A Bengaluru rental agreement is usually an 11-month residential lease: it does not have to be registered, and it goes on e-stamp paper worth 0.5% of the rent plus deposit, up to ₹500. It must name both parties and the property, and set out the rent, deposit, lock-in, notice period, who pays bills and repairs, and the fixtures, with two witnesses signing.
What must a Karnataka rental agreement include?
A rental agreement in Bengaluru should cover eight things: who the parties are, which property, for how long, the rent, the deposit, how either side can end it, who pays for what, and what is in the flat. The generator fills in all eight.
How much stamp duty does a rental agreement need in Karnataka?
For a residential agreement of up to one year, 0.5% of the rent for the term plus the security deposit, capped at ₹500, under Article 30 of the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957. Longer leases pay more and have no cap:
| Lease term | Stamp duty (Article 30(1)) | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1 year, residential | 0.5%, maximum ₹500 | Average annual rent + security deposit + any premium or fine |
| Up to 1 year, commercial or industrial | 0.5%, no maximum | |
| Over 1 year, up to 10 years | 1% | |
| Over 10 years, up to 20 years | 2% | |
| Over 20 years, up to 30 years | 3% | |
| Over 30 years or no fixed term | Same as a conveyance (sale) under Article 20(1) | |
Source: Article 30(1) of the Schedule to the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957, checked 4 October 2026. Work out any other combination with our Karnataka stamp duty calculator.
Does a rental agreement need to be registered in Bengaluru?
Not if it is for 11 months. Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908 makes registration compulsory only for a lease of more than one year, from year to year, or reserving a yearly rent. That is why almost every Bengaluru agreement runs for 11 months and is renewed, rather than signed for two or three years. This generator only makes agreements of up to 11 months. A longer lease must be registered with the Sub-Registrar through the Kaveri portal and pays 1% stamp duty with no cap.
How do you sign a rental agreement in Karnataka?
- Fill in the agreement above, then read every clause and change anything that does not match your deal.
- Buy the e-stamp for the duty shown, from an authorised centre or as a Digital e-Stamp on the Kaveri portal, which Karnataka launched in December 2025 under the Karnataka Stamp (Digital e-Stamp) Rules, 2025.
- Print the agreement on, or attach it to, the e-stamp, or sign digitally: the same rules allow an Aadhaar e-sign or a digital signature certificate.
- Sign every page, landlord and tenant, with two witnesses signing the last page. Each side keeps a copy.
- Pay the deposit and first month's rent by bank transfer or UPI, so there is a record. Monthly receipts for HRA come from our rent receipt generator.
Is there a limit on the security deposit in Bangalore?
No. No numeric cap appears in the Karnataka Rent Act, 1999, and the Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Act, 2025, which received the Governor's assent on 7 January 2026, did not add one. The two-month cap you may read about is a recommendation in the Model Tenancy Act, 2021, which Karnataka has not enacted. Bengaluru landlords commonly ask for several months' rent, often ten, which is why the deposit is the biggest cost of moving in. Our HSR Layout cost of living guide adds up the cash you need before you get the keys.
Common questions about rental agreements in Bengaluru
It is a standard 11-month residential rental agreement for Karnataka, written in plain English. An agreement becomes valid once it is printed on, or attached to, e-stamp paper for the right stamp duty and signed by the landlord, the tenant and two witnesses. It is a template, not legal advice, so have a lawyer review anything unusual.
Under section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908, a lease for more than one year, from year to year, or reserving a yearly rent must be registered with the Sub-Registrar. An 11-month agreement is not compulsorily registrable, so it only needs stamp duty and signatures, which is cheaper and quicker.
For a residential agreement of up to one year, stamp duty is 0.5% of the rent for the term plus the security deposit, capped at ₹500 under Article 30 of the Karnataka Stamp Act. With a typical Bengaluru deposit almost every 11-month agreement needs the full ₹500.
Yes. Click "Download for Word" to save the filled-in agreement as a .doc file that opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice, so you can edit any clause before printing. You can also print it or save it as a PDF.
Notarisation is not what makes an 11-month rental agreement valid in Karnataka. What matters is the correct stamp duty and the signatures of both parties and two witnesses. Some landlords, employers or banks still ask for a notarised copy, so check whether yours does.
No numeric cap appears in the Karnataka Rent Act, 1999, and the Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Act, 2025 did not add one. The two-month cap often quoted comes from the Model Tenancy Act, 2021, which Karnataka has not enacted. Bengaluru landlords commonly ask for several months' rent, often ten.
No. The rental agreement generator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded, saved or sent anywhere, and closing the page clears it.
More free tools and guides
- Karnataka stamp duty calculator: stamp duty for any rent, deposit and term, and when registration is required
- Rent receipt generator for HRA: monthly receipts with the landlord's PAN and a revenue stamp box
- All HSR Stay tools
- The long-stay playbook for Bangalore: serviced apartment, hotel, PG or rented flat, compared
- Relocating to Bangalore: the first 30 days, from a temporary base to your Aadhaar address
Rather not draft an agreement at all?
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