Residential Lease Agreement Template (Malta)

The lease must be registered with the Housing Authority — or it can be void

Under the Private Residential Leases Act, the duty to register a private residential lease with the Housing Authority rests with the landlord, generally within 10 days of the lease starting; if the landlord doesn't register it, the tenant may register it themselves at the landlord's expense. A lease that is never registered risks being treated as null and void. A generic downloaded lease that says nothing about this registration duty is missing one of the most consequential requirements Maltese residential letting law actually imposes.

Long lets have a statutory minimum term

The Act sets a minimum term for a long private residential lease — currently one year — below which the parties generally cannot contract. This template's term clause reflects that minimum rather than leaving the term entirely open to whatever the parties happen to write, which risks conflicting with the statutory floor.

What a residential lease needs to cover

At a minimum: the parties, the property address, the term, the rent amount and due date, the deposit amount and its treatment, who pays which utilities, and each party's maintenance responsibilities. This template adds the registration and minimum-term clauses the Private Residential Leases Act actually requires, on top of that baseline.

The clauses, explained

Parties and property

Full legal names of landlord and tenant and the complete property address, including unit number if applicable.

Term

States the lease term, reflecting the statutory minimum term for a long private residential lease under the Private Residential Leases Act.

Registration

Requires the landlord to register the lease with the Housing Authority within the statutory period, and records the registration reference.

Rent and payment

The rent amount, due date and accepted payment methods.

Deposit

The deposit amount and how it will be treated at the end of the lease.

Utilities and maintenance

States who pays for which utility and who is responsible for routine maintenance versus structural repairs.

Pets

Optional clause recording whether pets are permitted and any restrictions.

Governing law

Confirms Maltese law governs the lease.

Maltese compliance checklist

Confirm the current position with the Housing Authority before finalising a lease.

• Register the lease with the Housing Authority

  The landlord must register the private residential lease with the Housing Authority, generally within 10 days of the lease starting; if the landlord fails to do so, the tenant may register it at the landlord's expense, and an unregistered lease risks being null and void.

  CSB Group — A Guide to the 2020 Rent Regulations (Private Residential Leases Act)

• Check the statutory minimum term

  A long private residential lease is currently subject to a minimum term of one year under the Private Residential Leases Act — confirm the current figure before setting the lease term.

How to use this template

1. Fill in the parties and property. Tap the highlighted blanks and type the landlord's and tenant's names and the full property address.
2. Set the term to meet the statutory minimum. Enter the lease term, checking it meets or exceeds the current statutory minimum for a long let.
3. Register the lease. Register the lease with the Housing Authority within the statutory period and note the registration reference.
4. Set the rent and deposit. Fill in the rent amount and due date, and the deposit amount.
5. Add any optional clauses. The pets clause sits in the lease with its own Add control — add it if relevant and fill in any restriction.
6. Sign, download and check the current rules. Sign on the signature line — the tenant can sign on the same screen — then download the lease as a Word or PDF file and check the current Housing Authority requirements before signing.

Frequently asked questions