This guide gives you the train logic, the rents we read in October 2026 for eight areas, and the steps to rent a home under a Mumbai leave and licence.
Step 1. Start from your office and its line
Mumbai's suburban trains run north to south. The Western line runs from Churchgate up the west side, through Bandra, Khar Road, Santacruz, Vile Parle, Andheri, Malad and Borivali. The Central and Harbour lines run from CSMT. Metro Line 1 runs from Versova to Ghatkopar, and Line 3 under the city from Aarey JVLR to Cuffe Parade.
- Be on the same line as your office. Every change of line costs about 8 minutes in our estimate, plus the walk.
- Be near the station. The walk or auto to the station is often the longest part of the trip.
- The road is slower than it looks. Under about 4 km a road trip can win. Over that, the train usually does.
BKC 24 min, Lower Parel 38 min, Nariman Point 53 min, Andheri East MIDC 39 min, Powai 52 min. 86 of 97 buildings placed exactly.
BKC 22 min, Lower Parel 39 min, Nariman Point 57 min, Andheri East MIDC 38 min, Powai 49 min. 74 of 75 buildings placed exactly.
BKC 22 min, Lower Parel 42 min, Nariman Point 59 min, Andheri East MIDC 33 min, Powai 47 min. 38 of 127 buildings placed exactly.
BKC 35 min, Lower Parel 46 min, Nariman Point 63 min, Andheri East MIDC 19 min, Powai 43 min. 26 of 92 buildings placed exactly.
BKC 41 min, Lower Parel 50 min, Nariman Point 71 min, Andheri East MIDC 18 min, Powai 42 min. 46 of 128 buildings placed exactly.
BKC 46 min, Lower Parel 55 min, Nariman Point 70 min, Andheri East MIDC 37 min, Powai 12 min. 24 of 275 buildings placed exactly.
BKC 55 min, Lower Parel 64 min, Nariman Point 85 min, Andheri East MIDC 40 min, Powai 66 min. 87 of 302 buildings placed exactly.
BKC 63 min, Lower Parel 72 min, Nariman Point 93 min, Andheri East MIDC 48 min, Powai 74 min. 96 of 527 buildings placed exactly.
Step 2. See what the area costs
Owners' asking rents on NoBroker, read 25 Oct 2026. This is the figure we lead with. An agreed rent can be lower.
1 RK thin (4 listings); 1 BHK thin (6 listings); 2 BHK ₹1,20,000 (18 listings); 3 BHK ₹2,00,000 (9 listings). Deposit asked 3 months.
1 RK thin (5 listings); 1 BHK ₹47,500 (12 listings); 2 BHK ₹1,10,000 (21 listings); 3 BHK ₹2,12,500 (8 listings). Deposit asked 3 months.
1 RK thin (6 listings); 1 BHK thin (7 listings); 2 BHK ₹75,000 (18 listings); 3 BHK ₹1,82,500 (10 listings). Deposit asked 3 to 5.5 months.
1 RK ₹22,000 (9 listings); 1 BHK ₹45,000 (13 listings); 2 BHK ₹85,000 (16 listings); 3 BHK ₹1,30,000 (11 listings). Deposit asked 3 to 4 months.
1 RK thin (7 listings); 1 BHK ₹50,000 (17 listings); 2 BHK ₹70,000 (24 listings); 3 BHK ₹1,30,000 (19 listings). Deposit asked 3 to 3.5 months.
1 RK ₹22,500 (8 listings); 1 BHK ₹48,000 (24 listings); 2 BHK ₹72,000 (51 listings); 3 BHK ₹1,30,000 (18 listings). Deposit asked 3 months.
1 RK ₹25,000 (8 listings); 1 BHK ₹35,000 (41 listings); 2 BHK ₹60,000 (56 listings); 3 BHK ₹77,000 (13 listings). Deposit asked 3 to 4 months.
1 RK thin (5 listings); 1 BHK ₹25,000 (20 listings); 2 BHK ₹47,000 (45 listings); 3 BHK ₹77,500 (16 listings). Deposit asked 3.5 months.
The live listings we matched to a building run higher, because many are newer and larger homes. The full picture is on the cost of living guide.
Step 3. Pick one of our three areas, or tell us yours
Sthãna is starting to rent homes in Mumbai end to end, in three areas next to each other on the Western line.
Bandra station. BKC 24 min, Lower Parel 38 min, Andheri East MIDC 39 min. 97 buildings in our book, 75 with a live ask. 2 BHK owners' median ₹1,20,000 (18 listings).
Khar Road station. BKC 22 min, Lower Parel 39 min, Andheri East MIDC 38 min. 75 buildings in our book, 47 with a live ask. 2 BHK owners' median ₹1,10,000 (21 listings).
Santa Cruz station. BKC 22 min, Lower Parel 42 min, Andheri East MIDC 33 min. 127 buildings in our book, 43 with a live ask. 2 BHK owners' median ₹75,000 (18 listings).
If your office and budget point elsewhere, we still tell you which area fits and why.
Step 4. Know how renting works in Mumbai
A Mumbai rental is a leave and licence. The rules differ from Bengaluru and Delhi.
Yes. In Maharashtra every leave and licence must be in writing and registered, whatever its length. The owner is responsible (Maharashtra Rent Control Act 1999, section 55).
0.25% of the rent for the whole term, plus any non-refundable deposit, plus 10% a year notional interest on the refundable deposit (Maharashtra Stamp Act, Article 36A). On ₹1,00,000 a month for 11 months with a ₹3,00,000 deposit, that is about ₹2,819.
₹1,000 in a municipal corporation area such as Mumbai is the working figure. The IGR calculator gives the exact amount.
No. IGR's Leave and License site registers it online. Both sides and the witnesses give a photo, a fingerprint and an Aadhaar check on a thumb scanner (IGR manual, read 14 Oct 2026).
The owner files Mumbai Police's online Tenant Information form before move-in. No police NOC is needed to rent. Societies ask for the copy.
Under the model bye-laws the owner tells the society 8 days before and gives the registered agreement and the police copy. A society often charges for moving in, ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 is common.
No. We found no Maharashtra law that caps it. Owners asked about three months' rent in our read.
The owner can apply for eviction, and you can owe twice the rent until you leave (Maharashtra Rent Control Act 1999, section 24). Renew on time, with a fresh registered agreement.
Above ₹50,000 a month, an individual tenant deducts 2% once a year against the owner's PAN.
₹1,00,000 a month, 11 months, 3 months' deposit, the renter paying stamp duty and registration (a choice, not the law): deposit ₹3,00,000 and the first month ₹1,00,000 to the owner; stamp duty, registration and handling about ₹4,119 to the government; a society move-in charge of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000. About ₹4,05,119 to ₹4,09,119.
We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. An auto's minimum fare is ₹27 and a black and yellow taxi's ₹33 from 1 Sep 2026 (Free Press Journal, 31 Aug 2026).
Step 5. How we rent your home in Mumbai
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01
Brief
You tell us your office, budget, size, move-in date and who will live there.
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02
Shortlist and viewings
We show you homes in buildings we have read, and say what we know and do not know about each.
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03
Offer
We put rent, deposit, lock-in, notice and who pays what in one message to both sides.
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04
Token
You pay the owner directly, after we have seen the ownership papers.
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05
Agreement and registration
We draft from the agreed terms. Registration and police intimation are done in one sitting.
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06
Society and move-in
The society gets its 8 days' notice. We walk the inventory with you on the day.
Your deposit and rent go to the owner, never to us.
We find you a home. Tell us your office, budget, size and move-in date. In Bandra West, Khar West and Santacruz West we shortlist homes in buildings we have read, run the viewings, agree the terms and see the agreement registered and the police form filed before you move in.
Mumbai opens for renters soon. Until then we keep a waitlist.
Related
Sources
- Owners' asking rents on NoBroker within 1.3 km of each area's centre (2 km for Powai), active in the 90 days to 25 Oct 2026; asks set aside as a room, a share or out of line with the area. Our own read of public listings.
- Live listings matched to a named building in our Mumbai book, on Square Yards, NoBroker and MagicBricks, each listing counted once, read 14 to 24 Oct 2026. Our own read.
- Sthãna commute model, slow-train timetables, lines read 21 Oct 2026; station positions from OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- Maharashtra Rent Control Act 1999, section 55, https://maharashtra.gov.in/Upload/PDF/THE_MAHARASHTRA_RENT_CONTROL_ACT.pdf, level 1, read 21 Oct 2026
- Maharashtra Stamp Act 1958, Article 36A, https://prsindia.org/files/bills_acts/acts_states/maharashtra/1958/Act60of1958MH.pdf, level 1, read 21 Oct 2026
- IGR Maharashtra, Leave and License 2.0 user manual and the 1.9 manual (handling charge), level 1, read 14 Oct 2026
- Mumbai Police, Tenant Information, level 1, read 21 Oct 2026
- Free Press Journal, Mumbai auto and taxi minimum fares from 1 Sep 2026, https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-auto-taxi-fare-hike-minimum-fares-rise-to-27-for-autos-33-for-cabs-from-september-1, level 2, published 31 Aug 2026