Rent Agreement Format in Lucknow (2026): Clauses, Stamp Duty & Registration

Rent agreements in Lucknow: the essentials

In Lucknow — as across Uttar Pradesh — a residential letting is documented as a plain rent agreement (also called Kiraya Anubandh), not a 'Leave & License' (that terminology is specific to Maharashtra). Tenancies are governed by the Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act, 2021 (Act No. 16 of 2021), which replaced the earlier 1972 Rent Control Act, alongside the central Registration Act, 1908 and the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 as applicable to UP.

As the state capital, Lucknow is UP's largest administrative, education and healthcare hub, with a Census 2011 population of about 28.17 lakh (2,817,105) for Lucknow city. Uttar Pradesh's urban rental share is lower than the national average (about 15% of urban households, Census 2011) — but with a large government, student and professional population in Lucknow itself, a clear, correctly stamped agreement is still what protects both landlord and tenant if a dispute arises.

Clauses every Lucknow rent agreement should contain

• Names, addresses and ID details (PAN/Aadhaar) of the landlord and tenant
• Full description and address of the property, including flat/house number and locality
• Monthly rent, the due date, and the mode of payment
• Security deposit amount and the exact conditions for its refund
• Tenure (start and end dates), the 11-month term, and renewal/escalation terms
• Maintenance charges — who pays what
• Rules on subletting, alterations, and permitted use of the premises
• Notice period for vacating, lock-in period (if any), and grounds for termination
• Signatures of both parties and two witnesses

Written agreement and Rent Authority notification — the UP Tenancy Act, 2021

This is the part most generic 'rent agreement format' advice for UP hasn't caught up with. The Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act, 2021 requires every tenancy to be in writing, with the agreement notified to the Rent Authority through the Housing & Urban Planning Department's Online Tenancy Registration System (upawas.up.gov.in). This notification requirement applies going forward to new and renewed tenancies, and sits alongside — not instead of — the older Sub-Registrar stamp-registration rule described below.

The Act also sets a binding security-deposit cap of two months' rent for residential premises (six months' for non-residential) rather than leaving the amount purely to negotiation — see Security deposits below.

The 11-month convention in Uttar Pradesh

Separately from the Rent Authority notification above, most Lucknow agreements are still kept to 11 months for the older Sub-Registrar registration threshold. Under Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908, a lease of 12 months or more generally must be registered at the Sub-Registrar's office, which adds cost and time.

An 11-month term stays below that threshold, so Sub-Registrar registration is not compulsory and the agreement can simply be renewed on expiry. (For the full logic, see our deep-dive on why a rent agreement is 11 months and not 12.)

Stamp duty and e-stamping in Uttar Pradesh

Your agreement must be executed on stamp paper of the correct value, or e-stamped. Uttar Pradesh handles e-stamping through the Stamp & Registration Department's IGRSUP portal (igrsup.gov.in) — this is a separate system from the Rent Authority notification above, and remains unaffected by the 2021 Tenancy Act.

For an ordinary residential rent agreement, UP stamp duty works out to about ₹10 per ₹1,000 of the annual rent — roughly 1%. Treat that as a budgeting guide, not an exact quote: the final figure depends on your rent, deposit and term, and rates can change. Always confirm the exact duty on IGRSUP before you pay. (Our guide to rent-agreement stamp duty by state sets out the wider picture.)

Security deposits in Lucknow

Since the Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act, 2021 came into force, security deposits for new or renewed tenancies are legally capped at two months' rent for residential premises (six months' for non-residential) — this is a statutory limit, not just a benchmark. Landlords who previously asked for three months or more should adjust to the new cap.

Whatever figure you agree within that cap, write the exact deposit amount and its refund conditions — permitted deductions, the refund timeline, and the state of the premises on hand-back — clearly into the agreement. That single clause prevents most end-of-tenancy disputes.

Do you need to register your Lucknow rent agreement?

Registration in UP now runs on two separate tracks. First, the 2021 Tenancy Act requires every tenancy to be notified to the Rent Authority via the Online Tenancy Registration System (upawas.up.gov.in), regardless of term. Second, Sub-Registrar registration under the Registration Act, 1908 remains compulsory only for terms of 12 months or more; a standard 11-month agreement can skip this second step.

For an 11-month term, a correctly stamped agreement — notified to the Rent Authority and signed by both parties and two witnesses — is valid and enforceable; Sub-Registrar registration or notarising it is optional but adds protection. Our guide to notarised vs registered rent agreements explains the difference.

Sources

Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act, 2021 (Act No. 16 of 2021, in force from 11 January 2021) — replaced the UP Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972. Bill text: PRS Legislative Research (prsindia.org); Online Tenancy Registration System: Housing & Urban Planning Department, UP (upawas.up.gov.in).

Registration Act, 1908 — Section 17 (compulsory Sub-Registrar registration of leases of 12 months or more), and Indian Stamp Act, 1899 (as applicable to Uttar Pradesh) for stamp duty on a lease. Official text: India Code (indiacode.nic.in).

Uttar Pradesh Stamp & Registration Department — e-stamping via the IGRSUP portal (igrsup.gov.in). Rent-agreement stamp duty is commonly reported at about ₹10 per ₹1,000 of annual rent (about 1%); the exact figure should be confirmed on the official portal, as rates change.

Lucknow's Census 2011 population (about 28.17 lakh) and Uttar Pradesh's urban rental share (about 15%, below the national average) — Census of India 2011, Houselisting & Housing data (Office of the Registrar General; state-wise urban rental share on data.gov.in).

Security-deposit cap — Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act, 2021, which sets a two-month residential / six-month non-residential limit, in line with the central Model Tenancy Act, 2021 (mohua.gov.in) framework.

Create your Lucknow rent agreement

Score99 generates a Uttar Pradesh rent agreement with the correct clauses, current legal references, stamp-duty guidance and witness fields built in — free, or ₹200 for a copy without Score99 branding. Print it on stamp paper of the correct value (or e-stamp it via IGRSUP), sign before two witnesses, notify the Rent Authority, and complete Sub-Registrar registration if your term runs to 12 months or more.