Stamp duty on a rent agreement

The usual rent agreement runs eleven months. In the Department's chart that falls in the "less than one year" row — stamp duty on it is a flat ₹500 whatever the rent, and registration is optional.

Stamp duty ₹500

Registration fee ₹1,000

Total payable ₹1,500

Registration is optional

The registration fee is three quarters of the stamp duty, subject to a ₹1,000 minimum. That is why registering an eleven-month agreement costs ₹1,000, not ₹375.

Stamp duty by term
Term of the agreement	Stamp duty	Minimum	Registration
11 months (less than a year)	₹500	₹500	Registration is optional
1 to 5 years	0.1%	₹500	Registration is compulsory
5 to 10 years	0.5%	₹500	Registration is compulsory
10 to 20 years	1%	₹500	Registration is compulsory
20 to 30 years	2%	₹500	Registration is compulsory

Source: MP IGR fee chart (09.09.2025), rows 74–78. On every row the registration fee is 3/4 of the stamp duty, minimum ₹1,000.

What a rent agreement is

A rent agreement is the written contract between an owner and a tenant — how much rent, for how long, what deposit, and who pays for what repair. In the Department's chart it sits under "lease", which is why it attracts stamp duty at all.

Why eleven months? Because a term under a year does not have to be registered. A year or more must be registered, and the stamp duty rises with the term. That is the only reason nearly every rent agreement in the country runs eleven months.

How to get one made

Agree the terms — rent, term, security deposit, who pays the utility bills, and the notice period.
Have Aadhaar for both sides, and the address and identification of the property.
Raise the e-stamp on SAMPADA 2.0 — a flat ₹500 for eleven months.
Print the agreement on that stamp; both parties and two witnesses sign it.
If you need it registered — banks, GST and address proof often ask for that — take a slot at the sub-registrar office.

A rent agreement for GST registration

Where a business runs from rented premises, the rent agreement is the proof of place for GST registration, along with the owner's electricity bill or property tax receipt. A registered agreement is often insisted on — which adds the ₹1,000 registration fee on top of the ₹500 stamp. Confirm what your case needs with your tax adviser; GST conditions are not our subject.

What the agreement should say

Full names, addresses and identification for both sides
The full address, and which part of the property is let
Monthly rent, any escalation, and the day it falls due
The deposit, and when and how it comes back
The term, and the notice either side has to give
Who bears electricity, water, maintenance and repairs
Signatures of two witnesses

This is not a government website

Registry99 is a private website. We are not the Department of Registration and Stamps and have no connection with it. We cannot book slots, issue e-stamps or register documents. The figures here come from the Department's published sources and are for your information. Confirm the amount on SAMPADA 2.0 or at the sub-registrar office before you pay anything.

Common questions

How much stamp duty on an 11-month rent agreement?

A flat ₹500, whatever the rent. The under-one-year row carries a fixed duty, not a percentage, and registration is optional.

What does registering a rent agreement cost?

The registration fee is three quarters of the stamp duty, subject to a ₹1,000 minimum. Three quarters of ₹500 is ₹375, so the ₹1,000 minimum applies — ₹1,500 in all.

Does a rent agreement have to be registered?

Not under a year. A year or more must be registered. Banks, GST registration and address proof may still insist on a registered copy even for a shorter term.

What about a longer lease?

0.1% for 1 to 5 years, 0.5% for 5 to 10, 1% for 10 to 20 and 2% for 20 to 30 — on the rent for the whole term plus any advance. Minimum stamp ₹500, and registration is compulsory.

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