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Rent receipt › Rent receipt format
Rent receipt format: what to put on it
A rent receipt is the landlord's written word that they received a month's rent from you. Employers check it before they give you the HRA benefit, so a missing detail can mean the claim is refused and more tax is cut from your salary.
The parts of a rent receipt
- The heading "Rent Receipt" and a receipt number, for example RR/26-27/001-04.
- Date on which the rent was received.
- Landlord's name and address. The person who owns the house and gets the rent.
- Landlord's PAN. Needed when the rent for the year is more than ₹1,00,000. If the landlord has no PAN, employers usually ask for a signed declaration from the landlord saying so, with their name and address.
- Tenant's name. Write it exactly as in your salary records. "R. Sharma" on the receipt and "Rohit Kumar Sharma" in payroll can cause questions.
- Address of the rented house. Full address with PIN. It should match the address you gave your employer.
- Month the rent is for, for example "Rent for August 2026".
- Amount in figures and words.
- How it was paid: cash, UPI, cheque or bank transfer, with the cheque number or UPI / bank reference.
- Landlord's signature, and a revenue stamp when cash above ₹5,000 is received.
A sample
| Field | What is written |
|---|---|
| Receipt no. | RR/26-27/001-05 |
| Date | 31 Aug 2026 |
| Received from | Anita Verma |
| Rent for | August 2026, House no. 214, Model Town, Ludhiana 141002 |
| Amount | ₹18,000 (Rupees Eighteen Thousand only) |
| Paid by | UPI, reference 624518907733 |
| Landlord | Harjit Singh Gill, PAN ABCPG1234K, signature |
Yearly rent is ₹2,16,000, which is more than ₹1,00,000, so the PAN is a must here. Payment was by UPI, so most employers will not ask for a revenue stamp.
Common mistakes
- One receipt for the whole year. Many employers want one receipt per month (or at least per quarter). Monthly receipts are the safest.
- Rent that does not match the rent agreement or your bank statement. Keep the three in line.
- Unsigned receipts, or receipts signed by the tenant. Only the landlord (or someone they authorise) signs.
- Wrong PAN. A PAN has 5 letters, 4 digits and 1 letter. Copy it from the landlord's PAN card.
- Fake receipts. Making receipts for rent you did not pay is tax evasion. The tax department can ask for the rent agreement, bank proof and the landlord's tax return.
How long to keep them
Keep the signed receipts, the rent agreement and the bank or UPI proof for at least as long as the tax department can reopen your return, which can be several years. A scan or photo of each signed page in the same folder as your salary slips is the easiest way. The landlord should keep a copy too, since the rent is their income.