Residential lease agreement template
A residential lease agreement rents a house, apartment or condo to a tenant for a fixed term, usually a year. This template covers the terms most leases need: rent and late fees, the security deposit, utilities, pets, repairs, the landlord's entry and how the lease ends. Read it below, then open it in SignMaster, fill in the unit and send it to every tenant.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Tenant
- Landlord
Residential Lease Agreement
This Residential Lease Agreement (the "Lease") is made on Lease date between Landlord name (the "Landlord") and Tenant name (the "Tenant"). If more than one tenant signs, each is responsible for all obligations under this Lease, including the full rent.
1. The home
The Landlord rents to the Tenant the home at Rental address (the "Home"), including these appliances and furnishings: Included appliances and furniture. Parking: Parking.
Only the Tenant and these other occupants may live in the Home: Other occupants. A guest may stay no more than Guest nights limit nights in a row without the Landlord's written consent.
2. Term
The Lease begins on Lease start date and ends on Lease end date. If neither party gives written notice at least Days notice before the end days before the end date and no new lease is signed, the tenancy continues month to month on the same terms until either party ends it with the notice the law requires.
3. Rent
The Tenant will pay rent of Monthly rent a month, due on the Rent due day day of each month, by How rent is paid. Rent for the first partial month, if any, is Prorated first month rent. If rent is not received within Grace period in days days of the due date, a late fee of Late fee is due, but never more than the law allows. A returned payment costs Returned payment fee.
Tenant's initials: Initials for rent and late fee
4. Security deposit
The Tenant will pay a security deposit of Security deposit before moving in. The Landlord will hold it as state law requires and may use it only for unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, cleaning needed to return the Home to its move-in condition, and other amounts the Tenant owes under this Lease. Within Days to return the deposit days after the Tenant moves out and returns the keys, or any shorter time the law sets, the Landlord will return the deposit with a written, itemized list of any deductions. The Tenant may not use the deposit as the last month's rent without the Landlord's written agreement.
Tenant's initials: Initials for security deposit
5. Utilities
The Tenant pays for: Utilities the tenant pays. The Landlord pays for: Utilities the landlord pays.
6. Use, pets and smoking
The Home is for residential use only. The Tenant will follow building and association rules, avoid disturbing neighbors, and not allow illegal activity. Pets: Pet terms. Smoking and vaping: Smoking policy. Service and assistance animals are allowed as the law requires.
7. Repairs and maintenance
The Landlord will keep the structure, roof, plumbing, heating, electrical systems and supplied appliances in good working order and meet housing codes. The Tenant will keep the Home clean and safe, test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, replace their batteries, report problems promptly in writing to Repair requests contact, and pay for damage the Tenant, occupants or guests cause beyond normal wear. The Tenant will not paint, change locks or make alterations without the Landlord's written consent.
8. Landlord's entry
The Landlord may enter the Home at reasonable times to inspect, make repairs or show it to prospective tenants or buyers, after giving at least Hours notice before entry hours' notice, or the longer notice the law requires. In an emergency the Landlord may enter without notice and will tell the Tenant afterward.
9. Subletting and insurance
The Tenant may not sublet the Home or assign this Lease without the Landlord's written consent. The Landlord's insurance does not cover the Tenant's belongings or liability. Renter's insurance is Renters insurance.
10. Lead-based paint
The Home was built in Year built. If it was built before 1978, the Landlord has attached a lead-based paint disclosure, completed and signed by both parties, and has given the Tenant the pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home before the Tenant signed this Lease.
For a home built before 1978: I received the lead-based paint disclosure and the pamphlet.
11. Moving in and moving out
The parties will complete a written move-in checklist within three days after the Tenant moves in. At move-out, the Tenant will leave the Home clean and in the same condition as at move-in except for normal wear, return all keys, and give the Landlord a forwarding address.
12. Default and early termination
If the Tenant does not pay rent or breaks this Lease, the Landlord may end the tenancy only as state law allows, through the legal process, and never by changing locks or removing belongings. If the Tenant needs to leave before the end date, the Tenant will give written notice and remain responsible for rent until the Home is re-rented or the Lease ends, whichever is first, and the Landlord will make reasonable efforts to re-rent it. Early termination terms, if any: Early termination terms. Nothing in this Lease limits a right the law gives the Tenant to end it early, such as for military service.
13. General terms
This Lease, with its attachments, is the entire agreement between the parties and can be changed only in writing signed by both. It is governed by the laws of the state where the Home is located. If any part is unenforceable, the rest still applies. It may be signed electronically, and each party will receive a signed copy.
Contact details
Tenant phone: Tenant phone Email: Tenant email
Landlord or manager phone: Landlord phone Email for notices: Landlord email
I have read this whole Lease and its attachments, and I understand that I am responsible for the full rent.
Tenant
Landlord or authorized agent
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
What a lease does that a handshake can't
A fixed-term lease locks in the rent and the tenancy for both sides: the tenant can't be asked to leave early without cause, and the landlord can count on the rent for the full term. Everything else that causes friction between landlords and tenants, such as who fixes the dishwasher, when the landlord can come in, and what comes out of the deposit, is settled in writing before the keys change hands.
Use it for a new tenancy of six months or more. For a rolling tenancy with no end date, the month-to-month rental agreement fits better. To rent out part of a unit you lease yourself, use the sublease agreement.
What the lease covers
- Parties, unit and occupants: every adult tenant by name, the address and unit, and anyone else allowed to live there.
- Term: start and end dates, and what happens at the end if nobody signs a renewal.
- Rent: the amount, due date, how it's paid, the grace period and the late fee.
- Security deposit: the amount, what it can be used for, and the return deadline your state sets.
- Utilities and services: who pays electricity, gas, water, trash, internet and lawn care.
- Pets, smoking and guests: what's allowed, any pet deposit, and how long a guest can stay.
- Repairs and entry: how tenants report problems, what they fix themselves, and how much notice you give before entering.
- Lead-based paint: the federal disclosure for homes built before 1978.
- Ending the lease: notice before move-out, early termination, holdover and the move-out inspection.
Common lease mistakes
- Having only one tenant sign. Every adult who lives there should be a named tenant and sign, so each is responsible for the full rent.
- A late fee your state doesn't allow. Many states cap late fees or require a grace period; check before filling in the blank.
- No move-in inspection. Without a signed move-in checklist, every scratch at move-out becomes your word against theirs.
- Skipping the lead paint disclosure on an older home. For housing built before 1978, federal law requires it, with the EPA pamphlet, before the lease is signed.
Landlord-tenant law is local
Deposit limits, return deadlines, notice periods, entry rules and required disclosures differ by state and sometimes by city. This template leaves a blank for each, so you can fill in your state's numbers, but check your city's rules as well.
Signing the lease with SignMaster
- 1
Open the lease
Choose Use this template above. It's saved in your account with the tenant signing first and you, the landlord, signing last.
- 2
Add more tenants if needed
For two or more adults, add a Tenant 2 role in the template editor and give them their own signature, initials and contact fields.
- 3
Fill in the unit
Complete the gray blanks: address, term, rent, deposit, fees, utilities and pet terms. Attach the lead paint disclosure and the move-in checklist as extra documents.
- 4
Send it to the tenants
Each tenant gets their own link, fills in their phone and email, initials the key clauses and signs. Set a sign-by date so the unit isn't held open indefinitely.
Property managers renewing a building can bulk send the lease from a rent roll: one row per unit with columns like Rental address, Monthly rent and Lease end date. For the ins and outs of e-signing leases, including notices that can't go electronically, see how to sign a lease online.
Questions? Answers.
Is an electronically signed lease legally binding?
Generally, yes. The ESIGN Act and state e-signature laws let leases be signed electronically. Some notices, such as eviction or default notices for a primary residence, fall outside ESIGN, so follow your state's rules for those.
Do all tenants have to sign the lease?
Every adult who will live in the unit should, so each is bound by the lease and responsible for the rent. See how to get a lease signed by multiple tenants.
What happens when a fixed-term lease ends?
Under this template, if neither side signs a renewal or gives notice, the tenancy continues month to month on the same terms. You can then send a lease renewal agreement for a new term.
Do I need a lead paint disclosure?
Yes, for most housing built before 1978. You give the EPA pamphlet, disclose known lead hazards, and include the lead warning statement, signed by the tenant, before the lease is signed.