How to Write a Lease Agreement

Start With the Required Legal Elements

Every enforceable lease must include a few non-negotiable pieces of information. Missing any one of them can make the agreement unenforceable or create ambiguity that favors the tenant in court.

At minimum, your lease should contain: the names of all tenants (and co-signers if applicable), the full property address, the lease start and end dates, the monthly rent amount, the due date and acceptable payment methods, the security deposit amount and how it will be held, and the signatures of all parties.

• Full legal names of every adult occupant
• Property address including unit number
• Lease term (start date and end date, or month-to-month designation)
• Rent amount, due date, and grace period
• Security deposit amount, account type, and refund timeline
• Late fee amount and when it triggers
• Signatures of landlord and all tenants

Know the Laws in Your State or Province

Lease law varies significantly across jurisdictions. A clause that is perfectly legal in Texas may be void and unenforceable in California or Ontario. Before you finalize any lease, check the landlord-tenant statutes for the specific state or province where the property sits.

Common jurisdiction-specific rules include maximum security deposit limits, required disclosures (lead paint, mold history, rent stabilization status), notice periods for entry, and mandatory lease renewal terms. Some states require landlords to provide a copy of specific government publications alongside the lease. Revun's /laws/ directory is a good starting point for looking up the rules in your area before you draft.

In Canada, provincial tenancy acts (such as Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act or BC's Residential Tenancy Act) sometimes mandate that you use the government's standard lease form. Using a custom form when a standard one is required can expose you to penalties and give tenants the right to request the standard form retroactively.

Write Clear Clauses for Rent, Deposits, and Fees

Disputes over money are the most common source of landlord-tenant conflict. The more precisely you define financial obligations in the lease, the less room there is for argument.

Spell out exactly how rent must be paid (check, bank transfer, online portal), where it should be sent or submitted, and what happens if it is late. Define the security deposit separately from last month's rent if you collect both. Include a move-in inspection clause that requires the tenant to document existing damage in writing within a set number of days.

If you use Revun to collect rent, you can note the payment portal in the lease itself so tenants know exactly where to pay from day one. Platforms like Revun that track payment history also make it straightforward to produce records if a late-fee dispute ever goes to a hearing.

• State rent amount in numerals and words to avoid ambiguity
• List all fees separately (late fee, NSF fee, pet fee, parking fee)
• Include a returned-check fee clause if allowed in your state
• Specify whether the security deposit earns interest and who keeps it
• Describe the move-in inspection process and attach an inspection checklist

Cover Rules, Responsibilities, and Restrictions

The body of your lease is where you set expectations for how the property will be used. Vague language here is the single biggest source of disputes. Be specific.

Address: who is responsible for which utilities, whether subletting is allowed (and under what conditions), the pet policy (breeds, weight limits, pet deposits), smoking restrictions (indoors, outdoors, on balconies), noise and parking rules, and maintenance responsibilities. Clarify whether the tenant or landlord handles minor repairs like replacing light bulbs and filters.

If your property has shared amenities (laundry, parking, storage), describe the rules for each in the lease or attach a separate house rules addendum that is incorporated by reference. Revun's /forms/ library includes addendum templates for pets, vehicles, and move-in inspections that slot into any standard lease.

• List all approved occupants by name (unauthorized subletting clause)
• Specify pet policy in detail, not just yes or no
• Define tenant maintenance duties (filters, smoke detectors, yard care)
• Include an entry-notice clause matching your jurisdiction's minimum requirement
• Address what happens to property left behind at move-out

Avoid the Most Common Lease Drafting Mistakes

Even experienced landlords make errors that cost them later. The most common: using a generic template downloaded from the internet without adapting it to local law, leaving blanks unfilled, or including clauses that waive tenant rights that cannot legally be waived (such as the implied warranty of habitability). Courts will strike illegal clauses, and in some jurisdictions a lease with too many illegal terms can be voided entirely.

Have your lease reviewed by a local real estate attorney at least once, especially if you operate in multiple states or provinces. After that, you can reuse and update the reviewed template rather than paying for a review every time. Store your signed leases somewhere secure and searchable. Revun keeps all lease documents attached to each unit's profile so you and your tenants can access them any time, which removes the need to dig through email or paper files when a question comes up.

Finally, send a fully executed copy to every tenant immediately after signing. Tenants have a right to their signed lease in most jurisdictions, and providing it promptly sets a professional tone for the entire tenancy.