A room for rent in Lahore is usually a room in a family house, a portion or a hostel; Punjab law requires the landlord to register the tenant with police within 15 days and a written tenancy agreement, so get both done before you move in.
A room for rent in Lahore is usually one room in a family house, a shared room in a private hostel, or a single-room annexe. Whatever the type, the landlord must register the tenant with police within 15 days, and registration at a police station or Khidmat Markaz is free.
Types of rooms on offer
| Type | Typical tenant | What usually comes with it |
|---|---|---|
| Room in a family house | Single professional, student, couple | Shared or attached bath; kitchen use by agreement |
| Annexe or "servant quarter" room | Single tenant | Separate entry, small bath |
| Shared room in a private hostel | Students, working men or women | Bed, meals sometimes, utilities |
| Room in a shared flat | Working professionals | Shared kitchen and lounge, split bills |
Rooms cluster near universities, hospitals and offices. Johar Town, Model Town, Gulberg, Allama Iqbal Town, Faisal Town and Wapda Town are areas where tenants commonly look, but rents vary block to block.
What rooms cost: what our data covers
Houseplot's indicative rent data (Oct 2026) doesn't track single rooms, so we don't publish room rents. The closest categories are portions and small flats:
| Area | Rental unit | Monthly rent (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Johar Town | 1-bed flat | about Rs32,000–55,000 |
| Allama Iqbal Town | 10 marla upper portion | about Rs55,000–95,000 |
| Wapda Town | 10 marla upper portion | about Rs70,000–80,000 |
| Faisal Town | 10 marla upper portion | about Rs70,000–85,000 |
| Valencia Town | 10 marla upper portion | about Rs65,000–95,000 |
Source: Houseplot's indicative rent data (Oct 2026). Profit reported two-marla houses renting for about Rs25,000–35,000 a month in Faisal Town, Iqbal Town, Samanabad and Muslim Town (Jul 2026). A single room normally costs less than a whole portion in the same street.
What drives room rent
- Distance to a university, hospital or office cluster.
- Attached bath and a separate entrance.
- Bills included or not. Electricity in summer can exceed the room rent itself, so ask how it is split.
- Furnishing and whether meals or laundry are included.
- House rules: visitors, timing, cooking.
Your legal position as a room tenant
The Punjab Rented Premises Act 2009 covers a "building or part thereof", so a room let in a house is covered. The Act says premises can only be let under a written tenancy agreement, which the landlord presents to the Rent Registrar. The agreement must state the rent, the rate of increase, the term, the purpose and any advance or security.
The Act does not cap the security deposit or set a fixed annual increase. Those are whatever you agree, so read the figures before signing. Rooms in hotels, hostels, boarding houses and guest houses are excluded from the Act's definition of a building, so a hostel bed works more like a service contract. Get the hostel's rules and refund terms in writing.
Police registration
Under the Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Act 2015, landlords must report a tenant within 15 days of possession. Penalties include up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of Rs10,000 to Rs100,000, or both. Lahore Police says registration applies whenever a house or a hostel room is rented.
Documents for registration:
- Owner's CNIC, original and copy
- Tenant's CNIC, original and copy
- Rent agreement, original and copy
- Affidavit
- Tenant's photograph
It is done at the local police station or a Police Khidmat Markaz, free, usually in 15–20 minutes, and a certificate is issued.
Checks before you pay an advance
- See the actual room, not photos, and test water pressure and electricity.
- Ask to see the owner's CNIC and a utility bill in the owner's name.
- Agree in writing how electricity, gas and internet are split.
- Get a receipt for every advance and monthly payment.
- Confirm the notice period for leaving and when the security comes back.
- Make sure police registration is done in your name.
Red flags
- An "agent" who wants advance money before you've met the owner.
- No written agreement, or one that leaves the security amount blank.
- Refusal to register you with police.
- Sub-letting by a tenant without the owner's written consent, which the Act lists as a ground for eviction.
Sources
- Lahore's rising rent — Profit (Jul 2026) — small-house rents in older localities
- Punjab Rented Premises Act 2009 — written agreement, contents, exclusions, eviction grounds
- Law on information of temporary residences — SAHSOL, LUMS — 15-day reporting, penalties
- Tenants Registration — Lahore Police — documents, where, fee, hostel rooms