copy of those rules.

8.4 The Tenant may keep pets only if those rules permit it and the Landlord has consented in writing.

8.5 Where the Premises form part of a site allotted by the Estate Officer, Chandigarh, or by GMADA, GLADA, PUDA or another development authority in Punjab, the Tenant shall use the Premises strictly in accordance with the use for which the site was allotted and shall not do anything that would amount to misuse of the site. Residential premises put to a non-residential use attract misuse proceedings and a misuse charge from the allotting authority, and the Tenant shall indemnify the Landlord against any such charge arising from the Tenant's own use.

9. OCCUPANTS, SUBLETTING AND ASSIGNMENT

9.1 The persons who may live in the Premises are: __________. Any addition needs the Landlord's prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably refused.

9.2 The Tenant shall not sublet, assign, transfer, or part with possession of the whole or any part of the Premises, and shall not take in paying guests, without the Landlord's prior written consent. Sub-letting or transfer of the lease rights without the Landlord's written consent is also a statutory ground of eviction under section 13(2)(ii) of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 wherever that Act governs the tenancy.

9.3 Genuine guests staying for less than 30 days at a time are permitted and are not subletting.

9.4 The Tenant shall not register a business, a GST number or a company office at the address of the Premises without the Landlord's written consent.

10. ALTERATIONS

10.1 The Tenant shall not make any structural alteration or permanent addition to the Premises, or change their external appearance, without the Landlord's prior written consent. Any change to the exterior of a building in Chandigarh, and to a building in a controlled area in Punjab, may additionally require the permission of the authority that sanctioned the building plan.

10.2 The Tenant may install ordinary non-structural items — curtain rods, air-conditioner brackets, water purifier, shelves, safety grills — and shall make good any holes or marks when handing back.

10.3 Anything the Tenant installs at their own cost and can remove without damaging the Premises remains the Tenant's property and shall be removed on handover.

11. THE LANDLORD'S OBLIGATIONS AND RIGHT OF ENTRY

11.1 The Landlord confirms that they own the Premises or are otherwise entitled to let them, that letting does not breach any mortgage, allotment condition, society rule, lease or law, and that they will produce their ownership or allotment documents for inspection if the Tenant asks.

11.2 The Landlord shall let the Tenant enjoy the Premises peacefully throughout the Term without interruption.

11.3 The Landlord (or their representative) may enter the Premises on at least 24 hours' prior written notice — a message on WhatsApp or email counts — at a mutually convenient time in daylight hours and with the Tenant or their representative present, to inspect the Premises, carry out repairs, or show the Premises to prospective tenants or buyers during the last month of the Term.

11.4 In a genuine emergency — fire, flood, gas leak, burst pipe or structural danger — the Landlord may enter immediately and shall inform the Tenant as soon as possible.

11.5 The Landlord shall not cut off or withhold electricity, water or any other essential service, change the locks, remove the Tenant's belongings, or shut the Tenant out of the Premises. If the Landlord wants the Tenant out, it must be by the notice procedure in Clause 15 and, failing that, by due process of law as set out in Clause 21.

12. THE TENANT'S OBLIGATIONS

12.1 Pay the rent, the deposit and all bills on time.

12.2 Keep the Premises and the Schedule A items in good condition, fair wear and tear excepted.

12.3 Do nothing that would invalidate the Landlord's insurance or breach the society, RWA or estate rules.

12.4 Allow the Landlord entry in accordance with Clause 11.

12.5 Give truthful identity details and cooperate with tenant police verification under Clause 13.4.

12.6 Inform the Landlord in writing before leaving the Premises unoccupied for more than 30 continuous days. Non-occupation of a building for a continuous period of four months without reasonable cause is a statutory ground of eviction under section 13(2)(v) of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 wherever that Act governs the tenancy.

13. STAMP DUTY, REGISTRATION AND POLICE VERIFICATION

13.1 This Agreement is executed on stamp paper or an e-stamp certificate of the value chargeable under Article 35 of Schedule I-A to the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 as that Schedule applies where the Premises are situated — for premises in the Union Territory of Chandigarh, 2% of the annual average rent together with a further 3% on the refundable security deposit, never on advance rent; for premises in the State of Punjab, 4% of the annual rent, the security deposit not being added to the base. The Chandigarh security-deposit position was verified at the Sub-Registrar, SAS Nagar (Mohali), September 2026; both figures are otherwise those published by the Revenue Department, Chandigarh Administration and by the Department of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management, Government of Punjab, read on 6 September 2026. An instrument that is not duly stamped is liable to be impounded under sections 33 and 35 of that Act and cannot be received in evidence until the deficit duty and a penalty, which may extend to ten times the deficiency, have been paid.

13.2 Stamp duty and, if the Parties choose to register this Agreement, the registration fee, the facilitation charge and the pasting fee, shall be borne equally by the Parties.

13.3 Registration of this Agreement is not compulsory, because the Term does not exceed eleven months and the rent is reserved monthly. Either Party may nonetheless require it, in which case both Parties shall attend in person, with two identifying witnesses and their original photo identity documents, before the Sub-Registrar having jurisdiction over the Premises, within four months of the date of this Agreement as required by section 23 of the Registration Act, 1908.

13.4 The Tenant shall give the Landlord the particulars, documents and photographs needed for tenant verification, and the Landlord shall submit them through __________. This obligation arises from prohibitory orders issued from time to time under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and failure to comply is punishable under section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The Landlord shall also report any change of tenant as those orders require.

14. LOCK-IN

14.1 The lock-in period is __________ month(s) from the Start Date. Where that figure is zero, there is no lock-in and either Party may give notice under Clause 15 from the Start Date.

14.2 If the Tenant vacates before the lock-in ends, the Tenant shall pay the rent for the unexpired part of the lock-in, which the Landlord may deduct from the security deposit.

14.3 If the Landlord requires the Tenant to vacate before the lock-in ends for any reason other than the Tenant's breach, the Landlord shall pay the Tenant an amount equal to the rent for the unexpired part of the lock-in and shall refund the security deposit in full on the date the Tenant hands over possession.

14.4 The lock-in does not apply where the Premises become unfit to live in, or where the Party seeking to leave is doing so because of the other Party's material breach.

15. NOTICE PERIOD AND TERMINATION

15.1 After the lock-in has ended, either Party may end this Agreement by giving the other 1 month(s) prior written notice.

15.2 A Party who gives shorter notice shall pay rent for the balance of the notice period instead. Where that Party is the Tenant, the Landlord may deduct it from the security deposit.

15.3 The Landlord may terminate on 15 days' written notice if: (a) rent remains unpaid for 15 days after its due date; (b) the Tenant sublets or parts with possession without consent; (c) the Premises are used unlawfully or for a purpose Clause 8 prohibits; or (d) the Tenant materially breaches any other term and fails to put it right within 15 days of written notice.

15.4 The Tenant may terminate immediately, and recover the deposit in full, if the Premises become unfit to live in through no fault of the Tenant, or if the Landlord materially breaches this Agreement and fails to put it right within 15 days of written notice.

15.5 Termination does not affect any right or liability that has already accrued.

15.6 Notice under this Clause ends the contractual tenancy. It does not by itself put the Landlord in possession, and the Landlord shall not take possession otherwise than by due process of law. Where the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 governs the tenancy — which in the Union Territory of Chandigarh is every tenanted building whatever the rent, the exemption notification dated 7 November 2002 having been quashed by the Supreme Court in Vasu Dev Singh v. Union of India, decided 7 November 2006 — the Tenant remains a statutory tenant after the contractual tenancy ends, and possession can be obtained only from the Rent Controller on a ground set out in section 13 of that Act. Where the Premises are in Punjab and the Punjab Rent Act, 1995 does not apply to them, this Agreement and the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 govern, and possession is recovered by a suit in the civil court.

16. HANDOVER AT THE END

16.1 On the End Date, or on earlier termination, the Tenant shall hand back vacant and peaceful possession of the Premises with all keys, access cards and remotes.

16.2 The Premises and the Schedule A items shall be in the same condition as at the Start Date, fair wear and tear excepted.

16.3 The Parties shall carry out a joint inspection against Schedule A and jointly record the final meter readings on the day of handover.

16.4 The security deposit shall then be refunded under Clause 5.

17. STAYING ON AFTER THE END DATE

17.1 If the Tenant stays in the Premises after the End Date without a fresh written agreement, they do so on the Landlord's tolerance and not under any renewed contractual tenancy. No new contractual tenancy arises.

17.2 For that period the Tenant shall pay damages for use and occupation at twice the last monthly rent, calculated pro rata for each day, until vacant possession is handed back.

17.3 The Landlord's acceptance of rent or of any such amount after the End Date does not create a new tenancy or renew this one. The Parties expressly exclude the operation of section 116 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 (holding over). Nothing in this Clause displaces any statutory protection the Tenant has under the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 where that Act governs the tenancy.

18. TAX DEDUCTION AT SOURCE

18.1 If the monthly rent exceeds ₹50,000, the Tenant must deduct tax at source under section 194-IB of the Income-tax Act, 1961 at the rate then in force (2% with effect from 1 October 2024), deposit it using Form 26QC, and give the Landlord Form 16C.

18.2 The Landlord shall give the Tenant their PAN for this purpose. Any amount properly deducted and deposited counts as rent paid, and the Tenant is not in default for deducting it.

18.3 If the Landlord does not give a valid PAN, the Tenant shall deduct at the higher rate the law then prescribes, and that too counts as rent paid.

18.4 Clauses 18.1 to 18.3 apply only where the Landlord is a resident of India for income-tax purposes. Where the Landlord is a non-resident, section 194-IB does not apply at all: the Tenant shall deduct tax under section 195 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 at the rate in force, whatever the amount of the rent and with no ₹50,000 threshold, shall deposit it under a tax deduction account number obtained for the purpose, shall file the quarterly statement in Form 27Q and issue Form 16A, and shall complete the Form 15CA and Form 15CB formalities on remittance. The Landlord shall tell the Tenant in writing, on or before the Start Date, whether the Landlord is a resident or a non-resident for income-tax purposes, and shall tell the Tenant in writing if that status changes during the Term. An amount deducted and deposited under this Clause counts as rent paid.

19. NOTICES

19.1 Every notice under this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered by hand against acknowledgement, by registered post or speed post with acknowledgement due, or by courier.

19.2 A notice to the Tenant shall be sent to the Premises, and a copy of it to the Tenant's permanent address given at the start of this Agreement. A notice sent only to the permanent address is not validly served while the Tenant is in occupation of the Premises. A notice to the Landlord shall be sent to the Landlord's address given at the start of this Agreement.

19.3 Email to the email addresses given at the start of this Agreement, where one has been given, is valid for routine communication and for notices under Clauses 7 and 11.

19.4 Either Party may change their address or email by written notice to the other.

19.5 A notice is treated as delivered: by hand, when delivered; by post or courier, on the fifth day after dispatch even if refused or returned unclaimed, and in the case of a notice to the Tenant only if both the copy to the Premises and the copy to the permanent address were dispatched; by email, on transmission if no failure message is received.

19.6 A notice to quit or a notice of demand for arrears under any rent statute governing the tenancy must additionally be served in the manner that statute requires, and Clause 19.5 does not shorten any statutory period.

20. FORCE MAJEURE

20.1 Neither Party is liable for failure to perform caused by an event beyond their reasonable control — natural disaster, fire, flood, epidemic, riot, war, or a binding government order.

20.2 If such an event makes the Premises unusable, rent abates for the period they remain unusable. If that period exceeds 30 days, either Party may terminate this Agreement immediately by written notice, without penalty and without regard to the lock-in, and the security deposit shall be refunded under Clause 5.

21. DISPUTES AND JURISDICTION

21.1 If a dispute arises, the Parties shall first try to settle it between themselves within 30 days of one Party giving the other written notice of the dispute.

21.2 Failing settlement, the forum is the forum for the place where the Premises are situated, and it is fixed by law rather than by this Agreement. Where the Premises are in the Union Territory of Chandigarh, an application for eviction lies to the Rent Controller under section 13 of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 — the Civil Judge exercising the powers of Rent Controller at the District Courts, Sector 43, Chandigarh — with appeal to the District Judge as Appellate Authority and revision to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Where the Premises are in Punjab and the Punjab Rent Act, 1995 applies to them, the application lies to the Rent Authority under that Act, which in practice is the Court of the Rent Controller-cum-Civil Judge (Junior Division) at the District Courts, with appeal to the Appellate Authority under section 50. Where the Premises are in Punjab and that Act does not apply to them, a suit lies to the civil court having pecuniary jurisdiction at the place where the Premises are situated.

21.3 Section 16 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 requires a suit for possession of, or for relief respecting, immovable property to be brought where the property is situated, and the Parties cannot by agreement confer jurisdiction on a court that would not otherwise have it. The place at which this Agreement is signed does not decide the forum.

21.4 This Agreement is governed by Indian law, including the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 and whichever of the Punjab Rent Act, 1995 or the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 governs the Premises. Where a provision of that rent statute conflicts with a term of this Agreement, the statute prevails and the rest of this Agreement continues in force.

22. GENERAL

22.1 Whole agreement. This Agreement records everything the Parties have agreed and replaces all earlier discussions, brokers' notes, emails and messages about the tenancy.

22.2 Changes. Any change must be in writing and signed by both Parties.

22.3 Severability. If any clause is held invalid, the rest of the Agreement continues in force.

22.4 No waiver. A Party's delay or indulgence in enforcing a right does not waive it.

22.5 Successors. This Agreement binds the heirs and legal representatives of both Parties. If the Landlord sells or transfers the Premises during the Term, the tenancy continues on these terms and binds the new owner for the remainder of the Term, and the Landlord shall transfer the security deposit to them and inform the Tenant in writing.

22.6 Counterparts. This Agreement is signed in two originals of equal effect, one for each Party. If it is registered, a third copy shall be made for the registering authority.

22.7 Headings. Headings are for convenience and do not affect interpretation.

SCHEDULE A — FITTINGS, FIXTURES AND ARTICLES HANDED OVER

Furnishing status: __________

Items handed over with the Premises:

__________

Both Parties should initial this Schedule. If the entry above records that nothing is handed over, the Premises are handed over bare apart from any permanent fittings forming part of the structure.

IN WITNESS OF WHICH the Parties have signed this Agreement at __________ on __________.

WITNESSES

1. Signature: ______________________

Name:

Address: ________________________________________________

2. Signature: ______________________

Name:

Address: ________________________________________________