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Rent Agreement Stamp Duty in Karnataka 2026 — Rates & Calculator

Published 17 July 2026 · DigitalPatra

The rule in one line

Karnataka stamp duty on a rent agreement is 0.5% of (annual rent + refundable deposit), capped at ₹500 for terms up to 11 months — levied under Article 30(1)(i) of the Karnataka Stamp Act.

That is the whole rule for the standard 11-month rent agreement most tenants and owners in Bengaluru sign. Because of the ₹500 cap, almost every residential agreement in practice pays exactly ₹500 in duty.

A worked example

Say your rent is ₹25,000/month with a ₹1,00,000 refundable deposit on an 11-month agreement:

  • Annual rent: ₹25,000 × 12 = ₹3,00,000
  • Add the deposit: ₹3,00,000 + ₹1,00,000 = ₹4,00,000
  • Duty at 0.5%: ₹4,00,000 × 0.5% = ₹2,000
  • Capped at ₹500 for an 11-month agreement — so you pay ₹500.

Calculate your stamp duty

Stamp duty calculator — agreements up to 11 months

Your stamp duty

₹500

0.5% of (annual rent ₹3,00,000 + deposit ₹1,00,000) = ₹2,000, capped at ₹500 for terms up to 11 months.

Note: leases longer than 11 months are computed differently under the Karnataka Stamp Act and require registration at the Sub-Registrar's office — this calculator does not cover them.

E-stamp vs franking: does one cost more?

No — the stamp duty itself is identical either way. The difference is how the duty is evidenced. A government e-stamp is issued digitally through SHCIL (Stock Holding Corporation of India), the central government's e-stamping agency, and carries a unique certificate number that anyone can verify on the government portal. Franking requires a visit to a bank or franking agent during their working hours to get a physical impression on paper. Same duty, very different errand.

Do you also pay registration fees?

Not for agreements up to 11 months — compulsory registration does not apply to them, which is exactly why the 11-month term is the standard. Leases of more than 11 months must be registered at the Sub-Registrar's office under the Registration Act, 1908, which carries its own registration fees on top of stamp duty. Signing method does not change this: an Aadhaar eSign is legally valid for signing, but it never replaces registration where the law requires it.

How to get your agreement e-stamped online

  1. Fill in your details. Parties, property, rent, deposit and term — our wizard computes the exact stamp duty from these figures.
  2. We procure the government e-stamp. Your agreement is issued on a SHCIL e-stamp with a verifiable certificate number, for the correct duty (collected at actuals). This step can take up to one business day.
  3. Both parties eSign with Aadhaar OTP. Each signer verifies their identity via an OTP to their Aadhaar-linked mobile — stamped and signed, fully online.

Skip the maths — our wizard computes your exact stamp duty and e-stamps it for you.

₹675 service fee + stamp duty at actuals. Karnataka-jurisdiction agreements, on a government e-stamp, Aadhaar-eSigned by both parties.

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This is general information about Karnataka stamp duty, not legal advice.