Editable document template
Residential Lease Agreement
A plain-language residential lease agreement between landlord and tenant. Covers parties, property address, term, rent & payments, security deposit, maintenance responsibilities, and signatures. Auto-renews month-to-month unless terminated with 30-day notice.
Fields
18
Sections
7
Mode
Draft
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What This Is
A plain-language residential lease agreement between landlord and tenant. Covers parties, property address, term, rent & payments, security deposit, maintenance responsibilities, and signatures. Auto-renews month-to-month unless terminated with 30-day notice.
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Field map
Compact field-by-field guide
Parties
3 items
Date this lease is signed and entered into. Required to make the agreement enforceable.
Full legal name or company name of the property owner or authorized agent.
Full legal name(s) of all adult tenants who will occupy and sign. Multiple tenants must all be listed.
Property
1 items
Full street address of the rental property including unit/apt number, city, state, and ZIP.
Term
2 items
Date the tenant takes possession and rent obligation begins.
Date the fixed term expires. After this date the lease auto-renews month-to-month unless 30-day written notice is given by either party.
Rent & Payments
5 items
Total monthly rent due. State the exact dollar amount to avoid disputes.
Day of each calendar month by which rent must be received (e.g., 1st, 5th, 15th).
How rent is to be paid — bank transfer, check, Zelle, Venmo, mail, etc. Be specific to avoid ambiguity.
Number of days after the due date before the late fee applies. Common: 3–5 days.
Dollar amount charged when rent is received after the grace period. Many states cap this at 5-10% of monthly rent.
Security Deposit
1 items
One-time refundable deposit held against damages beyond normal wear and tear or unpaid rent. Many states cap at 1–2 months' rent.
Maintenance
2 items
Specify what the tenant is responsible for: cleaning, minor repairs, lawn care, etc.
Specify what the landlord is responsible for: structural integrity, major appliances, plumbing, HVAC systems.
Signatures
4 items
Wet or digital signature of the landlord or authorized property agent.
Date the landlord signs the agreement.
All adult tenants listed in Section 1 must sign. Each signature binds that tenant to the full agreement.
Date the tenant(s) sign the agreement.
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Fillable formOpen in Editor->Common Mistakes
- •Late fee amount or grace period not specified — unenforceable without a precise number
- •Security deposit return timeline missing — most states require 14-30 days
- •No 30-day written termination notice clause — leads to disputes on auto-renewal
- •Payment method left blank — causes confusion on how/where rent is sent
- •Agreement date missing — document may be challenged as unsigned
- •Maintenance responsibility not split clearly — landlord vs. tenant obligations vague
- •No subletting prohibition — tenant may sublease without permission
- •Missing move-in checklist reference — hard to distinguish pre-existing damage
- •Security deposit not returned with itemized deductions in writing
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