Renting a house in Lahore or anywhere in Punjab: what the law requires and what your agreement must say
The Punjab Rented Premises Act 2009 in plain English — written agreements, registration with the Rent Registrar, rent increases, deposits, eviction and the Rent Tribunal — plus a checklist for tenants and landlords.
By Kothi Editorial · 15 September 2026 · 4 min read
Most tenancies in Punjab still begin with a handshake and a stamp paper bought at the corner. Since 2009 that has not been enough. The Punjab Rented Premises Act 2009 governs every rented house, flat, shop and office in the province's urban areas, and it is short, clear and worth ten minutes of your time whether you are the tenant or the landlord.
A summary, not legal advice. The Act's text is on the Punjab laws portal (punjablaws.gov.pk); a lawyer or the Rent Registrar's office can confirm how it applies to you.
Put it in writing, and register it
Under the Act a tenancy agreement must be in writing, and the landlord must present it to the Rent Registrar — within seven days of signing — who records it, seals it, keeps a copy and returns the original. An unregistered verbal arrangement leaves both sides without the Act's protections when something goes wrong.
Registration is quick and cheap. Do it.
What the agreement must cover
The Act leaves the terms to the parties but expects the agreement to be complete. A good one states:
| Clause | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The premises | Full address, what is included (portion, floor, parking, servant quarter) |
| Rent and how it is paid | Amount, due date, mode — the Act requires the tenant to pay by the date and mode in the agreement |
| Period | Start and end; whether it renews |
| Rent increase | If the agreement is silent, the Act's default — a 25% increase after every three years — applies |
| Advance and security deposit | Amount, what it may be used for, when it is returned |
| Maintenance | Who fixes what; the Act assigns ordinary repairs unless agreed otherwise |
| Use | Residential only, or the commercial use permitted |
| Sub-letting | Not without the landlord's written consent — say so |
| Notice to vacate | The Act's default notice periods apply where the agreement is silent |
| Utilities | Meters in whose name; arrears at handover |
Attach both CNIC copies, and a photograph inventory of the premises at handover. It settles the deposit argument before it starts.
Rent: paying it and raising it
The tenant pays the rent the way the agreement says. If the landlord refuses to accept it — a classic pressure tactic — the tenant may deposit the rent with the Rent Tribunal, and that deposit counts as payment.
Where the agreement fixes an increase, that governs. Where it is silent, the Act provides for an increase of 25% every three years. Anything more needs your signature.
Deposit and advance
The Act does not fix the size of a security deposit; the market convention in Lahore is one to three months' rent, plus one month in advance. Write down the amount, that it is a security deposit (not rent), what deductions are allowed, and that it is returned within a set number of days of handover against the inventory.
Ending a tenancy
A landlord can recover the premises under the Act on specific grounds — the tenant has not paid rent, has used the premises for something other than what was agreed, has sub-let without consent, has damaged the property, or the landlord needs it in good faith for their own use — and, for a fixed-period tenancy, on its expiry. The process runs through the Rent Tribunal, which is designed to be faster than a civil court.
For the tenant, the Act is the protection against a lock changed overnight. For the landlord, the registered agreement is what makes the Tribunal route available.
A checklist for tenants
- See the owner's proof of ownership — you are renting from the owner or a properly authorised attorney.
- Get the agreement in writing, signed by both, and ask for the Rent Registrar's sealed copy.
- Photograph everything at handover; attach the inventory.
- Pay by bank transfer or cheque, so the record exists.
- Keep utility bills paid and in the agreed name.
A checklist for landlords
- Take the tenant's CNIC copy and, for a commercial tenancy, the business's registration.
- Register the agreement within seven days.
- Register the tenant with the local police station where required — Lahore requires tenant registration.
- State the increase, the deposit rules and the use.
- Use the Rent Tribunal, not self-help, if it goes wrong.
Renting through Kothi
A rental listing on Kothi is published by the one agency authorised for that area for rentals; the agency's number is on the listing and your enquiry goes to them, not to a call centre. The agency knows the society's rules — what a DHA or Bahria landlord must register, what the society charges a tenant — and drafts the agreement.
Questions people ask
Q: Does a rent agreement have to be registered in Punjab?
Yes. The Punjab Rented Premises Act 2009 requires a written agreement, presented to the Rent Registrar within seven days of signing, who seals it and keeps a copy.
Q: How much can a landlord increase the rent?
Whatever the agreement states. If it says nothing, the Act's default is a 25% increase after every three years.
Q: What if the landlord refuses to take the rent?
The tenant may deposit it with the Rent Tribunal, and that deposit counts as payment under the Act.
Q: How much is a security deposit in Lahore?
The Act sets no figure; one to three months' rent plus a month in advance is the common arrangement. Whatever it is, write it down with the return terms.
Sources: The Punjab Rented Premises Act 2009 (punjablaws.gov.pk); practitioner summaries (Khalid Zafar & Associates, Adalat Online, Ahsan Legal). As of September 2026.