Almost every commercial space in Gurgaon is compared on one number — rent per square foot — and almost every occupier is surprised by the total once they sign. The costs below are ordinary and predictable; they are simply not in the listing. Knowing them before you shortlist changes which property is genuinely cheapest, and it changes your negotiating position because you can see where the money actually goes. Figures here are indicative of the current position and are the kind of thing to confirm against your own advisor at the time of transacting, since rates and thresholds do change.
Stamp duty and registration on the lease itself
A commercial lease in Haryana attracts stamp duty calculated on the annual rent plus deposit — broadly in the region of 1.5% where the term is up to five years, and around 3% where it runs beyond five and up to ten. Registration adds roughly 1% of value, capped at ₹50,000.
This matters more than the percentage suggests, because a longer lease is charged at a higher rate. The stamp cost is therefore part of the buy-versus-flexibility trade-off on lease length, not a separate administrative afterthought.
Registration is not optional
Under Section 107 of the Transfer of Property Act and Section 17 of the Registration Act, a lease of this kind is compulsorily registrable. An unregistered lease is weak evidence if the relationship ever turns contentious, which is precisely when you need it to hold.
Occupiers sometimes accept an unregistered arrangement to save the stamp cost. It is a poor trade: you are saving a one-off percentage against the enforceability of the agreement that governs where your business operates.
TDS on rent
Tax is deductible at source on commercial rent under Section 194-I, at 10%, once annual rent crosses the applicable threshold — that threshold was raised to ₹6 lakh a year with effect from April 2025, up from ₹2.4 lakh.
One detail that trips people up regularly: TDS is deducted on the rent, not on the GST component. Getting this wrong creates reconciliation problems that take longer to unwind than they take to avoid.
GST — and the difference between leasing and buying
On a purchase, the GST position depends entirely on completion status. An under-construction commercial property attracts GST with input tax credit available; a completed property that already holds its occupancy certificate does not, because that is a transfer of immovable property rather than a supply of construction services.
That single distinction can move the effective cost of a purchase materially, and it is worth establishing early rather than discovering at the point of payment.
Security deposit — the cost nobody prices
Commercial deposits in Gurgaon commonly run to several months of rent, and that capital sits with the landlord for the life of the lease earning you nothing. On a large floor it is frequently the single biggest cash outflow at signing.
Treat it as an opportunity cost in your comparison, not a refundable formality. Two properties at the same rent with different deposit terms are not the same price, and deposit is often more negotiable than the headline rate.
CAM, and why it is charged on an area you do not occupy
Common area maintenance is billed separately from rent and calculated on your chargeable — super — area rather than your carpet area. The usual approach divides the building's total common expenses by its total chargeable area and applies your unit's share.
Because CAM is recurring and rises over time, a building with a high CAM figure can be more expensive overall than one with a higher headline rent. Always ask for the current CAM in writing and how it has moved over the past three years.
Fit-out, and who pays for it
Fit-out is a real capital cost and it is where a great deal of negotiating value sits. Landlords who will not move on rate will frequently contribute to fit-out, offer a rent-free period to cover it, or both — particularly in premium corridors where the headline rate is defended for the sake of the building's other tenants.
Amortise fit-out across the term you actually expect to stay when comparing options. A shell at a lower rent and a fitted floor at a higher one often converge once that is done.
Put it on one line before you decide
The only fair comparison is total occupancy cost per usable square foot per year: rent plus CAM plus amortised fit-out, divided by carpet area, with stamp duty, registration and the deposit's opportunity cost accounted for separately at signing.
Done that way, shortlists reorder more often than not — and the property that looked cheapest on the listing frequently is not.