Short answer: To find a tenant without a broker, set a fair rent from similar listings near you, post the property free on the big portals, and put a "To-let" board on the building. Show it with good photos or a video, then check each tenant's ID and get police verification. Sign a written agreement and, in Tamil Nadu, register it online with the Rent Authority within 90 days. In Tamil Nadu the deposit is limited to three months' rent unless your agreement says otherwise.
This guide is for owners letting a house, flat, shop, office or godown in India, with the Tamil Nadu rules set out in full. Platform prices were read on each platform's own page on 13 October 2026, and the legal points were checked against the Tamil Nadu tenancy Act, the Rent Authority's FAQ, police and UIDAI pages. It is written by the Gmore team, which also lists rental properties; it is general information, not legal advice.
Set the rent and the deposit
- Rent: there is no official "fair rent" for a new tenancy in Tamil Nadu. The rent is whatever you and the tenant agree (section 8 of the Tamil Nadu tenancy Act, as amended in 2018). Price it from similar homes or shops listed near you. The guideline value is a land value used for registration, not a rent.
- Deposit in Tamil Nadu: "Save an agreement to the contrary, it shall be unlawful to charge a security deposit in excess of three times the monthly rent" (section 11). So three months' rent is the limit unless the signed agreement says otherwise. It applies to homes and shops alike, and the deposit is returned when you take back the vacant premises.
- Elsewhere: the central Model Tenancy Act, 2021 suggests at most two months' rent for a home and six months' for a shop or office, but it applies only where a state adopts it. In 2022 the Centre named Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Assam as having revised their laws along its lines (PIB).
- Rent increases: unless the agreement says otherwise, a rise needs three months' written notice in Tamil Nadu.
Where to list your property
Every major portal lets an owner post a rental for free. Some sell paid plans for more visibility or help. As shown on each platform's own page on 13 October 2026:
| Platform | Posting a rental | Paid owner plans |
|---|---|---|
| NoBroker | Free | Rent plans from ₹3,399 to ₹10,999 plus 18% GST, valid 45 to 60 days (owner plans) |
| Housing.com | Free | Residential rent plans from ₹1,999 to ₹8,599, valid 15 to 75 days; commercial lease plans ₹3,999 to ₹9,999. Prices vary by property (owner packages) |
| MagicBricks | Free | Paid packages for individuals; prices are shown only inside the posting flow |
| 99acres | Free | Not checked |
| Square Yards | Free | None shown (post property) |
| OLX | One free property ad every 730 days | Paid packages in the app to post more (OLX help) |
| Facebook Marketplace | Individuals only; businesses cannot list in India (Facebook help) | None |
Google is not a listing site for rentals: a rental property is not eligible for a Google Business Profile (Google's rules).
A "To-let" board on your own building needs no hoarding licence in the towns and cities of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai. Section 117-Q of the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998 exempts a board about letting the building it stands on, within prescribed size limits. Posters on other people's walls or on poles are a different matter.
Whatever you use, a clear video of the rooms, the street and the parking answers most questions before anyone visits, so the people who come are the ones who already like it.
Renting out a shop, office or godown
Commercial tenants search differently. Banks and their ATM networks publish "premises required on lease" tenders that owners answer directly, with no broker. For example, in August 2026 SBI invited owners in Chennai to offer about 2,200 sq ft for a branch on a 10-year lease (5 years plus 5, with a set increase), accepting offers "from landlords/owners/title holders only", and its scoring gave most marks to ground-floor premises and newer buildings (SBI tender). Watch the procurement or premises pages of banks near you.
Commercial rent above the GST registration limit carries 18% GST; see tax on rental income in India.
Check the tenant
- ID: ask for a photo ID and an address proof. For Aadhaar, UIDAI advises verifying the QR code on the card, e-Aadhaar or m-Aadhaar with the mAadhaar app instead of keeping a copy. If you keep a copy, it should be masked, so only the last 4 digits show (UIDAI, January 2023; masked Aadhaar). Ask for consent before you verify.
- PAN: anyone can check that a PAN is active and that the name matches, on the income tax portal's Verify PAN service, with an OTP sent to the tenant's mobile.
- Police verification in Tamil Nadu: the Tamil Nadu Police citizen portal offers tenant verification as a paid service. It costs ₹500 for an individual, needs a login, the tenant's photo, an address proof and a consent letter from the tenant, and the report is issued within 15 days (TN Police FAQ). We found no current order making it compulsory, but it is a sensible step. Check with your local police station.
- Other cities: the Mumbai and Pune police run online tenant information systems.
- References: an employer's letter or a previous landlord's reference helps you judge whether the rent will be paid.
The agreement, registration and receipts in Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu Regulation of Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants Act, 2017 has applied since 22 February 2019 in all corporations, municipalities, town panchayats and cantonments, and since 4 February 2021 in villages too. It covers homes, shops and offices, but not premises registered under the Factories Act.
- In writing: no one may let or take premises on rent except by a written agreement (section 4).
- Register it: register the agreement with the Rent Authority within 90 days of signing, online at tenancy.tn.gov.in. This covers every tenancy, including 11-month agreements, and a renewal counts as a new agreement. There is no government fee; the online service charges ₹100.
- If you don't register: an unregistered agreement cannot be used as evidence. That matters if you ever need the Rent Authority to recover rent or the premises.
- The tenant's copy: give the tenant one original of the signed, registered agreement within 15 days of registration.
- Receipts: give a signed receipt for every rent payment. For a bank or UPI payment, the bank acknowledgement counts as proof.
For the Rent Authority, eviction and the other rules in detail, see the Tamil Nadu Rent Act and rental agreement rules. Once the rent comes in, see how rental income is taxed.
Rent out with Gmore: a filmed listing and no brokerage
Gmore films your property professionally, lists it with the video in the Gmore app and on gmore.app, and alerts tenants searching nearby when it goes live. Tenants call you directly. You pay one flat fee, shown before you pay, and no brokerage. Rent out your property with Gmore, or for a shop, office or godown, rent out commercial property.
Platform plans and prices as shown on each platform's own page on 13 October 2026; they change often, so check before you buy. Legal points checked against the Tamil Nadu tenancy Act and its amendments, the Rent Authority FAQ, the Model Tenancy Act, 2021, Tamil Nadu Police, UIDAI and the income tax portal in October 2026. Written by the Gmore team.
