Tenant Welcome Letter and House Rules Template (Bangladesh)

The first week of a new tenancy sets the tone for everything that follows. If your new tenant does not know when rent is due, how to pay it, who to call when the water pump stops, or what time the main gate closes, small misunderstandings quickly turn into arguments. A tenant welcome letter with clear house rules solves this. It is a friendly, one-to-three page document you hand over with the keys, and it answers most of the questions a new tenant will otherwise ask you on the phone at 11 pm.

This article gives you a complete, fill-in-the-blank tenant welcome letter and house rules template in English, written for Bangladeshi flats and apartment buildings. It works for families, working professionals, bachelors, expats and corporate tenants. You will also find guidance on what to include, how to adjust the rules fairly, a sample payment schedule table, a short SMS version, and common mistakes to avoid.

What Is a Tenant Welcome Letter?

A tenant welcome letter is an informal but written introduction to the property. It is not a substitute for the rental agreement (lease). The agreement is the legal document that sets the rent, deposit (jamanat), term and notice period. The welcome letter is a practical guide: it explains how daily life in the building works and repeats the key payment details in simple language.

Think of it as the "user manual" of your flat. A good welcome letter usually covers:

• A warm welcome and your contact details.
• Rent amount, due date and accepted payment methods (cash, bank transfer, bKash, Nagad, etc.).
• Utility arrangements — electricity meter or sub-meter, water, gas, internet and service charge.
• Building contacts — caretaker, guard, association secretary, emergency numbers.
• House rules — gate timing, visitors, parking, noise, rubbish, rooftop, generator and lift use.
• How to request repairs and what counts as an emergency.
• Move-in reminders — inspection checklist, police/DMP tenant information form, key handover.

Why Landlords in Bangladesh Should Use One

In many buildings in Dhaka and Chattogram, rules are passed on verbally by the caretaker, and every tenant hears a slightly different version. That creates problems: a tenant parks in someone else's slot, guests stay past gate-closing time, or rent arrives on the 15th because nobody said the 5th. A written welcome letter:

• Makes expectations clear from day one, so enforcing them later feels fair rather than personal.
• Reduces repeated phone calls and messages about basic information.
• Gives expat and first-time tenants confidence about how things work locally.
• Creates a record that the tenant was informed of the building rules.
• Shows professionalism, which encourages tenants to treat the property with respect.

Before You Write: Gather This Information

Collect the following details so you can fill in the template in one sitting:

Tenant Welcome Letter Template (Fill in the Blanks)

Copy the template below, replace everything in [square brackets], and delete any section that does not apply to your property. Print it on one or two pages and give it with the keys, or send it as a PDF on WhatsApp or email.

Welcome to [Building Name], Flat [Flat No.]

Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

Dear [Tenant Name],

Welcome to your new home at [Building Name], [House No.], [Road No.], [Area], [City]. We are glad to have you with us and hope you will be comfortable here. This letter explains how things work in the building and who to contact if you need help. Please keep it somewhere handy.

1. Your tenancy at a glance

Move-in date: [Date]. Agreement period: [Start date] to [End date]. Monthly rent: Tk [Amount]. Service charge: Tk [Amount] per month [included in rent / paid separately]. Security deposit (jamanat) received: Tk [Amount]. Advance rent received: Tk [Amount], to be adjusted as [agreed in the agreement].

2. How and when to pay rent

Rent is due on or before the [5th] of each month for that month. You can pay by: (a) bank transfer to [Account Name], [Bank], [Branch], A/C [Number]; (b) [bKash/Nagad] to [Number] — please write your flat number in the reference; or (c) cash to [Name] against a signed receipt. You will receive a receipt for every payment. If you expect a delay, please let us know before the due date.

3. Utilities

Electricity: your flat has a [prepaid / postpaid] meter from [DESCO/DPDC/other], meter/account no. [Number]. [You recharge / pay the bill directly.] OR [Electricity is recorded on a sub-meter and billed monthly with the rent at the building rate.] Water: [included in service charge / billed separately at Tk ___]. Gas: [Titas line — bill Tk ___ per month paid with rent / LPG cylinder arranged by tenant]. Internet and cable TV: providers available are [Names]; please arrange your own connection.

4. Important contacts

Landlord: [Name], [Mobile]. Caretaker: [Name], [Mobile]. Guard desk: [Number]. Association secretary: [Name], [Mobile]. Nearest police station: [Name, Number]. Fire service: 999 (national emergency). Electrician: [Number]. Plumber: [Number].

5. Repairs and maintenance

Please report repairs to [the caretaker / the landlord] by [SMS/WhatsApp/app], with a short description and a photo if possible. Emergencies (major leaks, electrical sparks, gas smell, lift entrapment) should be reported immediately by phone. Routine requests will normally be attended within [2–3] working days. Please do not make structural changes, drill into load-bearing walls or change fittings without written permission.

6. House rules

(a) The main gate closes at [11:00 pm]. Please inform the guard if you will return later. (b) Visitors should sign the visitor register at the gate. Overnight guests staying more than [__] nights should be informed to the landlord. (c) Car parking: your slot is [No.]. Please do not park in other slots or block the ramp. (d) Please keep noise low between [10:00 pm and 7:00 am]. (e) Rubbish should be placed [in the bin at ___ / handed to the collector at ___ am]. (f) The rooftop is [open from ___ to ___ / closed to tenants]. (g) Generator covers [lights and fans only]; please avoid running AC, geysers or irons during load-shedding. (h) Smoking is not allowed in the lift, stairs or common areas. (i) Pets: [allowed with prior permission / not allowed as per association rules]. (j) Please do not keep items in the staircase or corridor, as they block fire exits.

7. Move-in reminders

We will complete a move-in inspection checklist together on [Date] and both sign it. Please fill in and submit the tenant information form required by the local police (in Dhaka, the DMP tenant information form) by [Date], with photographs and NID copies of all adult occupants. Keys handed over: [number] main door, [number] gate, [number] mailbox, [number] others.

8. Moving out

As per our agreement, either party should give [__] months' written notice before ending the tenancy. At move-out we will inspect the flat against the move-in checklist, settle any dues and utility bills, and return the security deposit as agreed.

Thank you again for choosing our home. If anything is unclear, please call or message me any time between [9:00 am and 9:00 pm].

Warm regards,

[Landlord Name]

[Mobile] | [Email]

Acknowledged by tenant: ____________________ Date: __________

Sample Monthly Payment Schedule

Many tenants find it helpful when the welcome letter includes a simple table of what they pay each month. For example (illustrative):

In this example, rent (Tk 25,000) plus service charge (Tk 3,000) gives Tk 28,000 per month, plus the gas bill. Over a year, the fixed amount is Tk 28,000 × 12 = Tk 3,36,000. Writing this down avoids the common argument about whether service charge was "included".

Short SMS / WhatsApp Welcome Version

Along with the printed letter, you can send a short message on the move-in day:

Welcome to [Building], Flat [No.], [Tenant Name]! Rent + service charge Tk [Amount] is due by the [5th] each month via [bKash/bank]. Caretaker: [Name, Mobile]. Gate closes at [11 pm]. For any repair, message me here with a photo. Wishing you a happy stay! — [Landlord Name]

How to Write Fair and Enforceable House Rules

House rules work best when they are reasonable, apply equally to everyone, and match the rental agreement and the owners' association rules. Some guidance:

Keep rules practical, not personal

Focus on safety, security, cleanliness, noise and shared facilities. Avoid rules that intrude into tenants' private lives or treat people differently based on religion, profession, family status or origin. For example, a gate-closing time and a visitor register apply to everyone; a rule that only one group of tenants must follow invites conflict.

Align with the agreement

If a rule has financial consequences — a late fee, a charge for lost keys, a restriction on subletting — it should also be written in the signed rental agreement. The welcome letter can remind tenants of it, but it should not introduce new penalties on its own.

Explain the reason

"Please do not keep shoes and cycles on the staircase because they block the fire exit" is followed far more often than "No items on stairs." A one-line reason makes rules feel sensible rather than bossy.

Adjust for tenant type

• Families: emphasise children's safety on the rooftop and lift, and school-time parking.
• Bachelors or shared flats: clarify visitor timing and who is responsible for rent if one roommate leaves.
• Expats: add emergency numbers, load-shedding and generator explanations, water filtration advice and local service providers.
• Corporate tenants: include the billing contact, invoice process and who approves repairs.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Making it too long. Ten pages of rules will not be read. Keep it to two or three pages and use headings.
• Contradicting the agreement. If the letter says rent is due on the 10th and the agreement says the 5th, you create confusion.
• Forgetting the service charge breakdown. Tenants frequently dispute what service charge covers.
• Not getting an acknowledgement. Ask the tenant to sign a copy so there is a record they received it.
• Leaving out emergency information. Gas, fire and electrical emergencies need immediate numbers, not a message to the landlord.
• Outdated contacts. Update the letter when the caretaker or association secretary changes.
• Using a harsh tone. The purpose is to welcome. Firm rules can still be written politely.

Related Documents to Hand Over at Move-In

The welcome letter works best as part of a small move-in pack. Along with it, give the tenant:

• A copy of the signed rental agreement.
• The move-in inspection checklist — see our move-in / move-out inspection checklist template.
• A receipt for the security deposit and advance rent.
• The police tenant information form to fill in, where applicable.
• A list of utility meter numbers and the current readings.

For a clear explanation of who pays which bill, share our guide on utility bills in a rented flat. It can also help to point tenants to tenant responsibilities in Bangladesh, so both sides understand their roles.

Keeping the Welcome Letter Up to Date

Review your template once a year or whenever something changes — a new service charge, a new caretaker, a change in gate timing agreed by the association, or a new payment method. Keep a master copy in a folder or on your phone so you can fill it in quickly each time a new tenant arrives. If you manage several flats or buildings, keep one master template per building, because rules and contacts differ.

Final Thoughts

A tenant welcome letter costs you an hour to prepare once, and it saves many hours of confusion, calls and disputes. It shows your tenant that you are organised and fair, and it gives you a polite, written reference point whenever a rule needs to be reminded. Use the template above, adapt it to your building, keep it consistent with your rental agreement, and ask the tenant to sign an acknowledgement.

If you manage multiple units, Bariwala ERP (বাড়িওয়ালা ERP) can hold each tenant's profile, agreement and family details, record the move-in, generate monthly invoices and receipts, send SMS reminders before the due date and log maintenance requests — so the promises you make in the welcome letter are easy to keep.