Rent agreement checklist

A checklist for landlords and tenants before signing a rent agreement. It is general guidance, not legal advice — for anything unusual, ask a lawyer.

Before you agree

• Check who owns the property. Ask to see the ownership documents and the owner's CNIC. If someone else is dealing for the owner, ask for the owner's written authority.
• Check the dues. Ask whether maintenance charges and utility bills are paid up to date, and look at the latest bills.
• Visit in daylight. Check the water supply, electricity, gas, doors, windows and any signs of damp.
• Agree who pays what — maintenance charges, each utility bill, and repairs.

What the agreement should say

• Full names, CNIC numbers and phone numbers of the landlord and the tenant.
• The full address of the property.
• The monthly rent, the date it is due and how it is paid.
• The advance or security deposit, and when and how it is returned.
• How long the agreement lasts, and any yearly increase in rent.
• How much notice either side gives before the tenancy ends.
• Who pays for which repairs.
• Whether the tenant may sublet, keep pets or run a business from the property.
• A list of the fittings that come with it — fans, lights, geysers, air conditioners, kitchen cabinets — and their condition.

Signing

• Put the agreement on stamp paper and sign it in front of two witnesses, who also write their names and CNIC numbers.
• Keep copies of both CNICs with the agreement, and give each side a signed copy.
• Register the tenant with the police. In Punjab, landlords must give their tenants' details to the police. Ask your local police station how to do it.
• Take dated photos of every room on moving-in day. They settle arguments about damage later.

When the tenancy ends

• Walk through the property together and compare it with the moving-in photos and the list of fittings.
• Note the final meter readings and settle the last bills.
• Return the security deposit, less any deductions the agreement allows.