What a valid rent agreement needs
A tenancy agreement in Punjab is normally executed on judicial stamp paper, signed by the landlord and the tenant, and witnessed by two people with CNIC numbers recorded. It should identify the property precisely, state the monthly rent, the deposit, the term, and the date rent falls due each month.
Verbal agreements are common and are exactly why deposit disputes are common. Insist on writing, even with a landlord you know.
The clauses that decide everything later
Four clauses do most of the work in a Pakistani tenancy. Read them twice:
- Annual increment — usually 10% per year; confirm it is stated as a percentage, not left open.
- Notice period — one to two months, and it should bind both sides equally.
- Repairs — structural repairs are the owner's responsibility; day-to-day maintenance is normally the tenant's.
- Inventory and handover condition — list fixtures, appliances and meter readings, with photos attached.
Tenant registration and DHA formalities
Punjab requires the landlord to register the tenant with the local police station; in practice, both parties attend. Inside DHA phases the tenancy is additionally recorded with the DHA office, which is also what gets your vehicle stickers and gate access sorted.
Registration is not bureaucracy for its own sake — it is the record that protects your possession if the property changes hands mid-term.
Protecting your security deposit
Photograph every room, the meters and every existing defect on the day you take possession, and email the set to the landlord so there is a timestamp. Keep every rent receipt or bank transfer reference.
At exit, hand the property back in the documented condition, take fresh photos, and settle utility bills before the final walkthrough. Deposits are returned quickly when there is nothing to argue about.