Standard Residential Lease Agreement
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What is a standard residential lease agreement?
A standard residential lease agreement is a fixed-term contract, most often one year, between a landlord and a tenant to rent a home. It sets the rent, the security deposit, the length of the term, and the responsibilities of each side, and it stays in force until the term ends, unlike a month-to-month arrangement that renews continuously.
It protects both parties: the tenant has a locked-in rent and a right to occupy the home for the term, and the landlord has a written record of the rent, deposit, and rules, plus the disclosures their state and federal law require.
What a standard residential lease agreement includes
The details that make it valid.
Standard Residential Lease Agreement
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Most popularHow to complete a standard residential lease agreement
Screen the tenant
Application, credit and background check, income and references.
Set the terms
Rent, deposit, and term, within your state's legal limits.
Write the lease
Every term in writing with the required disclosures attached.
Sign & collect
Both sign; collect first month's rent and the deposit.
Document move-in
Hold the deposit correctly and log the condition.
Lead-based paint disclosure
A federal requirement that rides along with most residential leases.
Federal law (42 U.S.C. § 4852d, the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act) requires the landlord of any home built before 1978 to disclose known lead-based paint hazards and give the tenant the EPA's "Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home" pamphlet before the lease is signed.
When it applies: any residential building constructed before 1978. When it's required, DocsGenie attaches the lead-based paint disclosure and pamphlet to your lease automatically, so you don't file it separately.
How to write a standard residential lease agreement
Name the landlord and every adult tenant, describe the premises, set the start and end dates, state the monthly rent, its due date, the late fee, and the security deposit within your state's cap, then spell out utilities, maintenance, pets, entry notice, and subletting. Attach the lead-paint disclosure for pre-1978 homes plus any state disclosures, and both parties sign. DocsGenie prompts you for each field and outputs it on your state's accepted lease, so nothing is missed.
Standard Residential Lease Agreement FAQ
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