Renting Your Mumbai Flat to a Foreign National? Form III (Old C-Form) Must Be Filed Within 24 Hours
Under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, landlords and hosts must report foreign tenants and guests in Form III within 24 hours of arrival, OCI holders included.
Mumbai has a large expat rental market around BKC, Powai, Bandra and Lower Parel. If your tenant is a foreign national, there's a reporting duty that many landlords don't know about.
The rule
- The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 took effect on 1 September 2025, with the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025.
- Accommodation providers, including landlords with foreign tenants, PG owners and homestay or Airbnb-style hosts, must report foreign occupants in Form III, formerly known as Form C or the C-Form.
- Arrival: as soon as possible and not later than 24 hours after the foreigner arrives.
- Departure: within 24 hours of the foreigner leaving.
- Records must be kept electronically for at least one year and shown to authorities on demand.
- OCI cardholders are covered: the rules say every foreigner, including an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder.
How to file
Filing is online on the e-FRRO Form III portal at indianfrro.gov.in or the designated app. It's free, and you'll need an Indian mobile number for one-time passwords.
The duty is the landlord's, not the tenant's. Missing a 24-hour filing can mean a penalty.
Penalties
The Act provides for imprisonment of up to 3 years, a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh, or both, for breaches without a specific punishment. Offences can be compounded by paying an amount to the FRRO. Reported FRRO notices cite Rs 50,000 per case for accommodation providers.
Practical checklist for landlords
- Collect the tenant's passport and visa copies before move-in.
- File Form III within 24 hours of the tenant moving in.
- File again within 24 hours when they leave.
- Keep the acknowledgements with your lease file.
- Complete Mumbai Police tenant verification as well. It's a separate requirement.
For NRI landlords
If you're abroad, someone in India with an Indian mobile number has to file on time. This is part of the move-in checklist we run for owners we manage.
Related reading
Renting to an expat? Book a video call.
Sources
- NRI Information: Form III (C-Form) under the 2025 Act (September 2026)
- Fragomen: Residence reporting requirement expanded in Mumbai
General information, not legal advice. Check the current rules with the FRRO.
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