Free Residential Lease Agreement Template

A residential lease agreement doesn't need to be complicated, but it does need to cover the right ground. Here's a free, ready-to-use residential lease agreement template plus a plain-English breakdown of what each section does and why you shouldn't skip it.

Who needs a residential lease agreement

• Landlords renting out single-family homes, condos, or apartments
• Property managers handling multiple units who need a consistent template
• Sublettors who need to formalize a sublease arrangement
• Tenants who want a written lease when the landlord shrugs and says 'we don't need one'

What the template includes

Every clause exists for a reason. Here's what's in the template and why:

• Property Address and Term — specific address, lease start and end dates, renewal terms
• Monthly Rent and Due Date — amount, due date, late fee schedule, accepted payment methods
• Security Deposit — amount, conditions for return, deductions allowed under state law
• Utilities and Services — who pays for what — water, electricity, internet, trash
• Maintenance and Repairs — tenant responsibilities vs landlord responsibilities; how repair requests are handled
• Pets and Smoking — explicit policies, additional deposits if applicable
• Subletting — whether subletting is permitted and under what conditions
• Right of Entry — notice required for landlord to enter the property
• Default and Eviction — what triggers default; procedures must comply with state law
• Disclosures — lead paint (federal), bedbugs, mold (state-specific) — these are legally required

How to use the template

1. Customize the template with the property address, names, dates, and rent amount.
2. Check your state's specific requirements — security deposit limits, mandatory disclosures, and notice periods vary substantially.
3. Add any property-specific addenda (parking, pet agreement, HOA rules).
4. Send to all tenants and the landlord through DottiSign with all parties as signers.
5. Provide each signer with a copy of the executed lease — most states require this within a specific timeframe.
6. Store the signed lease and audit trail; you'll need it for any future disputes.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using a generic template without checking state-specific requirements (security deposit caps, mandatory disclosures, eviction procedures vary widely)
• Skipping the lead paint disclosure for properties built before 1978 — this is federal law
• Vague maintenance language — be specific about who handles what and at what cost threshold
• Forgetting to date the lease or having different dates on different signatures
• Not getting all adult occupants to sign — only signers are legally bound

Get the template

The fastest way to use this template is to open it in DottiSign, swap in your details, place the signature fields, and send it for signing. The whole process takes about three minutes for a document you'd otherwise spend an hour on.