Rent agreement & stamp duty in UP
Noida, Greater Noida and GN West fall under Uttar Pradesh law — which matters, because most rent-agreement advice online is written for Delhi, Karnataka or Maharashtra and gets the details wrong for us.
Why everyone signs 11 months
Agreements of 12 months or longer must be registeredwith the sub-registrar (stamp duty + registration fee + a visit in person). An 11-month agreement avoids mandatory registration, which is why it's the NCR default. It's typically executed on stamp paper and notarised — cheap and quick, though a notarised agreement carries less weight in a serious dispute than a registered one.
What it costs
- Notarised 11-month agreement: stamp paper (commonly ₹100) + notary + drafting — usually a few hundred rupees, under ₹1,000 total.
- Registered agreement: stamp duty in UP is calculated on the annual rent (plus deposit, in some cases) — meaningful money on higher rents. Check current rates on igrsup.gov.in (UP's registration portal) before committing; rates and slabs change.
- If a broker or landlord charges you ₹2,000–3,000 for "agreement charges", that's mostly margin — the actual cost is far less.
Clauses to actually read
- Deposit & refund timeline — how many months, and by when after vacating it's returned. Get deductions defined ("painting charges" is the classic dispute).
- Notice period — one month is standard; make sure it's symmetric (same for landlord and tenant).
- Lock-in — leaving during lock-in usually forfeits deposit. Negotiate it down if your job is uncertain.
- Annual escalation — 5–10% is common in NCR; anything above that, push back with data from the rent map.
- Maintenance — who pays society maintenance? In GN West high-rises this is ₹1,500–4,000/month and often left ambiguous on purpose.
- What's included — list every fixture (RO, geyser, fans, wardrobes) with condition, ideally with photos attached.
Paperwork both sides need
Tenant: ID + photos. Landlord: proof of ownership (registry/allotment letter) — you are entitled to see it before paying a deposit. If the "owner" can't show ownership or a power of attorney, walk away.
Practical orientation, not legal advice — verify current stamp rates on igrsup.gov.in.