Built on your state's law
not a generic template
Deposit caps, notice periods and disclosures change at every state line. Pick your state and we apply them for you.
- Attorney-drafted
- Cited to statute
- ESIGN & UETA valid
How it works
From answers to a signed lease — in under 5 minutes
- 01
Answer a few questions
Plain-English questions about your property, parties, rent, and term. The wizard auto-applies the state disclosures and notice rules.
- 02
Preview your lease
See the complete document assemble in real time. Edit any answer and watch the lease update — no clauses to track manually.
- 03
E-sign & download
Send to your tenant for legally-valid e-signature under ESIGN/UETA. Download the signed PDF and a clean audit trail.
Last updated August 13, 2026
Written by LawLease EditorialReviewed by LawLease Legal Team
By type
Not every lease does the same job
Some cover a property type, others handle a specific arrangement — a room, a sublet, a renewal. Filter to the one that fits.
Lease agreements — by state
States set their own rules on grace periods, allowed late fees, security-deposit limits, and disclosures. Pick yours and the wizard builds a lease against that state's landlord-tenant code.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
What is a lease agreement?
A residential lease is the written contract that sets the rules between a landlord renting out a home and the tenant living in it. It spells out the rent, the term, who pays for what, what happens if the tenant breaks the rules, and how the relationship ends.
In every U.S. state, the contract is the document a court looks at if there's a dispute about deposits, late rent, repairs, or evictions — so getting the terms right, in writing, is the single best thing a landlord can do to protect their property and their income. Because the document is customizable, you'll also see it called:
- Rental agreement
- Rental lease agreement
- Rental contract
- Residential lease agreement
- Tenancy agreement
- Residential rental agreement
Already have a lease in hand? Run it through the free lease audit — it flags clauses that conflict with your state's landlord-tenant code before a tenant signs.
Legal considerations
Get it in writing. Verbal leases are recognized in many states, but they're hard to enforce — proving what was agreed usually comes down to one person's word against another's.
A written lease still has to follow your state's landlord-tenant law. Deposit ceilings, notice periods for entry, late-fee limits, and mandatory disclosures are all set locally, and a clause that conflicts with statute is simply unenforceable. LawLease applies the rules of the state you choose, so the lease holds up where it counts.
50 states
covered, each with its own clause set
1–2 months
rent is the usual security-deposit ceiling
24 hrs – 60 days
typical notice range for entry and termination
- Security deposit caps & return deadlines
- Most states cap deposits at 1–2 months' rent and require return within 14 to 60 days of move-out, with itemized deductions.
- Late-fee limits & grace periods
- Some states cap late fees at a percentage of rent; others require a grace period before any late fee can be charged.
- Mandatory disclosures
- Lead paint (federal), bedbugs, flood zone, asbestos, and mold disclosures vary by state and property age.
- Notice periods for entry & termination
- Landlord notice before entering a unit and before ending a month-to-month tenancy is set state-by-state — often 24 hours to 60 days.
How to write a lease agreement
Nine steps take a blank page to a signable lease. Work through them in order — each one closes a gap that causes disputes later.
Identify everyone bound by the lease and where they can be reached for notices.
- Landlord or management company, with a current address
- Every adult tenant who will live in the unit
- A guarantor or co-signer, if you require one
Free sample lease agreement
Here's the format before you start. Read it through, then build your own version through the guided form and download it as a PDF or Word file.
Residential Lease Agreement
THIS LEASE AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into on , by and between (the “Landlord”) and (the “Tenant”).
1. PREMISES. The Landlord agrees to rent to the Tenant the residential property located at (the “Premises”), together with the fixtures, appliances, and furnishings listed in Exhibit A.
2. TERM. The term of this Agreement begins on and ends on , unless terminated earlier under Section 12.
3. RENT. The Tenant shall pay the Landlord rent of $ per month, due on the day of each month. Rent received more than days after the due date is subject to a late fee of $, to the extent permitted by state law.
4. SECURITY DEPOSIT. Upon signing, the Tenant shall deposit $ with the Landlord as security for the performance of the Tenant's obligations. The deposit shall be returned within days of the end of the term, less any lawful deductions itemized in writing.
5. USE OF PREMISES. The Premises shall be used as a private residence only, and occupied solely by the persons named in Section 1. The Tenant shall not sublet or assign any part of the Premises without the Landlord's prior written consent.
Stuck on a lease question?
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