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A lease agreement is a legal document outlining the rental terms for either a commercial or residential property between the property owner, also known as the landlord or lessor, and the renter, also known as the tenant or lessee. These documents may also be called apartment leases or lease forms, though the lease agreements are not limited to apartments.
Creating a thorough and effective lease agreement is very important as it protects all parties involved throughout the length of the lease. While many landlords begin with boilerplate lease agreements, the language and terms are negotiable by all parties until signed, at which point the lease agreement becomes a legally binding document.
People can lease all manner of property, including items like cars and boats. Most frequently, however, lease agreements are used for real estate, both residential and commercial. A few of the most common types of leases include:
Lease agreement terms can differ greatly depending on the type of lease and the specific needs of the renter and landlord. However, basic elements include:
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Some leases require additional documentation in the form of addenda, disclosures, and notices. Usually, disclosures are included with the initial lease, while addenda and notices can be added to the lease later.
Leases generally have two possible end dates — either fixed term or automatic renewal. Fixed-term end dates provide a specific time frame in which the lease is active. At the end of the lease, both parties must agree to renew and either include an addendum to the lease extending its length or write up a new lease. An automatic renewal continues indefinitely unless either the landlord or the renter provides notice dissolving the lease.
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Often, the terms "lease agreement" and "rental agreement" are used interchangeably. However, some people do use them to mean specific things, so it's essential that you clarify with the other parties involved in a lease agreement what the terms of the contract are.
Generally, lease agreements refer to long-term property contracts, usually over 30 days. Lease agreements also tend to have fixed-term end dates. Rental agreements, by contrast, refer to short-term property contracts, usually under 30 days. A new agreement is generally required to renew.
Rent-to-own lease agreements, also called option-to-purchase or lease-to-own agreements, give the renter the option to buy the property at a predetermined price or the option to apply a portion of the rent towards the purchase price if the tenant decides to buy the property in the future. In most cases, the renter pays an option fee to the landlord for the right to purchase the property later. If the renter decides not to go through with the purchase, then the landlord keeps the option fee.
Every state in the country has its own laws and regulations regarding leasing and renting property. If you're a landlord, it's vital you understand the laws for your state to ensure your lease agreement properly accounts for all the legal necessities for you and your tenants. Most states have laws outlining:
Landlords have a couple of options when writing a lease agreement. You can create your own by using a standard template and adjusting it to meet the needs of your tenants. However, if you're not well-versed in the landlord and tenant laws that govern your state, you may not adequately cover all the necessary terms in your lease. It's often better to consult a contract attorney who can help you draft a lease agreement that protects both you and your tenant while meeting all state legal obligations.
When writing or reviewing a lease, you'll probably come across some industry terms. These are the most common and important to understand:
Lease agreements are legally binding agreements, so the language within the lease must be clear and comprehensive. Consider using the expertise of a contract lawyer to help you craft an effective lease agreement that protects everyone involved.
ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.
I was born and raised in Wayne, New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University, graduating cum laude. I followed my family down to Florida to attend Ave Maria School of Law where I graduated cum laude. I was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2018. During law school, I participated in the Certified Legal Internship program with the State Attorney's Office of the 20th Judicial Circuit and litigated 5 jury trials, 1 non jury trial and argued various motions before the court under the supervision of an Assistant State Attorney. I was an Assistant States Attorney for Collier County from 2018 to 2020 before moving into private practice in the areas of real estate and first party property from 2020 to 2021. As of November 2021, I started my own law practice that focuses on business planning, real estate and estate planning.
I am a solo practitioner, and manager of the Law Office of Nicholas J. Vail, PLLC, with offices in Denver, Colorado and Austin, Texas with a focus on general business and real estate contracts.
I am the Founder and Managing Attorney of DMD Law, PA. and have 20 years' experience. I also am a business-oriented, proactive, and problem-solving corporate lawyer with in-house experience. My firm's practice focuses on ensuring the legalities of commercial transactions and contracts. I am adept at reviewing, drafting, negotiating and generally overseeing policies, procedures, handbooks, corporate documents, and contracts. I have a proven track record of leading domestic and international companies by ensuring they are functioning in complete compliance with local, federal and international law. The firm's goal is to simplify the law and provide clients with the confidence and information necessary to make their decisions.
I am a software developer turned lawyer with 7+ years of experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating SaaS agreements, as well as other technology agreements. I am a partner at Freeman Lovell PLLC, where I lead commercial contracts practice group. I work with startups, growing companies, and the Fortune 500 to make sure your legal go-to-market strategy works for you.
Elbert Thomas is the founder of the Thomas Law Group, LLC. Elbert is proficient in contract creation, drafting, reviewing, and negotiating various business contracts and demand letters in industries such as construction, personal, professional services, non-profits, and real estate. Elbert typically represents small and large companies in drafting and negotiating countless agreements such as purchase sale agreements, interconnection agreements, lease agreements, demand letters, cease & desist letters, transfer of deeds in real property, and merger/acquisition agreements. In addition, Elbert is also experienced in start-ups, small business formation, drafting operating agreements, and estate planning.
Pico & Kooker provides hands on legal advice in structuring, drafting, negotiating, interpreting, managing and enforcing complex high value commercial transactions. Adept at navigating complex environments, Jonathan has extensive expertise advising clients on a wide range of long- and medium-term cross border and financial engagements, including public tender participation, PPPs, export sales agreements as well as policy and regulatory formulation. Jonathan and his co-founder, Eva Pico have represented and acted on behalf of lenders, global corporations and other market participants across a range of industries including financial services, infrastructure and transportation. As outside counsel, Pico & Kooker, has developed a strong rapport and working relationship with their clients and appropriately work with their in-house teams to increase consistency, processes and procedures. The company employs a unique approach as practical, business minded outside legal counsel who believe in proactively partnering with their clients to achieve desired results while managing and engaging key stakeholders. They listen to their clients to develop customized solutions that best meet their needs while aligning with their objectives, vision and values. Some representative transactions include advising the World Bank on project finance and portfolio options to address the costs and risks associated with integrating renewable power sources. Also advising them as legal counsel, Jonathan developed policies, regulation and models for emerging market governments entering into public-private partnerships. In addition to his work with the World Bank, Jonathan has worked with some of the world’s largest consulting firms, financial institutions and governmental organizations, including the United Nations, the governments of the US, UK and select African countries. Through out his career, he has worked with large, multinational corporations both by consulting in-house and acting as outside counsel on large cross-border transactions. He graduated from Georgetown University’s law school and was admitted practice as a lawyer in New York, England and Wales and, as a foreign lawyer, in Germany. He has written several articles for trade journals and has been cited by several business publications in worldwide. Jonathan is a native English speaker and has high proficiency in German and a functional understanding of Spanish.
