The Delhi tenant's paperwork checklist

Renting in Delhi runs on a familiar set of paperwork. None of it is complicated, but knowing the normal shape of things keeps the process quick and keeps surprises out of your tenancy. Here’s the checklist we walk our own tenants through.

The rent agreement

• Delhi tenancies are commonly written as 11-month agreements, renewed by mutual consent. Agreements of 12 months or longer legally require registration, which is why the 11-month format became the norm.
• Read for four things: the rent and what it includes (maintenance? parking?), the notice period for both sides, any lock-in period during which neither side can exit, and the escalation on renewal, commonly around 10 percent.
• The agreement should list every fitting that comes with the floor: ACs, geysers, fans, light fixtures, modular kitchen fittings. Walk the house with the list before signing.

Security deposit

Deposits in Delhi are typically two to three months’ rent, refundable when you hand the floor back in reasonable condition. Get the amount, and the conditions for deductions, written into the agreement. Note meter readings and existing wear (photos work well) on the day you get the keys.

Police verification

Tenant verification is a legal requirement in Delhi and it is the landlord’s responsibility to file it, done online through the Delhi Police portal. You’ll be asked for identity documents and photographs. Treat it as a good sign: a landlord who does the paperwork properly is usually a landlord who runs the house properly.

Documents to keep ready

• Government photo ID (Aadhaar, passport or DL) for all adult tenants
• Passport-size photographs
• Proof of employment or business, sometimes asked for by owners
• Your landlord’s PAN, which you will need for HRA claims if your annual rent crosses the income tax threshold

Before you move in

• Confirm how electricity and water are billed and in whose name.
• Ask for the maintenance arrangement in writing: who fixes what.
• Save the numbers that matter: owner, broker, electrician, plumber and the colony’s security gate.

Norms vary house to house, and specific deals sometimes run differently. This checklist is the common shape, not legal advice. If anything in an agreement reads oddly, ask us before you sign; it costs nothing.