Looking to rent a property for the first time? Signing a lease with your tenant will help ensure that the process does not have a hard and give you legal recourse if there were any. A lease must be written in clear and straightforward language and should include payment terms, rules that the tenant must follow and the details of what will happen if either party breaks the agreement. Start with a standard lease and then alter it to fit your individual needs and adhere to the laws in your jurisdiction. Read on to learn more about writing a lease.

  1. Give it a title to the lease. At the beginning of the paper, write “Residential Lease” or other appropriate title to make clear that it is a legal contract.
  2. Identify all parties to the lease. Clearly lists the name and address of the owner and the name and address of the tenant, making it clear who is the lessee and who is the lessor. If you want you can include additional contact information such as phone numbers and email addresses.
  3. Describe the asset you are going to cover the lease. If you write a residential lease, type the full address and apartment number of the rental property. Describe the condition of the property and the date of the lease.
  4. Sets the duration of the lease. You must have start and end as well as the specific length of time the lease in days, weeks or months. If there is any scheduled interruption in the continuity of use or if there is an option for early termination of the lease, it must be specified.
    • Most leases last for three months, six months or a year.
    • You also have the option of issuing a monthly or weekly lease.
  5. Considers all capital associated with the lease. For a rental of property, payment information must include the amount of rent and the stipulations regarding how to pay.
    • Write what day of the month in which income and is due to be sent. .
    • Specifies whether a late fee will apply after a certain amount of time and soon will be. For example, you can write, “If the tenant pays more than 10 days after the due date, the tenant will have a surcharge of $ 60.00 for late payment.”
    • Describe the terms of the deposit. It indicates the amount of the deposit and the terms under which it will be returned. It notes that the deposit will not be refunded unless the property is in good condition at the end of the lease indicates how many days after termination of the lease will be returned.
  6. Assigned responsibilities. Indicate who will be responsible to pay for services (gas, water and electricity), responsible for waste and recycling, servicing the external areas of the property and any other specific responsibility for the rental property.
    • Check local laws to find out how to analyze the responsibilities. In some cases the owner will be legally obligated to pay the gas and water, while in other areas the tenant should be responsible for these expenses.
    • Indicates who is responsible for making repairs, maintain the equipment in operation and so on. Again, you should check your local laws to determine what should be your role. In most cases the owner is responsible for the living space remains safe and functional.
    • It indicates that the tenant is responsible for informing the owner about the problems with the rented property, including safety concerns, lost keys, etc.
  7. Describe the specific obligations of the tenant under the lease. This should provide that the tenant is responsible to adhere to all applicable laws; the tenant agrees to use the property only for its intended use and that the tenant is responsible for any violation or fines received by fail in their duties.
    • It states that the rental place should be used for residential purposes only.
    • Write what to do if the tenant damages something inside the property.
    • Specifies whether the tenant is allowed to make changes to the property. For example, if the tenant wants to paint the walls, install a modem and so on, you must set in the lease if these changes are allowed.
    • Decide if pets are allowed and specify the rules regarding these in the lease. You may need an additional non-refundable deposit for each animal pet Based on weight. You can indicate whether pets are allowed inside the house or whether they should be left out. You can specify the actions you will take if pets are not treated humanely. Carefully considers all aspects of allowing pets in your home.
    • It determines if the tenant is allowed to sublet the unit and describes the process for doing so.
  8. Specify the consequences of missing payments or violate the terms of the lease. You must detail the actions the owner if the tenant fails to make the agreed payments or if found violating other assigned duties. Detailing the resources available to you as an owner, including eviction, seizure and / or legal action.
  9. Includes space for both parties sign and date the lease. The landlord and tenant must sign the lease for the contract takes effect.