Short answer: a rental agreement in Bangladesh for foreigners is usually a written lease between you (or your employer) and the owner, setting out the term, monthly rent, advance or deposit, service charge, utilities, repairs and notice. Ask for an English or bilingual version, a diplomatic or early-termination clause and a signed inventory, and have a local lawyer confirm the stamp duty and any registration your term needs.
Most foreigners renting in Dhaka sign only one or two leases during their posting, so the document can feel unfamiliar. The good news is that a tenancy agreement in Dhaka follows a fairly predictable pattern. This guide explains what a typical rental agreement in Bangladesh for foreigners contains, which clauses expatriates should insist on, and the red flags worth pausing over before you sign. It is general guidance, not legal advice: for anything binding, confirm the detail with a lawyer or your employer's legal team.
What does a tenancy agreement in Dhaka usually contain?
Leases vary from owner to owner, but a well-drafted agreement for a furnished apartment in Gulshan, Banani or Baridhara usually covers the same ground. Use this table as a reading guide when a draft arrives.
| Section | What it should say | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Parties | Full names of the owner and tenant, or the employing organisation if it is a corporate lease | The person signing is the actual owner or holds written authority from the owner |
| Property | Full address, flat number, floor, size and allocated parking | Parking bays and any staff room are named, not implied |
| Term | Start date, end date and any minimum period | Matches your posting length, for example one or two years |
| Rent | Monthly amount, currency, due date and payment method | Whether the rent is fixed for the full term or reviewed on renewal |
| Advance or deposit | Amount, whether it is adjusted against rent or refunded, and when | Written refund timing and permitted deductions |
| Service charge | Monthly building charge and what it pays for | Who pays it, and how increases are handled |
| Utilities | Electricity, gas, water, internet and generator fuel | Which bills are in your name and which are included |
| Maintenance | Split between owner (structural, major appliances) and tenant (day-to-day care) | Response time for urgent repairs such as leaks or AC failure |
| Notice and termination | Notice needed by either side and any early-exit terms | A diplomatic or transfer clause if you may be posted elsewhere |
| Inventory | Schedule of furniture, appliances and fittings with condition | Signed and dated by both sides, ideally with photos |
| Renewal | How and when the lease can be extended | Notice window and any cap on a rent increase |
Parties and authority
Many Dhaka apartments are owned by families, and the person you meet may be a relative or a caretaker rather than the registered owner. Ask to see the owner's identity document and a copy of the ownership papers or a signed authority letter. For diplomats and UN or NGO staff, the lease is often signed by the organisation itself, so check your employer's template first.
Term, rent and currency
Expatriate leases commonly run for one or two years, and some owners of larger family homes ask for a two-year minimum. Rent is usually quoted in Bangladeshi taka. If an owner proposes a foreign-currency figure, agree clearly how it will be paid and converted, and check that your employer's finance team is comfortable with it. Organisations paying rent may also have tax withholding obligations, so involve finance early.
Advance, deposit and service charge
Owners commonly ask for an advance or security deposit worth several months' rent. How it is treated varies: sometimes it is refunded at the end, sometimes adjusted against the last months of rent. Our separate guide to advance rent and security deposits in Dhaka covers this in detail. The service charge is a separate monthly building fee for guards, lifts, cleaning of common areas and often the generator.
Utilities and maintenance
The lease should list each utility and who pays it. Electricity is often on a prepaid meter; gas may be piped or bottled. See our guide to utilities, internet and power backup for what to ask. For maintenance, a sensible split is that the owner handles structural issues, plumbing and major appliances, while the tenant looks after day-to-day care and damage they cause.
Is a rental agreement in Bangladesh on stamp paper, and does it need registering?
Leases in Bangladesh are commonly printed on non-judicial stamp paper, with the stamp value depending on the rent and term. Depending on the length of the lease, registration may also be required or advisable. The rules and the amounts change from time to time, so we do not quote them here. Before signing, confirm with a lawyer which stamp value applies and whether your particular term needs registration. Your employer may already have a preferred firm.
Separately, landlords in Dhaka are generally expected to submit tenant information to the local police station. This is routine. Your landlord or agent usually handles it, but it is worth confirming that it has been done.
Which clauses should expats insist on?
These are the clauses that most often protect foreign tenants in practice:
- An English or bilingual lease. If the standard form is in Bengali, ask for an English version signed alongside it, and agree which version prevails.
- A diplomatic or early-termination clause. If your employer transfers you, ends your contract or evacuates staff, you should be able to leave with a stated notice period, often two to three months, without losing the whole deposit.
- A clear deposit refund date. For example, within a set number of days after handover, minus only documented damage beyond fair wear and tear.
- Named repair responsibilities and a reasonable response time for urgent problems such as water leaks, power faults and broken air-conditioning.
- Generator coverage in writing. State whether backup power covers air-conditioning or only lights, fans and the lift.
- A signed inventory with photos attached as a schedule to the lease.
- Quiet enjoyment and access. The owner gives notice before visiting, except in emergencies.
- Rent review on renewal only, with any increase agreed in advance or capped.
What are the red flags in a Dhaka rental agreement?
None of these automatically means you should walk away, but each deserves a question before you sign:
- The person signing cannot show ownership papers or an authority letter.
- Rent or deposit is to be paid in cash with no written receipt.
- The lease has no end date, or the notice clause works only in the owner's favour.
- The deposit is described as "non-refundable" without explanation.
- There is no inventory, or the owner prefers to "do it later".
- The owner can raise rent or service charge at any time.
- Important promises, such as a new AC unit or repainting, are made verbally but are not written into the agreement.
How do you renew or end the lease?
Put a reminder in your calendar a few months before the end date. Renewal is usually a short addendum confirming the new term and rent. When you leave, give notice in writing as the lease requires, book a joint move-out inspection against the original inventory, settle final utility bills and ask for the deposit refund, or its adjustment, to be confirmed in writing.
How Rent Property helps with your lease
Rent Property works with foreign tenants and relocating organisations. As part of our corporate relocation service, we negotiate leases in English, help agree deposit terms, arrange utility connections and prepare the handover inventory. If you are still choosing a home, browse our current properties or read the expat guide to renting in Dhaka. We are not a law firm, so we will always suggest you confirm legal points with a lawyer.
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Have a draft lease and a few questions? Message Rent Property on WhatsApp at +880 1784-222255 and we will usually reply within one working day. Send us a WhatsApp message.