UP rent agreement stamp duty cut: new charges for tenants and landlords
Uttar Pradesh has capped stamp duty and registration fee on rent agreements up to 10 years. A one-year deal on rent up to ₹2 lakh a year costs ₹2,000.
Try it: HRA exemption calculatorWork out the tax-free part of your house rent allowance under the old regime, with the 50% limit now covering Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad.If you rent a home or a shop in Uttar Pradesh, getting the rent agreement registered is now much cheaper. The state has put a cap on the stamp duty and the registration fee for rent and lease deeds of up to 10 years. Here is what you will pay and what it means for you.
What changed
The UP Cabinet approved the new rates on 15 September 2026. The Stamp and Registration Department issued the notification on 12 October 2026, as reported by Hindustan (Live Hindustan). The news was widely covered on 20 October 2026 by Business Standard and others.
The cap depends on two things: the average annual rent and how long the agreement runs.
New stamp duty on rent agreements
| Average annual rent | Up to 1 year | More than 1 year, up to 5 years | More than 5 years, up to 10 years | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Up to ₹2 lakh | ₹1,000 | ₹2,000 | ₹4,000 | | ₹2 lakh to ₹6 lakh | ₹3,000 | ₹6,000 | ₹8,000 | | ₹6 lakh to ₹10 lakh | ₹4,500 | ₹10,000 | ₹13,000 |
These are the most you pay. The registration fee is charged at the same amounts, as reported by Hindustan Times and Business Standard. So the total cost is double the figure in the table.
- Rent above ₹10 lakh a year: the capped rate applies to the first ₹10 lakh. The rent above that is charged at the normal rate under Article 35 of the Indian Stamp Act, as it applies in UP.
- Not covered: toll leases and mining leases.
What it means for you
Take a flat rented at ₹15,000 a month. That is ₹1.8 lakh a year, so it falls in the first row. A one-year registered agreement now costs ₹1,000 in stamp duty and ₹1,000 in registration fee, ₹2,000 in all. Before the change the same agreement cost about ₹10,000, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Earlier, UP worked out the charge as a share of the rent, so long leases became very costly. Hindustan Times reported that a 10-year lease with annual rent up to ₹10 lakh could cost about ₹20 lakh to register. Now it costs at most ₹26,000.
The state's aim is to get more people to register their agreements under the Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act, 2021. Registration is compulsory for a lease of more than one year. Many people still use an 11-month agreement on notary stamp paper to avoid the cost, which gives weaker proof if there is a dispute.
Before you sign
- Work out the average annual rent. If the rent rises each year, add the rent for the whole period and divide by the number of years.
- Check the charge with the IGRS UP lease stamp duty calculator at igrsup.gov.in or at the sub-registrar's office before you pay.
- Write down the rent, the security deposit, the notice period and who pays for repairs.
- Keep a signed copy and rent receipts. A registered agreement and receipts also help when you claim HRA. HRA calculator.
A registered agreement records the terms, but it does not by itself let a landlord evict a tenant or recover unpaid rent. The process in the tenancy law still applies.
Sources: Live Hindustan: new stamp duty rates on lease deeds, 12 October 2026, Business Standard: UP cuts rent agreement charges, 20 October 2026, Hindustan Times: UP Cabinet cuts stamp duty on rent agreements up to 10 years, IGRS UP: lease stamp duty and registration fee calculator.
Rules, rates and limits change. Check the official source linked above before you rely on a figure here. Posts never contain referral or affiliate links from the writer.
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