Stamp duty on rent agreements, state by state

Stamp duty is a state subject, which is why the same 11-month rent agreement is stamped differently in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The duty is not a fee for paper; it is what makes the agreement fully usable as evidence.

What determines the duty

• The state. Each state sets its own schedule. Maharashtra calculates on a formula over rent and deposit; Delhi and Karnataka commonly see flat-denomination e-stamps for 11-month terms; Uttar Pradesh follows its own slab.
• The term. Agreements of 12 months or longer generally attract higher duty and compulsory registration. The famous 11-month term exists to stay under that line.
• Rent plus deposit. Where a formula applies, both the monthly rent and the refundable deposit feed the calculation.

The under-stamping trap

An under-stamped agreement is not void, but a court can impound it and charge the deficit with a penalty of up to ten times the shortfall before it is read in evidence. The few hundred rupees saved on stamping are the most expensive savings in Indian landlord-tenant practice.

How DraftingBase handles it

Every rent agreement order is stamped on the correct denomination for your state, billed at actual cost with the receipt attached. You never guess the number; we look it up and show our working.