Before giving keys to a new tenant (or accepting keys from a new landlord), it's a good idea to create an Apartment Lease. It helps protect your interests, whether you're a landlord or a tenant. And with a written agreement in place, it will be a lot easier to answer any future questions and help prevent misunderstandings about the terms of leasing the apartment.

Using an Apartment Lease, you can outline the obligations and rights of landlords and tenants regarding a residential rental property. Your Apartment Lease, also called an Apartment Rental Agreement, can include information like: the apartment's address and a basic description; the duration of the lease; the contact information for the landlord(s), tenant(s), and property manager; details about the monthly payment; security deposits; any pet or guest policies, as well as subletting, parking, and storage privileges; who will pay for which utilities; and more. For apartments built before 1978, you'll need to disclose information on lead-based paints that may have been used in the apartment. Check with your state and local laws for any rules regarding security deposits, late fees, rent prices, utilities and maintenance, and children and occupancy restrictions. Our Apartment Lease also comes with an inspection checklist, which we recommend filling out soon after handing over the keys.

Other names for this document: Apartment Lease Agreement, Apartment Lease Contract, Apartment Rental Lease