Documents Required for a Rent Agreement in India (2026): Full Checklist

Why the paperwork matters

A rent agreement is only as strong as the identities behind it. Stamping makes the document valid; registration records it with the government and verifies who signed it. Both steps rely on documentary proof of who the landlord, tenant and witnesses are, and of the property being let.

Under the Model Tenancy Act, 2021, a written agreement is required and must identify the landlord, the tenant and the property, and set out the rent, the term and the security deposit. Gathering the right documents up front is what lets you complete signing — and registration, where it applies — in one sitting.

Documents the tenant provides

• Photo identity proof — Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence (any one is usually accepted; Aadhaar is the most widely used for e-registration)
• PAN card — commonly requested, and relevant where the tenant claims HRA against rent receipts
• Two recent passport-size photographs
• Proof of current/permanent address, if different from the ID submitted
• For company or institutional tenants: a board resolution or authorisation letter for the signatory, plus the company's PAN

Documents the landlord provides

• Photo identity proof — Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence
• PAN card — needed if the landlord issues rent receipts for the tenant's HRA, and for higher-value lettings
• Two recent passport-size photographs
• Proof of ownership of the property — the sale deed/title deed, the latest property-tax receipt, or the index II/property card
• A recent electricity or water bill, often used to confirm the property's address
• Where the property is jointly owned, ID and consent of every co-owner; where a representative signs, a power of attorney

Documents for the two witnesses

An Indian rent agreement is signed before two witnesses. Each witness should carry photo ID (Aadhaar, voter ID, driving licence or passport). When the agreement is registered, the witnesses' identity is verified too — digitally in states with online registration, or in person at the Sub-Registrar's office.

Extra documents needed to register

If you are registering the agreement — which is mandatory for leases of 12 months or more under Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908, for every Leave & License in Maharashtra, and under the tenancy law in some states — the portal or Sub-Registrar will also need:

• The agreement itself, already stamped to the correct value (physical stamp paper or an e-stamp)
• Aadhaar of the landlord, tenant and both witnesses for biometric / e-KYC verification (fingerprint and photo capture in states with online registration such as Maharashtra)
• Proof of property ownership and the latest property-tax receipt or index II
• Passport-size photographs of the parties, where the state portal requires them

Special cases: NRIs, companies and minors' guardians

An NRI landlord typically supplies a passport (and OCI/PIO card where applicable) in place of Aadhaar, along with the title deed and tax receipts as ownership proof; a local power-of-attorney holder often signs on their behalf. A company on either side signs through an authorised representative backed by a board resolution and the company PAN. The exact list varies by state portal, so confirm on your state's registration site before you book a slot.

A quick note on the deposit and term

These aren't documents, but they belong on your checklist because the agreement must state them. The Model Tenancy Act, 2021 caps the security deposit at two months' rent for residential premises (six months' for non-residential) and requires the tenancy to be intimated to the Rent Authority within two months — where a state has adopted the Act. Most residential agreements run for 11 months to stay below the Registration Act's 12-month registration threshold.

Sources

Model Tenancy Act, 2021 (Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs) — requirement for a written agreement, the deposit cap, and intimation to the Rent Authority within two months (mohua.gov.in).

Registration Act, 1908 (Section 17) — registration threshold for leases of 12 months or more.

Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 (Section 55) — mandatory registration of Leave & License agreements, with online biometric verification via IGR Maharashtra.

State e-registration portals (e.g. IGR Maharashtra, Kaveri Online for Karnataka) for the identity, photograph and ownership documents required at registration. Document lists vary by state and should be confirmed on the relevant official portal.

Have your documents ready, then create the agreement

Once you've gathered ID, PAN, photos and proof of ownership, Score99 generates a state-specific rent agreement with the correct clauses, stamp-duty guidance and witness fields built in — for ₹199. Print it on stamp paper of the right value, sign before your two witnesses, and register it where your state requires.