How to Register a Rent Agreement Online (2026): State-by-State Guide

Do you actually need to register?

Registration and stamping are two separate things. Stamping (paying stamp duty) makes a document valid; registration records it with the government at the Sub-Registrar's office and gives it the strongest legal standing if it is ever contested in court.

Under Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908, a lease of 12 months or more generally must be registered. This single rule is why the 11-month agreement is so common across India — an 11-month term stays fully valid without compulsory registration, and can simply be renewed on expiry.

Two important exceptions override the 11-month shortcut. In Maharashtra, every Leave & License agreement must be registered regardless of duration (Section 55, Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999). In Tamil Nadu, the tenancy must be registered with the Rent Authority under the Tamil Nadu Tenancy Act, 2017. And where a state has adopted the Model Tenancy Act, 2021, the tenancy must additionally be reported to the District Rent Authority within two months.

What you need before you start

• The agreement itself, stamped to the correct value (physical stamp paper or an e-stamp)
• PAN and Aadhaar (or other ID) of the landlord, the tenant, and two witnesses
• Passport-size photographs of the parties (required by several state portals)
• Proof of ownership or the latest property-tax receipt / index II for the property
• The property's full address and details, matching the agreement exactly

The online registration process, step by step

The exact screens differ by state, but every state e-registration portal follows roughly the same flow:

• Create an account on your state's registration / IGR portal and start a new document.
• Enter the parties' details, the property details, the rent, deposit, and term — these must match the stamped agreement.
• Pay stamp duty and the registration fee online (most portals accept net banking, UPI, or card).
• Book an appointment slot at the Sub-Registrar's office, or complete biometric / Aadhaar e-KYC online where the state supports fully online registration.
• Complete biometric verification (fingerprint and photo) for the parties and witnesses — done online in Maharashtra, or in person at the SRO elsewhere.
• Download the registered agreement with its registration number once processing is complete.

The official portal for each state

Always start from the official government portal — not a third-party reseller. These are the authoritative e-registration / e-stamp sources for the states Score99 supports:

• Maharashtra — IGR Maharashtra e-registration for Leave & License, with fully online biometric registration (leaveandlicense.igrmaharashtra.gov.in / igrmaharashtra.gov.in). Registration is mandatory for any duration.
• Karnataka — Kaveri Online Services for e-stamping and registration (kaverionline.karnataka.gov.in). Registration is compulsory for terms of 12 months or more.
• Tamil Nadu — TNREGINET, the Registration department portal (tnreginet.gov.in); the tenancy must also be registered with the Rent Authority under the 2017 Act.
• Gujarat — GARVI portal for e-stamps and registration (garvi.gujarat.gov.in).
• Delhi — e-stamping via SHCIL and registration through the Delhi Revenue / Sub-Registrar system (shcilestamp.com plus the Delhi e-registration system).
• Uttar Pradesh — IGRSUP, the Stamp & Registration department portal (igrsup.gov.in).
• Telangana — the Registration & Stamps department portal (registration.telangana.gov.in).

How much does registration cost?

Registration is billed separately from stamp duty. The registration fee is usually modest — often a few hundred rupees up to about ₹1,000, depending on the state and whether the property is urban or rural — while stamp duty is the larger, percentage-based charge.

Some states cap or fix the registration fee for rent agreements; others charge a small percentage. Confirm both the stamp duty and the registration fee on your state's official portal before you pay, because deposit treatment and slabs change.

Registered, notarised, or neither?

A registered agreement carries the strongest legal standing and is mandatory where the law requires it (12-month-plus leases generally, and all agreements in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu). Notarisation is a lighter step — it adds authenticity but is not a substitute for registration where registration is compulsory.

For a standard 11-month agreement in most states, a correctly stamped agreement signed by both parties and two witnesses is valid and enforceable. Registering it anyway is still worthwhile if you want the maximum protection in a dispute.

Sources

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

Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 (Section 55) and IGR Maharashtra (igrmaharashtra.gov.in / leaveandlicense.igrmaharashtra.gov.in) for mandatory Leave & License registration.

Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017, for registration with the Rent Authority; TNREGINET (tnreginet.gov.in).

Model Tenancy Act, 2021 — reporting the tenancy to the District Rent Authority within two months.

State e-registration / e-stamp portals: Kaveri Online (Karnataka), GARVI (Gujarat), IGRSUP (Uttar Pradesh), SHCIL e-Stamp (Delhi), Telangana Registration & Stamps. Fees and procedures should be confirmed on the relevant state portal.

Generate the agreement, then register it

Score99 generates a state-specific rent agreement with the correct document type, stamp-duty guidance, and witness fields built in — for ₹199. Once you have it stamped, follow your state's portal above to register it.