Apartment Rental in Armenia in 2026: How to Rent and What to Check Before Signing

Current as of 11.11.2026. Civil Code rules cited are based on the text on arlis.am with amendments up to 09.06.2022. Before signing, check the relevant articles with the latest version.

You can rent an apartment in Armenia based on a written lease contract for residential premises. The contract must be notarized, and the rights arising under it are subject to state registration (RA Civil Code, arts. 662 and 663). Before signing, check the owner's details via the cadastre, inspect the apartment, and review the contract’s terms. You may vacate the apartment by giving the landlord three months’ written notice. Eviction is only possible by a court decision.

Step-by-step procedure

1. Find an apartment and establish who is renting it out. Only the owner or an authorized representative may sign the contract (art. 660).
2. Ask the owner for their documents: passport and title documentation. If it’s a representative, ask for a power of attorney that explicitly authorizes rental of this apartment.
3. Obtain information about the property from the Cadastre Committee and compare it to the owner's documents.
4. Inspect the apartment. The landlord must provide a vacant space fit for living (art. 665 para. 1).
5. Agree on contract terms: rent amount, term, utility payments, repairs, and deposit.
6. Sign the contract with a notary (art. 662 para. 2).
7. Register the rights under the contract with the Cadastre Committee (art. 663).
8. Register at the address. The procedure is described in the article Address Registration.

What to check before signing

Cadastre

The Cadastre Committee issues information on registered rights and restrictions for a property. Anyone may request it; you don’t need to be the owner. Applications are accepted at the office or online via e-cadastre.am, payment accepted via e-payments and ARCA.

The statement is subject to a fee. Under art. 73 of the Law on State Registration of Rights, the standard information statement costs ֏10,000 per property. For information automatically provided by the website, the law sets a fee of ֏300 per unit. Check current rates at cadastre.am.

What the Civil Code says: key provisions

According to the RA Civil Code, unless the agreement provides otherwise, the following rules apply (arts. 660–676):

• Rent is set by mutual agreement; it cannot be changed unilaterally unless provided for by law or contract. Payment is monthly unless otherwise stated (art. 671).
• The contract term is as specified in the agreement. If no term is stated, the agreement is considered open-ended (art. 672).
• The tenant pays utilities unless the contract states otherwise (art. 667 para. 3). The landlord must provide maintenance of the building and essential utilities for payment (art. 665 para. 2).
• Current repairs are the tenant’s responsibility; capital repairs are the landlord’s, unless otherwise agreed (art. 670).
• Modifications or reconstruction cannot be made without landlord consent (art. 667 para. 2).
• Subletting is only allowed with the landlord’s consent (art. 673).
• Permanent residence of other persons is only possible with the tenant’s consent. The tenant is responsible for their actions (art. 668). Non-paying, temporary guests are allowed by mutual consent, and the tenant is liable for them as well (art. 669).

For a full list of terms and a template, see Lease Agreement.

Civil Code articles for reference

Special cases

• Several tenants. Other persons may reside permanently with the tenant’s consent (art. 668). With the landlord’s consent, a tenant may be replaced by an adult permanent resident (art. 674 para. 1). If the tenant passes away, the contract continues under the same terms (art. 674 para. 2).
• Subletting. The term of a sublease may not exceed the primary contract’s term. If the primary contract is terminated early, the sublease ends simultaneously (art. 673 paras. 3 and 4).
• Temporary guests. If the duration of a guest’s stay is not agreed, they must vacate the dwelling within 7 days of the tenant’s or a permanent resident’s request (art. 669 para. 2).
• No specified term. If the lease term is not determined in the contract, it is considered indefinite (art. 672 para. 2). You may still move out by giving the landlord three months’ notice.
• Tenant may be a legal entity. Under art. 666, tenants may be individuals, legal entities, the Republic of Armenia, or communities.

Registration and notary

A residential lease must be concluded in writing, as a single document, and certified by a notary (art. 662). Rights arising from the contract must be registered with the state (art. 663). How this is done, and what to do if the lease is not registered, is described in Lease Registration.

Tenant’s rights in brief

• You may vacate at any time by giving the landlord three months’ written notice. The decision should be made by you and your co-residents by mutual agreement (art. 675 para. 1).
• The landlord can terminate the contract in court, in cases listed in art. 675 paras. 2–3. For example, if the tenant fails to pay rent more than twice after the due date, damages the premises, or uses it for other purposes.
• Eviction is only possible by court decision (art. 676).
• If the landlord sells the apartment, the lease remains valid, and the new owner becomes the new landlord (art. 664).

For other rights and disputes: Tenant’s Rights.

Rental and residence permit

A residence permit is not a condition for renting an apartment under the Civil Code; see art. 666 for eligible tenants. If you apply for a residence permit, note that the migration platform checks with the cadastre to see if you have accommodation or own real estate (art. 42.2 of the Law on Foreigners, as revised HO-11-N). For permanent residence by family grounds, accommodation proof is required (art. 16 para. 1(a)). Rules for different grounds: Residence Permit Grounds.

Typical mistakes

• Signed a contract with a person who is not the owner and has no power of attorney.
• Failed to request property information from the cadastre or compare it to the owner’s documents.
• Accepted an oral contract. The law requires written form and notarization (art. 662).
• Did not register the rights under the contract, although art. 663 requires it.
• Did not specify in the contract who pays for utilities and repairs.
• Did not photograph the apartment’s condition upon moving in.

Landlord’s taxation

Taxation of rental income is not addressed in this article. See Apartment Rental Taxation for details.