The Free Residential Lease is a template that can be used to create a rental agreement for any type of real estate property. It’s a great way to generate professional rental contracts online, collect e-signatures, and finalize documents quickly.
When creating a Lease, it’s important to comply with the laws of the state where the property is located. This is why it’s critical to use a State Specific Lease.
Rent
A Free Residential Lease establishes a legal relationship between a tenant (the “Tenant”) and a landlord (the “Landlord”). In return for occupying the property, the Tenant agrees to pay rent.
Typically, the term of a lease is a year, but it can be longer or shorter based on the landlord’s and tenant’s desires. Many yearly leases automatically convert to month-to-month once the original term ends.
The amount of the rent should be specified and the day the rent is due should be stated (typically the 1st of each month). It should also specify acceptable payment methods, whether the tenant will be charged a late fee, and the number of days for any grace period.
Ensure the correct rental unit address is written down in the agreement. This is crucial, especially for eviction notices and any future legal action that may be taken against the landlord by the renter. A mistake here could lead to an expensive court battle.
Lease Term
A lease term is the length of time that a residential lease agreement will be valid for. Most commonly, this is one year, but longer terms can provide stability to a landlord while also providing more income to a tenant.
In addition, most yearly leases automatically convert to month-to-month leases after the original term expires. This means that you will need to read your lease carefully if you want to extend it past the original date.
Another important aspect of a lease is the correct address. Make sure to write the full rental unit address, including all the digits of the street, apartment number (#) and city. This will help prevent renters from getting evicted due to an incorrect address.
Security Deposit
In most states, there are specific landlord-tenant laws governing the handling of security deposits. These include how much the deposit must be, where it should be held, how it can be used and when it must be returned to the tenant.
The security deposit is usually one month’s rent, but it can be higher for certain types of apartments, such as ones with fully furnished accommodations. This is to help protect the property owner from damage caused by tenants or their pets and ensure that any repairs are made.
The security deposit must be returned to the tenant within thirty days of the lease’s expiration or earlier termination. However, many landlords prefer to return the deposit to you before your lease ends, so that you can apply it towards your last month’s rent. If this is the case with your landlord, you should make sure that your lease agreement allows this. This will give you more time to find a new home and lessen your financial burden.
Eviction Notice
An eviction notice is a legal document that a landlord can send to a tenant when they have violated the terms of their lease or are going to move out early. This type of notice is often called a “Pay or Quit” notice, but it can also be used to give a tenant time to fix their problem before formally removing them from the property.
The eviction notice should be written clearly and contain specific details about the reason why the landlord is removing the tenant from their rental or commercial property. This can be anything from failure to pay rent to a lease violation or month-to-month contract breaking.
A good eviction notice should also include the exact date that the tenant needs to vacate the premise. This is important because it gives the landlord time to find a new tenant to replace them. It should also include the full street address of the property, including the apartment or room number if applicable.
