How to Register a Tenant With Sindh Police Within 48 Hours, Online or at a Station

In Sindh, a landlord, tenant or property dealer must give the police the tenant's details within 48 hours of handing over the keys. You can do it free at any police station in about 15 to 20 minutes, or online on the Sindh Police TRUST portal at tenantregister.sindhpolice.gov.pk. Skipping it can mean up to six months in jail and a fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 45,000.

That 48-hour window is much shorter than most people expect. Punjab gives 15 days for the same job. Sindh tenant registration comes from the Sindh Information of Temporary Residents Act 2015, which we read on the Sindh Code, and it covers every rented house, flat, portion, room and even shop in the province.

Sindh tenant registration is due within 48 hours

The clock starts when the tenant gets possession, not when the agreement is signed. Section 3 of the 2015 Act says the information must reach the police within 48 hours, "through the fastest means of communication". If one person does it, the others are covered.

Three people share the duty: the landlord, the tenant and the property dealer. In practice the landlord usually does it. Section 5 also tells the landlord to check the tenant's CNIC or passport before letting them stay, keep a copy, and hand that copy to the police.

The Act reaches further than housing. A "rented premises" is a building or part of one let out for living or for business. So a shop, an office floor or a single room counts. A sub-tenant counts as a tenant. Hotels and guest houses have a tighter rule of three hours from check-in.

Section 9 lets the Sindh Government extend these timelines through a Gazette notification. We found no such extension for ordinary rented homes, so plan on 48 hours.

Papers you need to register a tenant in Sindh

Karachi Police's service page lists five documents, each as an original and a copy where it applies. The service is free and done on the spot. After registration, the front desk officer gives you a certificate, which the police say helps you avoid trouble during a search operation.

A foreign tenant can use a passport in place of a CNIC, because section 5 accepts either. Sort out the rent agreement on stamp paper before the tenant moves in. With only 48 hours, you will not have time to draft one afterwards.

How to register a tenant online on the TRUST portal

Sindh Police runs an online system called TRUST, short for Tenant Registration for Urban Security and Tracking. You sign up with a mobile number, verify a code sent by SMS, then fill in the form. Karachi Police's own page points to it.

We opened the portal on 3 October 2026 and it loaded normally. The sign-up form asks for an email address and a WhatsApp mobile number, then sends a code. We stopped there, because going further needs a real tenancy and real CNICs.

1. Open tenantregister.sindhpolice.gov.pk and choose Register Now.
2. Enter your email and WhatsApp number, pass the security check and press Send Code.
3. Type in the code you receive to verify the number.
4. Complete your profile with your CNIC details.
5. Add the property and invite the tenant, then submit the tenancy for police station verification.

The portal has three roles. A landlord registers properties and invites tenants. A tenant completes a CNIC-linked profile and accepts the invitation. An estate agent can manage listings and invite tenants once the landlord grants access. The portal describes the submission as going to the police station for verification, so treat the online step as the start, not the end.

Keep a screenshot of every confirmation screen. If the portal is slow, the police station route still meets the law.

Registering a tenant at a police station in Sindh

Go to the police station for the area where the property is, a nearby station, or a police facilitation centre. Hand the papers to the front desk. Karachi Police says it takes about 15 to 20 minutes, costs nothing and the certificate is given by hand.

Take both sets of copies with you, plus the originals for checking. If the tenant cannot come, the landlord can still register, since the Act lets any one of the three do it.

Repeat the process for every new tenant. A relative who moves in later is best added the same way, so the record matches who actually lives there.

Penalty for not registering a tenant in Sindh

Knowingly skipping registration can bring up to six months in jail plus a fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 45,000, under section 11. The offence is cognizable and non-bailable, so police can arrest without a warrant. A Judicial Magistrate hears the case by summary trial.

The same penalty covers failing to check the tenant's CNIC, refusing police access for an inspection, and letting a tenant keep an unlicensed weapon or explosives. Section 8 makes the landlord responsible for checking that too.

Police can also check on their own. A sub-inspector or higher may inspect a rented property after reasonable notice and ask for documents, under section 7. Section 7 also tells the police to run spot inspections and local verifications.

The Sindh fine cap is lower than Punjab's Rs 100,000. The deadline is far stricter. That trade is worth remembering if you own property in both provinces, because tenant registration in Punjab runs on different rules.

What the police can do with tenant data

The police keep a database of tenants and guests. Section 6 says the data may be used only to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute terrorism and other Pakistan Penal Code offences. It is not a tool for settling rent disputes between landlord and tenant.

Registration does not decide who is right in a fight over rent, repairs or an eviction. Those are settled under Sindh's separate rent law, not by the police.

Landlords should still keep the police certificate with the rent agreement and rent receipts. Together they prove the letting, which also matters for tax on rental income and for Sindh property tax on a rented building.

Common questions

Is tenant registration compulsory in Sindh?

Yes. The Sindh Information of Temporary Residents Act 2015 requires the landlord, tenant or property dealer to inform the police within 48 hours of possession.

How much does tenant registration cost in Karachi?

Nothing. Karachi Police lists the processing fee as free, with on-the-spot registration in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Can I register a tenant online in Sindh?

Yes. Use the Sindh Police TRUST portal at tenantregister.sindhpolice.gov.pk. It loaded and sent its sign-up form when we checked on 3 October 2026.

What is the fine for not registering a tenant in Sindh?

Up to six months in jail and a fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 45,000, under section 11 of the 2015 Act.

Do shops and offices need tenant registration in Sindh?

Yes. The Act defines rented premises as any building or part of one let out for residential or commercial use.

Who is responsible if the tenant is not registered?

The landlord, the tenant and the property dealer share the duty. If any one of them registers, the others are not liable.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 3 October 2026. We read the Sindh Information of Temporary Residents Act 2015 (Sindh Act XXI of 2015) on the Sindh Code, sections 1 to 16, for the deadline, duties, penalty and data rules. We read the Karachi Police tenant registration page for the papers, fee, time and the online link. We opened the Sindh Police TRUST portal and its sign-up form, but did not submit a registration. Nothing here is legal advice.