Lease Agreement Forms

Lease agreement forms are legal documents used by property managers and landlords to officially recognize the binding relationship between the property manager and the tenant. The lease agreement contains all terms under which a property is leased, and it can be used in court if either party breaches the terms of the agreement. For this reason, it’s important to make certain your lease agreement complies with all the landlord tenant laws.

What should a lease agreement include?

The lease agreement – also known as the residential lease or rental agreement – is one of the most important forms you will ever use in property management. To be legally binding, this document must include:

• The address of the rental property,
• Names of the tenants who will be living in the property
• The amount of rent that will be paid
•  And the duration of the lease agreement

It should also include details regarding the security deposit, remedies for damages or late payments, and other terms and conditions that will govern the terms of lease.

What specific laws govern lease agreements?

If this is your first time using a lease agreement, you may want to check out the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website to learn more about tenant rights, laws and protections. Federal law requires any rental agreement to include a disclosure for lead paint if the property was built before 1978. Most states also require the Landlord to disclose the existence of mold or hazardous materials on the premises.

Each state has different laws, and has some very specific rules regarding security deposits, rent withholding, lease termination, and disclosures. Read more about landlord tenant laws to become familiar with the most important factors that must be incorporated in a rental agreement in your state.

Helpful forms provided by SimplifyEm

A rental application form can be used to screen prospective tenants before filling out the lease agreement. Also a rental credit check form can be used to get authorization from the tenant to conduct a credit check. If you need help with selecting the right tenants, SimplifyEm’s tenant screening solution makes it easy for landlords and property managers to get leasing recommendations, credit reports, and criminal history for each tenant. For your convenience, SimplifyEm also provides state specific lease agreement forms right from our website.