On this page
An online rent agreement in Maharashtra has to be a registered leave and licence agreement. A notarised agreement on stamp paper won’t do. Law At Ease drafts it, calculates and pays the stamp duty, books the e-registration with the Department of Registration and Stamps, and arranges the biometric verification. You get the registered copy by email without going to a sub-registrar office.
We do this for landlords and tenants in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik and every other district in the state.
Rated 4.8/5 from 2,400 reviews · 50,000+ people helped · Advocates reply in under 3 minutes
Why Maharashtra is different
Most people who sign a rent agreement in Delhi or Bengaluru buy stamp paper, sign it, maybe get it notarised, and move on. In Maharashtra that shortcut leaves you exposed. Section 55 of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 says every leave and licence agreement must be in writing and registered, whatever its length. An 11-month agreement included.
Skip it, and the landlord can face a fine of up to ₹5,000 and up to three months in jail. The tenant, meanwhile, holds a document that a court can refuse to treat as proof of the terms. That matters the day a deposit refund turns into an argument.
The good news: registration no longer means a morning lost at the sub-registrar’s office. Maharashtra runs the whole process online, and we handle it end to end.
Leave and Licence Agreement vs Rent Agreement in Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, almost every residential “rent agreement” is drafted as a leave and licence agreement. The owner (licensor) gives the occupant (licensee) permission to use the flat for a fixed period. No interest in the property passes to the occupant, which is why owners prefer it.
A lease is different. It transfers an interest in the property to the tenant for the term, under Section 105 of the Transfer of Property Act. A licence, defined in Section 52 of the Indian Easements Act, only gives permission to occupy.
Point
Leave and licence agreement
Lease / tenancy agreementWhat the occupant gets | Permission to use the premises | An interest in the property for the term
Typical term | 11 months, renewable | Often longer, 1 to 5+ years
Getting the flat back at the end | Simpler for the owner | Can need eviction proceedings
Registration in Maharashtra | Compulsory, any term | Compulsory
Stamp duty | 0.25% of the total licence value | Worked out differently; our advocates confirm it before you sign
For a family renting a 2BHK in Thane for a year, the leave and licence agreement is the right document. For a 9-year shop lease in Pune, talk to one of our advocates first; the stamp duty and clauses change a lot.
Is a notarised rent agreement valid in Maharashtra?
A notarised agreement only proves the signatures were made before a notary. It does not replace registration. Under Section 55 of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, the agreement must be registered; without that, banks, passport offices and courts can push back. If you already have a notarised agreement, we can convert it into a registered one.
How to Make a Registered Rent Agreement in Maharashtra Online
You can register a leave and licence agreement in Maharashtra without visiting any office. Fill in the details online, approve the draft, pay stamp duty and the registration fee, finish biometric verification for both parties and two witnesses, and receive the registered agreement by email. With Law At Ease, most agreements are registered within [TURNAROUND, e.g. 24 to 48 hours] of biometrics.
Fill in the details (10 minutes). Owner, tenant, property address, rent, deposit, lock-in and notice period. The form saves as you go.
What goes wrong: the property address doesn’t match Index II or the tax receipt. We check it against your document before drafting.
Approve the draft. Our team drafts the agreement in the format the e-registration system accepts. Want a pet clause, a parking slot or a painting charge at exit? Ask now; changes after registration need a fresh agreement.
Pay stamp duty and registration fee. We calculate both from your rent, deposit and term, and pay them through the government system. You see the government charges and our fee as separate lines.
Biometric verification. The owner, tenant and two witnesses verify with Aadhaar-linked fingerprints. Our executive brings the device to your home or office, or each party completes it where they are; the owner and tenant don’t need to be in the same place.
What goes wrong: a mobile number not linked to Aadhaar. Check yours before the visit.
Receive the registered agreement. Once the sub-registrar approves it, the digitally signed agreement lands in your inbox and in the Law At Ease app.
Stamp Duty on Leave and Licence Agreement in Maharashtra
Stamp duty on a leave and licence agreement in Maharashtra is a flat 0.25% of the total licence value, for terms up to 60 months, residential or commercial. The registration fee is ₹1,000 in a municipal corporation area and ₹500 in a rural area. Whoever pays is up to the parties; the tenant usually does.
The total licence value is worked out like this:
Stamp duty = 0.25% × [(monthly rent × months) + non-refundable deposit + (10% × refundable deposit × years)]
The 10% line trips people up. The refundable deposit isn’t taxed in full. The state assumes it earns 10% a year in interest and charges duty on that notional interest.
Example
Rent
Term
Refundable deposit
Licence value
Stamp duty
Registration fee (city)1BHK, no deposit | ₹30,000/month | 11 months | Nil | ₹3,30,000 | ₹825 | ₹1,000
2BHK with deposit | ₹25,000/month | 24 months | ₹5,00,000 | ₹7,00,000 | ₹1,750 | ₹1,000
On top of these, the system adds a small document handling charge. Our calculator shows every line before you pay, and you can cross-check it on the official IGR Maharashtra leave and licence calculator.
Source for rates and the 24-month example: Housing.com, updated Sep 2025. Recheck before publishing. Create Now!
Documents Required for a Rent Agreement in Maharashtra
You need Aadhaar and PAN for the owner and tenant, Aadhaar for two witnesses, and one proof of the property. Keep the Aadhaar-linked mobile numbers handy; the biometric step depends on them.
Who
DocumentsOwner (licensor) | Aadhaar, PAN, mobile linked to Aadhaar
Tenant (licensee) | Aadhaar, PAN, mobile linked to Aadhaar
Two witnesses | Aadhaar (any adult, not the owner or tenant)
Property | Index II, or the latest property tax receipt, or a recent electricity bill in the owner’s name
If someone signs for the owner | Registered power of attorney
A company renting a flat for an employee? Add the company PAN and a board resolution or authority letter for the signatory.
Rent Agreements Across Maharashtra
The registration rules are the same in every district. What changes is the market around them.
Mumbai and suburbs. High deposits are common, so the 10% notional-interest line matters. A ₹5 lakh deposit adds ₹50,000 a year to the licence value.
Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Lots of IT tenants on 11-month agreements who renew every year. Each renewal is a fresh registration, so set a reminder; we send you a reminder before it expires.
Thane and Navi Mumbai. Families moving out of Mumbai for space. Watch the society NOC and maintenance clause.
Nagpur, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kolhapur. Lower rents, same process. Rural-area properties pay the ₹500 registration fee instead of ₹1,000.
Rent agreement format in Marathi
You can have the agreement drafted in English or Marathi. Both register the same way. Many owners prefer Marathi because older family members can read every clause before they sign.
Police verification after the agreement
Registration and police verification are two separate steps. In Mumbai, the owner submits the tenant’s details on the Mumbai Police online tenant information form, with the registered agreement and the tenant’s ID. In Pune and other cities, submit it through the local police portal or station. Do it as soon as the agreement is registered; the obligation sits with the owner. Contact Us!
Why Choose Law At Ease for Your Maharashtra Rent Agreement
We handle the whole chain, so you deal with one team instead of a draftsman, a stamp vendor and an agent for biometrics.
Drafted for Maharashtra. Leave and licence clauses, lock-in, notice period, deposit refund timeline and maintenance split, written so the e-registration accepts them first time.
Fees shown line by line. Stamp duty, registration fee and handling charge are government money and are shown separately from our service fee. No surprises at the biometric visit.
An advocate when you need one. Unusual clause, commercial premises, an NRI owner? Chat with a vetted advocate; the average reply is under 3 minutes.
Reminders before renewal. An 11-month agreement expires quietly. We tell you before it does.
Pricing
Item
AmountLaw At Ease service (drafting, filing, biometrics) | [PRICE]
Stamp duty | 0.25% of licence value (government)
Registration fee | ₹1,000 city / ₹500 rural (government)
Document handling charge | As shown by the IGR calculator (government)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is registration compulsory for an 11-month rent agreement in Maharashtra?
Yes. Section 55 of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 requires every leave and licence agreement to be registered, whatever its term. The 11-month exemption people quote from other states doesn’t apply here.
Can I register a leave and licence agreement without visiting the sub-registrar office?
Yes. Maharashtra’s e-registration lets the agreement be filed online, with Aadhaar biometric verification done at your location. You never visit the office.
Do the owner and tenant have to be together for biometrics?
No. Each party, and each witness, can verify separately, so an owner in Mumbai and a tenant moving from Bengaluru can both complete it.
My landlord lives abroad. How do we register the agreement?
The owner can authorise someone in India through a registered power of attorney, and that person completes biometrics. Our advocates check the PoA wording before filing. [Internal link → /blog/rent-agreement-when-landlord-lives-abroad]
How is stamp duty calculated on a leave and licence agreement in Maharashtra?
It is 0.25% of the total rent for the term, plus any non-refundable deposit, plus 10% a year of the refundable deposit. An 11-month agreement at ₹30,000 a month with no deposit pays ₹825.
Is the registered agreement valid for address proof and HRA?
A registered leave and licence agreement is widely accepted as address proof and for HRA claims. Check the specific requirement with the bank, employer or office asking for it.
What happens when the agreement expires?
You register a fresh agreement for the new term with the updated rent. We remind you before expiry so there’s no gap.
Can I add my own clauses?
Yes, before registration: pets, parking, furniture list, painting charges at exit, a rent escalation. Once registered, a change means a new agreement.
Get Your Registered Rent Agreement in Maharashtra
Tell us the rent, the deposit and who’s signing. We draft it, calculate the duty, book the biometrics and email you the registered agreement. No sub-registrar queue, no stamp vendor, no guesswork about fees.