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Certified Indian Lease Agreement Translation
Certified translation of the documents that record a tenancy in India, including the registry annotations and endorsements that carry the legal effect and that a reader unfamiliar with the system will otherwise skip.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
Eleven months, and why
A very large share of Indian residential agreements run for exactly eleven months. That is not a coincidence: registration is compulsory for leases of twelve months or more, and an eleven-month leave and licence agreement avoids both registration and the older rent-control regimes that gave tenants strong security.
So an eleven-month term is a deliberate legal structure, and a US reader who reads it as a short or precarious tenancy has misread it. It is renewed routinely and functions as an ongoing arrangement.
Leave and licence is not a lease
The document is usually styled a leave and licence agreement, granting permission to occupy rather than an interest in the property. The distinction matters because a licence does not create tenancy rights and is easier to terminate.
Some states, Maharashtra among them, require leave and licence agreements to be registered regardless. We name the instrument and the state, because both change what it is.
Stamp duty, and the e-stamp paper
Indian agreements are executed on stamp paper or with an e-stamp certificate, and the duty is set by state and calculated on rent and term. The e-stamp certificate carries a unique identification number that can be verified online.
The stamp is what makes the document admissible in evidence, and an insufficiently stamped agreement can be impounded. We translate or transcribe the stamp certificate in full, including the certificate number and the duty paid.
Deposits, which vary wildly by city
There is no national deposit cap and practice differs enormously — one to three months in Delhi and Mumbai, and historically up to ten months in Bengaluru, though state legislation has sought to reduce it.
A deposit of ten months' rent on a Bengaluru agreement is normal rather than exploitative, and worth flagging where the document is being read as a financial disclosure. Indian agreements are usually in English, so ask whether you need us. See our Hindi page.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Marginal annotations are translated in place, in the margin, and every seal, stamp and registry endorsement is translated with the text. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my agreement for eleven months?
Registration is compulsory at twelve months, so eleven-month leave and licence agreements avoid it and the older rent-control regimes. It is renewed routinely.
Is a leave and licence the same as a lease?
No. It grants permission to occupy rather than an interest in the property, and it does not create tenancy rights.
What is the e-stamp certificate?
Proof that stamp duty was paid, with a verifiable number. It is what makes the agreement admissible, and we transcribe it in full.
Ten months' deposit?
Normal in Bengaluru historically. There is no national cap and practice differs sharply by city.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.