Rental Agreement Templates by State
What Is a Rental Agreement?
A Rental Agreement - often confused with a Lease Agreement - is a formal written agreement between the owner and a renter of certain property. Rental Agreements are usually shorter-term contracts that are made on a month-to-month basis. These must be either renewed monthly by the parties involved or are automatically renewed at the end of the month unless either the owner or the renter express their desire to end the agreement.
Any property or item may be leased out to a renter. There are land rentals, vehicle leases, and even short-term equipment rentals. Apartments and houses - both being the most popular among all of the types of leased property - fall under the category of residential rentals, while offices and commercial spaces are considered commercial leases. A lease - especially when talking about something as serious as renting out a house - is meant to protect both the owner and the renter (in this case - the landlord and the tenant) by securing their rights and responsibilities.
Want to learn more about renting? Check out our tips for first-time renters and our articles on performing property inspections before moving in and moving out.
Where to Find Rental Agreement Forms?
Every state in the U.S. has its own laws regarding leases and Rental Agreements. Make sure that your agreement complies with local legislation or ask a real estate attorney to help you prepare the lease.
Types of Rental Agreements
There are three main types of leases based on the time limits specified within the agreement.
- Fixed-Term Rental Agreements. These are written agreements that last for a specific agreed-upon period of time, with the most common time frame being a single year. Fixed leases restrict the owner of the item or property from changing the rules or increasing the rent half-way throughout the period of the lease. Most states require leases that are expected to last over 12 months to be notarized and implement certain penalties for not following the certification requirements or breaking the conditions of the lease.
- Month-to-Month Rental Agreements. Month-to-Month Rental Agreements are verbal or written agreements that do not contain a specific time limit and are considered to be in effect until one of the parties issues a written termination notice. The notice period should be clearly stated in the rental contract. The agreement must be done in writing if the lease requires the renter to provide any kind of deposit or fee to the owner.
- One-Way Leases. A one-way lease is a month-to-month rental contract with an agreed-upon fee imposed on the renter by the owner if the renter decides to terminate the contract early. Some states explicitly prohibit these contacts and consider them illegal.
What to Include in a Rental Agreement?
There are certain basics that every Lease and Rental Agreement should feature. These include the following:
- The names of all renters (for residential leases - the names of all adult tenants) that will be using the rented item or property. Listing all renters makes each of them legally responsible for honoring the terms outlined in the agreement.
- The term and type of the lease and the overall flexibility of the arrangement.
- The amount of rent, the acceptable payment methods, and the date the rent is due.
- Reimbursable and non-reimbursable security deposits and additional fees.
- Maintenance and repairs in case of any damages done to the rented property.
Residential Lease Agreements, specifically, should feature the following information:
- Limits on tenant occupancy. This clause guarantees the right of the landlord to determine who lives in their property and to prevent any subleases attempted without permission.
- The landlord’s legal rights to access the rental property.
- The policies regarding pets and - if allowed - any restrictions on the size, type, or the number of pets the tenant may bring onto the property.
The lease is no longer considered legally binding if either one of the parties breaks any of the terms of the agreement.
Related Forms and Topics:
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These agreements are more common for higher-end vacation properties and outline the terms and conditions of the lease for the specified rental period.
This legally binding agreement allows an individual to sublease or rent their room or apartment to another person or group of people.
Use this document to rent a place to keep your car during work hours or a parking space to store a vehicle for longer periods of time.
When signed, a lease option provides the tenant the option to purchase the rented property during or at the end of the rental period.
This agreement requires the tenant to purchase the property that they are renting at the end of the lease term.
Complete this printable Sublease Agreement template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of Alabama.
This type of template is useful when you are looking for a document that will describe the contractual duties and rights of a landlord, tenant, and subtenant in the state of Alaska.
Whether you are unable to follow the conditions of the original lease or you are leaving your home for a while consider using this type of agreement when subleasing in the state of Arizona.
This type of agreement constitutes a deal signed by a tenant who occupies a residential or commercial property and a third party who will pay them rent for a limited time period or the remainder of the original lease in the state of Arkansas.
Use this type of sublease agreement to define the terms of a contract signed between a tenant and a subtenant, whether it is a single individual, family, or, if the rental unit is used for commercial purposes, a company, in order to create a sublease in the state of California.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of Colorado.
As a tenant, you may use this type of Sublease Agreement to rent out real property to a third party in the state of Connecticut.
This type of Sublease Agreement is a written document that establishes the conditions of the property re-renting in the state of Delaware.
Consider preparing this type of Sublease Agreement in the state of Florida if you need to find a replacement tenant when you are leaving your house for a considerable period of time or reduce the costs of renting the commercial property by sharing the office or store space with another company.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of Georgia.
This type of Sublease Agreement is signed by a tenant and a third party with the latter replacing the person or company that originally rented out a residence or commercial property in the state of Hawaii.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of Idaho.
This type of Sublease Agreement is a rental contract signed by a tenant and the person or organization that will replace the tenant and use the rental unit for a certain period of time in the state of Illinois.
Draft this type of Sublease Agreement in the state of Indiana if you want to outline the details of a rental arrangement between a tenant and the person or organization that will use the rental unit owned by the landlord.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of Iowa.
This type of Sublease Agreement is signed by a tenant and a third party with the latter replacing the person or company that originally rented out a residence or commercial property in the state of Kansas.
This Sublease Agreement is a legally binding contract used in Kentucky that outlines the particulars of real property re-renting.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of Louisiana.
This type of Sublease Agreement is a document used in the state of Maine that covers the particulars of a tenancy transfer from one tenant to another in case the former cannot or does not want to continue paying rent for a residential or commercial property.
This type of Sublease Agreement is signed by a tenant and a third party with the latter replacing the person or company that originally rented out a residence or commercial property in the state of Maryland.
This type of Sublease Agreement is a legally binding contract used in Massachusetts and signed by a tenant and the subtenant with the former party being replaced as the person who lives or the company that resides in the rental unit.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of Michigan.
This type of Sublease Agreement is a legally enforceable contract used in Minnesota that outlines the particulars of the relationship between the landlord, the tenant, and the subtenant.
If you want to re-rent a commercial or residential real estate you occupy as a tenant in the state of Mississippi you can do it with the help of this type of Sublease Agreement.
This type of Sublease Agreement is a written document that lists the details of the contractual relationship between the landlord, the tenant, and the subtenant in the state of Missouri.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of Montana.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of Nebraska.
This type of Sublease Agreement is a written document that details the arrangement between a tenant and a subtenant in the state of Nevada.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of New Hampshire.
Compose this type of Sublease Agreement in the state of New Jersey if you rent an apartment or office space and no longer can or want to deal with regular rent payments without, however, terminating the lease.
This type of Sublease Agreement is a legally binding contract in the state of New Mexico that establishes the particulars of an arrangement between a tenant and a person or company that replaces them agreeing to carry out the obligations of the tenant.
If you are considering ending your lease obligations in the state of New York before your contract expires, you may use this type of Sublease Agreement to negotiate the details of the deal signed with the subtenant who will replace you and fulfill the obligations towards the property owner.
This type of Sublease Agreement is a legally binding contract in the state of North Carolina that establishes the particulars of an arrangement between a tenant and a person or company that replaces them agreeing to carry out the obligations of the tenant.
Use this printable template when making your own Sublease Agreement in the state of North Dakota.
Negotiate and compose this Sublease Agreement in Ohio if you are in need of a document that will replace an original tenant with a third party who will pay the rent to the landlord instead of using the residential or commercial property in question.
