Need advice from anyone in Delhi who understands rental/legal matters.

[User_1f76b793]

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User_1f76b793
PARTICIPANT
April 25, 2026 at 11:21 am

I rented a room in Kamla Nagar (North Campus area) and paid a ₹20k security deposit. I stayed around 7 months and gave 1 month notice before vacating. Now the owner is refusing to return the deposit and is suddenly relying on a very informal “agreement” paper.

The paper is not registered, not notarized, and looks more like a handwritten form than a proper rent agreement. Some parts also seem filled later/overwritten.

My questions:

1. In Delhi, is a rent agreement required to be notarized or registered to be valid/enforceable?

2. Can a landlord legally keep the full security deposit like this?

3. If terms were added later on paper, does that weaken their case?

4. What is the best practical step now — legal notice, police complaint, consumer forum, or something else?

5. Anyone dealt with Kamla Nagar landlords doing this?

Would really appreciate advice from lawyers / law students / people who’ve faced similar issues in Delhi.

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