Residential lease agreement template
A residential lease sets out who rents the home, for how long, what the rent and deposit are, and who looks after what. Fill in the details below and the lease is laid out as a PDF with signature blocks for the landlord and the tenant, ready to download or to send for signature.
This template is a general starting point, not legal advice. Laws differ between countries and states, so have it checked before signing anything important.
Fill in the details
Anything you leave empty becomes a blank line in the document, to fill in by hand or during signing.
Opens the signature request with this document and a signature box for each party already placed.
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Residential Lease Agreement
This Residential Lease Agreement (the "Lease") is made on __________ between __________ ("Landlord"), whose address for notices is __________, and __________ ("Tenant"). If more than one person signs as Tenant, each of them is responsible for all of Tenant’s obligations under this Lease.
1. The Property
Landlord rents to Tenant the home at __________, including the fixtures and appliances in it (the "Property"). Tenant will use the Property only as a private residence.
2. Term
The Lease starts on __________ and ends on __________. When the Lease ends, __________.
3. Rent
Tenant will pay rent of __________ per month, due on __________, by __________. Rent for a partial month at the start or end of the Lease is calculated by the day.
If rent is late, Tenant will pay a late fee of __________, but only to the extent the law allows.
4. Security Deposit
Tenant will pay a security deposit of __________ before moving in. Landlord will hold the deposit as the law requires and may deduct from it only unpaid rent, the reasonable cost of repairing damage beyond normal wear and tear, and other amounts the law allows.
Landlord will return the deposit, with a written list of any deductions, within the time the law requires after Tenant moves out and returns the keys.
5. Occupants and Use
Only __________ may live at the Property. Guests may stay for short periods. Tenant will not use the Property for any unlawful purpose, will not unreasonably disturb neighbors, and will follow reasonable building rules that Landlord gives Tenant in writing.
6. Utilities
Tenant pays for __________. Landlord pays for all other utilities and services for the Property unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.
7. Care, Repairs and Alterations
Tenant will keep the Property clean and in good condition, tell Landlord in writing promptly about any damage or needed repair, and pay for damage caused by Tenant, other occupants or guests beyond normal wear and tear.
Landlord will keep the Property safe and fit to live in as the law requires and will make necessary repairs within a reasonable time after being told about them. Tenant will not make alterations, repaint or change the locks without Landlord’s written consent.
8. Pets
Pets are allowed only as follows: __________. This does not limit any assistance animal that the law requires Landlord to allow.
9. Landlord’s Entry
Landlord may enter the Property to inspect it, make repairs or show it to prospective tenants or buyers, at reasonable times and after giving the notice the law requires, or at least twenty-four (24) hours’ notice if the law sets none. Landlord may enter without notice in an emergency.
10. Subletting
Tenant will not sublet the Property or transfer this Lease without Landlord’s written consent, which Landlord will not unreasonably withhold.
11. Moving Out and Ending the Lease Early
When the tenancy ends, Tenant will leave the Property clean and in the condition it was in at the start, apart from normal wear and tear, and return all keys.
If either party seriously breaks this Lease, the other party may use the remedies the law provides. Landlord may end the tenancy or remove Tenant only by following the notice and court procedures the law requires.
12. Disclosures
Landlord will give Tenant every disclosure the law requires for the Property, such as the federal lead-based paint disclosure and pamphlet for homes built before 1978.
13. General
This Lease is governed by __________. If any part of this Lease conflicts with the law, the law applies and the rest of the Lease stays in effect. This Lease is the entire agreement between the parties about renting the Property and may only be changed in writing signed by both parties.
Notices must be in writing and sent to Landlord at the address above and to Tenant at the Property. This Lease may be signed in counterparts and with electronic signatures, each of which is treated as an original.
Landlord
__________
Tenant
__________
Check your local rules first
Rental law is mostly set by states and cities, and it changes often. This lease defers to the law wherever local rules commonly differ — deposits, late fees, notice before entry and ending a tenancy — but some places also require their own wording or extra documents.
- Check your state’s limits on security deposits and late fees, and its deadline for returning a deposit.
- Homes built before 1978 need the federal lead-based paint disclosure and pamphlet before the lease is signed.
- Some cities have rent control, just-cause eviction or rental registration rules that override parts of a standard lease.
- Walk through the home together at move-in and record its condition with dated photos. It settles most deposit disputes.
More than one tenant
Write every adult tenant’s name in the Tenant field, joined by "and", and add each of them as a signer when you send the lease for signature. Under the opening paragraph, each tenant who signs is responsible for the whole rent, not just a share of it.
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