A residential lease agreement is the contract a landlord and tenant sign when someone rents a house, apartment, condo or townhouse for a fixed period, usually 12 months. This free lease agreement template covers the basics most small landlords need: rent, deposit, who fixes what, and how the lease ends. Download it in Word or PDF, adjust it for your state, and sign it on paper or electronically.

When do you need a residential lease agreement?

You need one any time you rent a whole home to someone for a set term. Maybe you’ve inherited your aunt’s two-bedroom condo, and a coworker’s cousin wants to rent it for a year at $1,650 a month. A handshake might feel fine today, but the first time the dishwasher leaks or the rent is a week late, you’ll both want something in writing.

A fixed-term lease isn’t always the right fit, though:

What should a residential lease agreement include?

Our template follows the order most people think in. Here’s what each section does, so you know what you’re agreeing to before anyone signs.

Parties and property. Full legal names of the landlord and every adult tenant, plus the full address and unit number. Everyone over 18 who will live there should sign, so each of them is responsible for the rent. The template has signature blocks for two tenants; copy the block for each extra adult.

Term. The start date and end date. The template also says what happens at the end: the tenant either moves out, signs a new lease, or (if both sides keep going) the tenancy continues month to month under the same terms. That last part avoids an awkward gap where nobody’s sure what applies.

Rent. Amount, due date, where and how to pay, and a grace period. The late fee line is left blank on purpose. Many states limit late fees or say when they can kick in, so check before you fill it in.

Security deposit. The amount, and when and how it comes back. This is the clause most likely to need state-specific edits. In New York the deposit is capped at one month’s rent, and in California the landlord has 21 days after move-out to return it or send an itemized statement of deductions. Other states have their own caps and deadlines.

Utilities. A simple checklist of who pays for what: electric, gas, water, trash, internet.

Occupants and guests, pets, and smoking. Who can live there, how long guests can stay, and whether pets are allowed (with any pet deposit).

Maintenance and repairs. The tenant keeps the place clean and reports problems. The landlord keeps it safe and habitable and makes repairs in a reasonable time. We left out any clause making the tenant waive the landlord’s repair duties. That kind of waiver often isn’t allowed for a home, and a clause that won’t hold up only gives you false comfort.

Entry. How much notice the landlord gives before coming in, except in an emergency. The template uses a blank so you can match your state’s minimum.

Ending the lease, default, and boilerplate. What counts as a breach, how notices are delivered, governing law, and a clause that lets the lease be signed electronically.

What do you need to check for your state or property?

Two things catch small landlords out more than anything else.

The first is lead paint. If the home was built before 1978, federal rules require the landlord to give the tenant the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home,” disclose any known lead-based paint or hazards and any reports, and include a Lead Warning Statement with the lease. Keep the signed disclosure for three years. There are exemptions, including leases of 100 days or less where no renewal or extension can happen, zero-bedroom units such as efficiencies and lofts (unless a child under six lives or is expected to live there), and housing a certified inspector has found lead-free. Our template has a checkbox that points to the disclosure, but it doesn’t replace the federal disclosure form itself. Get that from the EPA page listed below.

The second is your state and city’s landlord-tenant rules: deposit caps, return deadlines, late fees, entry notice, and in some places rent stabilization or just-cause rules. The template has blanks in every spot where those rules usually bite. Your state attorney general or court self-help site is usually the fastest place to look.

How do you fill in the lease and get it signed?

  1. Fill in every bracketed blank. If a section doesn’t apply, write “N/A” instead of deleting it, so nobody wonders later what was there.
  2. Attach the lead-based paint disclosure if the home is pre-1978, plus any HOA rules or a move-in condition checklist.
  3. Send it to every adult tenant and the landlord for signature. Signing order doesn’t matter legally, but it’s tidy to have tenants sign first and the landlord countersign.
  4. Give everyone a complete signed copy.

E-signing a lease is generally fine. The federal ESIGN Act says a contract can’t be denied legal effect just because it’s electronic, and residential leases aren’t on its list of exceptions. What is on that list is a set of later notices, including notices of default, eviction or the right to cure under a rental agreement for a primary residence. So you can sign the lease electronically, but plan to send those particular notices the way your state requires. Our guide on whether electronic signatures are legally binding goes into more detail.

Download it, fill in the blanks, and send it for e-signature with any tool you like. (We’re building SignWren for small-business paperwork like this, and the waitlist is open.)

This template and guide are general information, not legal advice. For a specific lease or dispute, talk to a lawyer licensed where the property is.