Punjab Rent Agreement on e-Stamp Paper
Drafted by legal experts, executed on a valid Punjab e-stamp certificate, couriered across the state — Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Mohali and beyond. Scan copy reaches you the same working day.
Three jurisdictions, twenty minutes apart
Nowhere in India does a short drive change your stamp duty as sharply as around Chandigarh. Mohali is Punjab. Panchkula is Haryana. Chandigarh is a Union Territory. Three separate rate cards, three separate Sub-Registrar systems, and a rental market where people move between all three without thinking about it.
| Same flat, ₹15,000/month, 11 months | Jurisdiction | Stamp duty |
|---|---|---|
| Mohali | Punjab | 1.5% of total rent = ₹2,475 |
| Chandigarh | Union Territory | Nominal — around ₹100 |
| Panchkula | Haryana | Nominal on short terms; 1.5% of rent + deposit beyond a year |
Stamp duty follows where the property is. Not where you work, not where your employer is registered, not where the broker's office sits. A flat in Mohali Phase 7 is governed by Punjab law even if you drive into Sector 17 every morning — and a ₹100 Chandigarh stamp paper will not do for it.
If you are renting in Panchkula rather than Mohali, our Haryana rent agreement page covers that side of the border.
Article 35, and the vendor who tells you otherwise
Under Article 35 of the Punjab stamp duty schedule, a lease for one year or less attracts duty at 1.5% of the total rent. Longer leases step up from there, and a registration fee applies once registration is triggered.
| Lease duration | Stamp duty |
|---|---|
| One year or less | 1.5% of total rent |
| Longer leases | Rate steps up with the term, on annual rent plus deposit |
| Registration fee, where registration applies | Fixed, from around ₹100 |
This is a live confusion in Punjab and it turns up on legal forums regularly. Stamp vendors and deed writers variously suggest Article 5 (Agreement), Article 19 (Certificate) or Article 35 (Lease) for a rent agreement. A leave and licence or rent agreement for immovable property is a lease, and Article 35 is the article that governs it. Stamping under the wrong article is not a filing technicality — it produces the wrong duty, and an under-stamped instrument is inadmissible in evidence until the deficiency and a penalty are paid.
Why Punjab still standardises on eleven months
Section 17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908 makes registration compulsory for leases from year to year, or for any term exceeding one year. Punjab has not layered an additional state-level registration mandate on short agreements the way Maharashtra has, so the eleven-month term does exactly what it does elsewhere — it keeps you out of the Sub-Registrar's office.
- 1.5% of ₹1,65,000 total rent
- No Sub-Registrar appointment
- No registration fee
- Valid and enforceable if properly stamped
- Registration mandatory at the Sub-Registrar
- Duty computed on annual rent plus deposit
- Both parties and witnesses attend in person
- If unregistered: inadmissible as evidence (s.49)
Wondering whether notarising is enough? It is not the same thing — see notarised vs registered rent agreement.
The Punjab Rented Premises Act, 2009
Punjab's tenancy statute is more modern than most. The Punjab Rented Premises Act, 2009 replaced the older rent control framework and is built around written agreements, agreed terms for rent revision, and defined grounds on which a landlord may seek possession.
Punjab Rented Premises Act, 2009
Governs the landlord and tenant relationship. Rent increases are expected to follow the terms agreed in the written agreement rather than being imposed unilaterally — which puts real weight on how the escalation clause is drafted.
Registration Act, 1908
Section 17(1)(d) sets the twelve-month line. Section 49 bars an unregistered lease that required registration from being used as evidence of the tenancy.
Model Tenancy Act, 2021
A central model law only. Tenancy is a State subject and Punjab has not adopted it, so the 2009 Act remains the operative statute.
Because the 2009 Act ties rent revision to what the parties agreed, a vague "as mutually decided at renewal" gives you nothing to enforce. A fixed percentage, written into the agreement, is what the statute expects to find — and it is what a Rent Authority will look for if the two of you disagree later.
Four steps, no office visit
Fill the form
Parties, rent, deposit and term.
We draft it
A legal expert, not a template fill-in.
e-Stamp procured
Correct article and denomination, certificate with a verifiable number.
Delivered
Scan the same day, hard copy couriered.
Draft already written? Buy Punjab e-stamp paper on its own. Unsure of the denomination, see which stamp paper you need.
A sample Punjab rent agreement
Six clauses that decide the dispute
Rent escalation
The single most important clause in a Punjab agreement. The 2009 Act ties revision to agreed terms — fix the percentage in writing.
Deposit and refund window
Name the refund days and the permitted deductions. On a longer lease the figure also feeds your duty base.
Notice period
State it explicitly and state it both ways. Custom is not a clause you can rely on.
Purpose of use
Residential or commercial. Ludhiana and Jalandhar carry heavy commercial and industrial letting where this changes a great deal.
Maintenance split
Structural repairs versus day-to-day upkeep, plus who pays for water, power and any society dues.
Property description
Full address with sector, phase, house number and khasra or municipal reference. Essential in Mohali's phase-based addressing.
Four documents
- Aadhaar — landlord and tenant
- PAN — both parties
- Property address and ownership reference
- Signatures of both parties and two witnesses
Tenant verification
Punjab Police runs tenant verification, and Ludhiana and Mohali push it actively given the volume of migrant and student tenancy.
It is not completed by executing the agreement, and the obligation sits with the landlord.
Five expensive mistakes
- Using a Chandigarh stamp paper for a Mohali flat. Different jurisdiction, different duty. Stamp duty follows the property.
- Stamping under Article 5 or 19 instead of 35. A rent agreement is a lease. The wrong article produces the wrong duty.
- Assuming a flat ₹100 covers it. Punjab charges a percentage of total rent even on short agreements.
- Leaving rent escalation "as mutually decided". The 2009 Act expects agreed terms. Vagueness leaves you with nothing to enforce.
- A vague deposit clause. See our drafting do's and don'ts.
Delivered across Punjab
Start your Punjab rent agreement
Drafted by legal experts · correct Article 35 duty calculated · genuine e-stamp certificate · scan copy the same day
Create your rent agreementFrequently asked
What is the stamp duty on a rent agreement in Punjab?
Under Article 35 of the Punjab stamp duty schedule, a lease for one year or less attracts 1.5% of the total rent. On a ₹15,000 a month tenancy for eleven months that works out to roughly ₹2,475. Longer leases step up from there.
Does a Mohali flat follow Punjab or Chandigarh rules?
Punjab rules. Stamp duty follows the location of the property, not where you work. Mohali is in Punjab, Panchkula is in Haryana, and Chandigarh is a Union Territory — three separate rate cards within a short drive of each other.
Which article applies to a rent agreement in Punjab?
Article 35, which covers leases. Stamp vendors sometimes suggest Article 5 (Agreement) or Article 19 (Certificate), but a rent agreement for immovable property is a lease. Stamping under the wrong article produces the wrong duty.
Does an 11-month rent agreement need registration in Punjab?
No. Section 17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908 makes registration compulsory only for leases exceeding one year. Punjab has not added a state-level requirement for shorter terms. Stamping is still required.
Which law governs tenancies in Punjab?
The Punjab Rented Premises Act, 2009. It is built around written agreements, expects rent revision to follow the terms the parties agreed, and sets out defined grounds on which a landlord may seek possession.
Who pays the stamp duty and registration charges?
No statute allocates it. In Punjab practice the tenant usually bears it, but the parties are free to split it — just record the arrangement in the agreement so it isn't argued later.
Renting outside Punjab?
Stamp duty, registration rules and tenancy law change at every state border. Pick yours below.
Stamp duty per Article 35 of the stamp duty schedule as applicable to Punjab. Registration position per Sections 17(1)(d) and 49 of the Registration Act, 1908. Tenancy law per the Punjab Rented Premises Act, 2009. Rates are reviewed periodically — confirm with the Sub-Registrar on the date of execution.
