House Rent Agreement

A house rent agreement (baṛi bhaṛār chukti) is the written contract between a landlord and a tenant that governs the rental of a house or independent residential unit. In Bangladesh it is the single most common household contract, and having a proper written version protects both sides from the classic disputes: unexpected rent hikes, refund of the advance, responsibility for major repairs, and how much notice either side must give to end the tenancy. The Premises Rent Control Act, 1991 sets the outer legal frame — standard rent, one-month cap on advance rent without the Rent Controller's written consent, refund obligation — and the written agreement fills in the specifics: the exact monthly rent, the term, permitted use, utility responsibility, and dispute route. Note that Section 81A(2) of the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950 imposes an absolute statutory ban on subletting a non-agricultural tenancy in Bangladesh — a sublet clause added to a rent agreement will not override that ban. On ChuktiQ both parties sign with OTP-verified electronic signatures that are recognised under Sections 6 and 7 of the ICT Act, 2006.

Stamp & registrationA rent contract of one year or less can be executed on a Tk. 300 non-judicial stamp and does not need to be registered. If the term exceeds one year, Section 17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908 makes registration with the Sub-Registrar mandatory. Under Section 49 an unregistered lease that ought to have been registered is not receivable as evidence of the transaction (proviso: it may still be used in a specific-performance suit and as evidence of a collateral transaction). ChuktiQ's digital agreement is legally valid for terms of one year or less; for longer terms, use ChuktiQ to draft and preview, then take the printed copy to the Sub-Registrar for registration.

What this agreement typically contains

Landlord and tenant full names, addresses, NID numbers, phone numbers
Full address of the rented premises including plot / house / flat number
Monthly rent in figures and words + due date each month
Security deposit / advance and refund conditions
Start date, term length, and renewal / notice-period rules
Utilities: which side pays electricity, gas, water, service charge
Permitted use (residential only, family size, restrictions on business use)
Roommate / shared-occupancy policy (note: subletting a non-agricultural tenancy is separately barred by Section 81A(2) of the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950)
Maintenance and repair responsibility (structural vs day-to-day)
Grounds and procedure for eviction / early termination
Signatures of both parties and at least two witnesses (or OTP verification on ChuktiQ)

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Frequently asked questions

How long can a house rent agreement in Bangladesh be?: There is no statutory upper limit, but the legal formalities change with the term. Up to one year, a Tk. 300 non-judicial stamp is enough. Above one year, Section 17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908 makes registration compulsory, and the stamp duty is calculated on the annual rent. An unregistered long lease is not receivable as evidence of the transaction under Section 49 (with the specific-performance and collateral-transaction provisos noted above). Most household tenancies in urban Bangladesh use one-year renewable agreements precisely to avoid the registration step.
Can the landlord increase the rent during the term?: Not unilaterally. Under the Premises Rent Control Act, 1991, rent for a covered residential premises cannot exceed the standard rent, and during the term of a written agreement the landlord can only increase the rent through the mechanism the parties themselves specified in writing (usually an annual step of 5-10%). Any other in-term increase is not enforceable.
Is a house rent agreement created on ChuktiQ legally valid?: Yes for terms of one year or less. Sections 6 and 7 of the ICT Act, 2006 give ChuktiQ's OTP-signed electronic agreement the same legal status as a paper contract on Tk. 300 stamp. If the term is longer than one year, use ChuktiQ to draft and preview the agreement, but print and register the executed copy at the Sub-Registrar's office to meet the Registration-Act requirement.

Other contracts in this category

What this agreement typically contains

Landlord and tenant full names, addresses, NID numbers, phone numbers

Full address of the rented premises including plot / house / flat number

Monthly rent in figures and words + due date each month

Security deposit / advance and refund conditions

Start date, term length, and renewal / notice-period rules

Utilities: which side pays electricity, gas, water, service charge

Permitted use (residential only, family size, restrictions on business use)

Roommate / shared-occupancy policy (note: subletting a non-agricultural tenancy is separately barred by Section 81A(2) of the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950)

Maintenance and repair responsibility (structural vs day-to-day)

Grounds and procedure for eviction / early termination

Signatures of both parties and at least two witnesses (or OTP verification on ChuktiQ)

Frequently asked questions

How long can a house rent agreement in Bangladesh be?

There is no statutory upper limit, but the legal formalities change with the term. Up to one year, a Tk. 300 non-judicial stamp is enough. Above one year, Section 17(1)(d) of the Registration Act, 1908 makes registration compulsory, and the stamp duty is calculated on the annual rent. An unregistered long lease is not receivable as evidence of the transaction under Section 49 (with the specific-performance and collateral-transaction provisos noted above). Most household tenancies in urban Bangladesh use one-year renewable agreements precisely to avoid the registration step.

Can the landlord increase the rent during the term?

Not unilaterally. Under the Premises Rent Control Act, 1991, rent for a covered residential premises cannot exceed the standard rent, and during the term of a written agreement the landlord can only increase the rent through the mechanism the parties themselves specified in writing (usually an annual step of 5-10%). Any other in-term increase is not enforceable.

Is a house rent agreement created on ChuktiQ legally valid?

Yes for terms of one year or less. Sections 6 and 7 of the ICT Act, 2006 give ChuktiQ's OTP-signed electronic agreement the same legal status as a paper contract on Tk. 300 stamp. If the term is longer than one year, use ChuktiQ to draft and preview the agreement, but print and register the executed copy at the Sub-Registrar's office to meet the Registration-Act requirement.