Lease Guides
21 articles in this category
Can a Landlord Charge Last Month's Rent Plus a Security Deposit?
Last month's rent and a security deposit are not the same thing, and some states count them together toward a legal cap. Here is how to charge both correctly and write it into the lease.
What to Include in a Lease Agreement: A Complete Checklist
A clause-by-clause checklist of what every solid residential lease needs, from parties and rent to disclosures and signatures, explained in plain language.
Sublease vs Assignment: What Is the Difference?
A sublease and an assignment both bring a new person into a rental, but they split liability in very different ways. This guide explains who stays responsible, when landlord consent is needed, and how to choose the right one.
Maximum Late Fee by State: How Much Can a Landlord Legally Charge?
There is no single national cap on rent late fees, so what is legal depends almost entirely on your state and your lease. Some states set a hard percentage or dollar limit, many simply require the fee to be reasonable, and most expect a grace period first. Here is how to tell whether the fee on your lease would actually hold up.
Can You Have Two Tenants on One Lease? Joint and Several Liability Explained
When roommates sign one lease, a phrase most of them never notice decides what happens if one stops paying. Joint and several liability means each tenant can be held responsible for the entire rent, not just their share. It is the most important clause nobody reads.
What Is a Grace Period for Rent and How Long Should It Be?
A rent grace period is one of the most misunderstood lines in a lease. Tenants think it means rent is not really due until it ends, landlords think it is optional, and some states quietly require one. Here is what a grace period actually is and how to set one that holds up.
Month-to-Month vs. Fixed-Term Lease: Which Is Right for You?
A fixed-term lease and a month-to-month agreement are not just different lengths of the same thing. They protect you in opposite directions, one buying certainty and the other buying flexibility. The right choice depends entirely on which of those you value more, and the trade-off looks different for a tenant than for a landlord.
Is a Lease Agreement a Legal Document?
Understanding why a lease is a legal document, and what that actually means for both sides, matters more than most people realize until they end up in a dispute...
How to Create a Lease Agreement Online (And Make Sure It Holds Up)
You can create a lease agreement online in a few minutes, and it is just as binding as one a lawyer drafts. The difference between a lease that protects you and one that doesn't comes down to what goes into it and whether it follows your state's rules. Here's how to get it right.
What Are the 4 Types of Leases?
When people search for the four types of leases, they usually mean the four ways a residential tenancy can be structured under landlord-tenant law. Each one creates a different relationship between landlord and tenant, with different rules for how long it lasts, how it ends, and what notice is required. Knowing which one you have, or which one you want, determines what document you need and what rights each side has...
Can I Write My Own Lease Agreement?
You can write your own lease agreement. There is no law requiring a lease to be drafted by an attorney, and a lease you write yourself is just as legally binding as one a lawyer charged you $500 to produce. The question is not whether you are allowed to. The question is whether the lease you write will actually hold up when you need it to, and that is where most do-it-yourself leases fail.
What Happens to a Lease If the Landlord Dies?
When a landlord dies, the lease does not die with them. This surprises a lot of tenants who assume the agreement was personal to the individual they signed with. It was not. A lease is a contract attached to the property, not to the person who owned it. The tenant's right to occupy the unit and the obligations on both sides continue after the landlord's death, transferring to whoever inherits or controls the property next...