Pune: How to Spot a Fake Rent Agreement Before It Lands You in Trouble
Pune, 4th August 2025: Amid a growing trend of forged, altered, or unregistered rental documents being submitted to housing societies, the Association of Service Providers has issued a statewide caution, urging all housing society managements in Maharashtra to strengthen their verification processes.
In recent months, several housing societies have uncovered instances where tenants provided tampered leave and licence agreements, often modified PDFs created by unscrupulous agents. These falsified agreements pose significant legal risks for property owners.
Sachin Shinghavi, President of the Association, stated, “It’s becoming increasingly common for tenants to submit edited or entirely fake rental agreements. Many are unaware that they are being duped by local agents, and end up in trouble along with the landlords. Societies must verify documents through official channels to avoid legal complications.”
In one case reported from Pune, a vigilant society member cross-checked the tenant’s documents on the official registration portal (https://igrmaharashtra.gov.in) , only to discover that the agreement had never been registered. “We believed the paperwork was legitimate until the registration office confirmed otherwise. The document had been digitally manipulated,” the member shared. Legal proceedings have since been initiated against the agent involved.
To prevent such frauds, the Association is urging societies to demand digitally registered agreements, which come with a unique registration number and can be verified instantly via the Maharashtra government’s IGR (Inspector General of Registration) portal.
“Earlier, the state had authorized service providers who helped streamline the registration process. Reintroducing that system could prevent exploitation of both tenants and landlords,” Shinghavi said.
He also pointed out flaws in the existing Leave and Licence 1.9 software, where mandatory police verification is sometimes skipped. “Even though the digital process includes Aadhaar checks, witness identification, address validation, and integration with CCTNS for police data sharing, there are gaps. Fake agreements often miss these key verifications, which must be cross-checked on the department’s website,” he added.
In response to these concerns, the Registration Department recently rolled out an upgraded Leave and Licence 2.0 system in Mumbai and its suburbs. This version includes QR code-based verification, allowing societies and authorities to instantly confirm the authenticity of an agreement and verify whether police checks have been completed.
Meanwhile, members of housing federations emphasized the burden landlords face when agreements are forged. They called for a simplified, foolproof registration process that protects both property owners and tenants.
