Rent Agreement Format in Bangalore (2026): Clauses, Stamp Duty & Registration

Rent agreements in Bangalore: the essentials

In Bengaluru — as across Karnataka — a residential letting is documented as a plain rent (lease) agreement, not a 'Leave & License' (that terminology is specific to Maharashtra). The agreement is governed by the Karnataka Rent Act, 1999 together with the central Registration Act, 1908 and the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957.

Bengaluru's rental market is unusually large: Karnataka has the highest urban rental share in India — about 46% of urban households live in rented homes per Census 2011 — driven in large part by the city's migrant tech workforce. That makes getting the format right worthwhile: a clear, correctly stamped agreement is what protects both landlord and tenant if a dispute arises.

Clauses every Bangalore rent agreement should contain

• Names, addresses and ID details (PAN/Aadhaar) of the landlord and tenant
• Full description and address of the property, including flat/house number and area
• Monthly rent, the due date, and the mode of payment
• Security deposit amount and the exact conditions for its refund
• Tenure (start and end dates), the 11-month term, and renewal/escalation terms
• Maintenance and society/association charges — who pays what
• Rules on subletting, alterations, and permitted use of the premises
• Notice period for vacating, lock-in period (if any), and grounds for termination
• Signatures of both parties and two witnesses

The 11-month convention in Karnataka

Most Bengaluru agreements run for 11 months, and the reason is procedural, not a Karnataka-specific rule. Under Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908, a lease of 12 months or more generally must be registered at the Sub-Registrar's office, which adds cost and time.

An 11-month term stays below that threshold, so it is fully valid without compulsory registration and can simply be renewed on expiry. (For the full logic, see our deep-dive on why a rent agreement is 11 months and not 12.)

Stamp duty and e-stamping in Karnataka

Your agreement must be executed on stamp paper of the correct value, or e-stamped. Karnataka handles e-stamping and registration through the state's Kaveri Online Services portal (kaverionline.karnataka.gov.in), run by the Department of Stamps and Registration.

For an ordinary residential agreement, Karnataka stamp duty is commonly around 1% of the annual rent (or rent plus deposit) for a typical term. Treat that as a budgeting guide, not an exact quote — the final figure depends on your rent, deposit and term, and rates and slabs change. Always confirm the exact duty on Kaveri Online before you pay. (Our guide to rent-agreement stamp duty by state sets out the wider picture.)

Security deposits in Bengaluru — know the direction of reform

Bengaluru is well known for high security deposits: landlords have traditionally asked for several months' rent, and in sought-after areas the deposit has often run to as much as ten months'. This has long been a point of friction for tenants.

The direction of reform is toward a lower cap. The Model Tenancy Act, 2021 recommends a maximum security deposit of two months' rent for residential premises (six months' for non-residential), and Karnataka has recently moved to legislate a deposit cap along the same lines through the Karnataka Rent (Amendment) legislation of 2025. Because this is a recent change, confirm the current limit before you agree a deposit — and whatever figure you settle on, write the exact amount and its refund conditions into the agreement.

Do you need to register your Bangalore rent agreement?

Stamping and registration are two separate steps: stamping makes the document valid, while registration records it with the government and gives it the strongest standing if it is ever contested. In Karnataka, registration is compulsory for terms of 12 months or more (Section 17, Registration Act, 1908) and is done through Kaveri Online; a standard 11-month agreement need not be registered.

For an 11-month term, a correctly stamped agreement signed by both parties and two witnesses is valid and enforceable. Registering it anyway — or notarising it — is optional but adds protection; our guide to notarised vs registered rent agreements explains the difference.

Sources

Registration Act, 1908 — Section 17 (compulsory registration of leases of 12 months or more). Official text: India Code (indiacode.nic.in).

Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957, and the Department of Stamps and Registration, Karnataka — Kaveri Online Services for e-stamping and registration (kaverionline.karnataka.gov.in / igr.karnataka.gov.in). The exact duty payable should be confirmed on the official portal.

Karnataka's urban rental share (about 46%, the highest in India) — Census of India 2011, Houselisting & Housing data (Office of the Registrar General; state-wise urban rental share on data.gov.in).

Security-deposit reform — Model Tenancy Act, 2021 (Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, mohua.gov.in), which recommends a two-month residential deposit cap, and the Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (PRS Legislative Research / Karnataka DPAL). The traditional high-deposit norm reflects widely reported Bengaluru market practice; confirm the current legal position before you sign.

Create your Bangalore rent agreement

Score99 generates a Karnataka rent agreement with the correct clauses, the right 11-month term, stamp-duty guidance and witness fields built in — for ₹199. Print it on stamp paper of the correct value (or e-stamp it via Kaveri), sign before two witnesses, and register it if your term runs to 12 months or more.