How to Properly Sign a Lease for a Rental Property

To sign a lease for a rental property, read every page and addendum, confirm the rent, term, deposit, and exit terms match what you were told, make sure the landlord has given you any legally required disclosures, get every negotiated change written into the document, and then sign (on paper or electronically) alongside every other adult occupant and the landlord. Keep a complete copy of the fully executed lease. The signature is the easy part; what you agree to in the pages above it is what controls your rights for the entire tenancy.

What to Read in the Lease Before You Sign

Verbal promises from a landlord or leasing agent carry no weight if they contradict the written agreement. Work through the document clause by clause.

Start with the money. Confirm the exact monthly rent, the due date, accepted payment methods, and any grace period before a late fee applies. Check whether the late fee looks proportional to the actual cost of a late payment; fees that function more as punishment than compensation are unenforceable in many jurisdictions.

Confirm the lease term and what happens at the end of it. Some leases automatically renew for another full term unless you give written notice by a set deadline. Others convert to month-to-month. You should know which type you are signing before you sign it.

The security deposit section needs close attention: the amount, the conditions under which the landlord can make deductions, and the timeline for returning the balance after move-out. State laws regulate maximum deposit amounts (anywhere from one month’s rent to no cap at all) and generally require the landlord to return the balance within 14 to 45 days with an itemized list of any deductions.

Read these sections carefully as well:

Maintenance and repairs: who is responsible for what, and how quickly the landlord must respond to a request.
Pet policies: breed or size restrictions, monthly pet rent, and any nonrefundable pet deposit.
Subletting: whether it is allowed and what approval process applies.
Early termination: the financial penalty and notice period if you need to break the lease.
Utilities: which services are included in rent and which you pay separately.
Renters insurance: no state requires it by law, but a lease clause requiring you to carry a policy is generally enforceable.

If anything is unclear or seems unfair, raise it before you sign. Landlords and property managers expect some negotiation, and revising a problematic clause now is far easier than fighting over its meaning later. Every change you negotiate must appear in the lease itself or in a signed addendum. A handshake deal that is not in the document will not help you in court.

Clauses That Won’t Hold Up in Court

A clause in a signed lease is not automatically enforceable. Landlords sometimes include provisions that violate state or federal law, and those provisions are void regardless of your signature.

The most common example is a clause asking you to waive your right to a habitable home. Nearly every state recognizes an implied warranty of habitability, which requires the landlord to maintain working plumbing, heat, a weatherproof roof, and freedom from serious pest infestations. A lease that says you accept the unit “as-is” and will handle all repairs yourself does not override that duty.

Other provisions that commonly fail include language waiving your right to a jury trial in a landlord-tenant dispute, clauses letting the landlord enter your unit at any time without notice, and confession-of-judgment clauses that would let the landlord obtain a court ruling against you without notifying you. You do not necessarily have to refuse the lease over this kind of language, but you should know it carries no real weight.

Disclosures the Landlord Must Give You

Federal law requires certain disclosures before you sign a residential lease, and a landlord who skips them faces real consequences.

Lead-Based Paint

If the property was built before 1978, the landlord must disclose any known lead-based paint or lead hazards before you are locked into the lease. Under the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, the landlord must give you all available records and reports about lead paint in the property, provide a copy of the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home,” and include a lead warning statement in the lease or as an attachment.¹ Violations can result in significant federal fines per occurrence.²

A few narrow exemptions exist: housing built after 1977, short-term rentals of 100 days or less with no option to extend, zero-bedroom units like studio apartments (unless a child under six lives there), and units where certified inspectors have confirmed no lead paint is present.² If you are renting a pre-1978 property and the landlord has not given you the pamphlet or included the lead warning statement, do not sign until they do.

Fair Housing in the Lease Terms

Federal fair housing law prohibits a landlord from refusing to rent, setting different lease terms, or providing inferior services because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.³ That protection extends to the terms of the lease itself. A clause imposing extra fees on families with children, for example, violates federal law. Many state and local laws add protected categories such as source of income or sexual orientation. If a lease term seems to single out a protected group, flag it before signing.

How Signing Actually Works

Once you have reviewed every clause and received the required disclosures, the mechanics of signing are straightforward. Every adult who will live in the unit and be named on the lease needs to sign. The landlord or their authorized agent also signs. A co-signer or guarantor, if one is involved, signs as well.

You can sign on paper in person or electronically through an online platform. The federal ESIGN Act provides that an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect simply because it is in electronic form.⁴ The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, adopted by 49 states and the District of Columbia, reinforces the same principle at the state level. In practical terms, an e-signature on a lease carries the same weight as a handwritten one.

A few details that trip people up:

Initial every page where the lease calls for initials.
Fill in every blank space. A blank left open can be filled in later by someone else.
Read any last-minute addenda before signing them.
Confirm that any term you negotiated verbally has been written into the document.

When all parties have signed, the lease is fully executed. You are entitled to a complete copy, including every addendum and attachment. Do not leave the signing without that copy or without a clear commitment on when it will be sent to you electronically. It is your proof of every term you agreed to.

Some leases call for witnesses or notarization, though this is uncommon for standard residential rentals.

If You Need a Co-Signer or Guarantor

Landlords sometimes require a co-signer or guarantor when a tenant’s income or credit history does not meet their screening criteria. The two roles are similar but not identical. A co-signer shares equal financial responsibility for the lease from day one, even though they do not live in the unit. A guarantor’s obligation is a backup: they become liable only if you default on rent or cause damage that exceeds the security deposit.

Either way, the person taking on the role should understand the full commitment. If you stop paying rent, the landlord can pursue the co-signer or guarantor directly for the full amount owed. Missed payments can damage their credit, and the landlord can seek a court judgment against them. Anyone asked to co-sign should read the lease as carefully as you do.

Military Servicemembers: Early Termination Rights

If you are an active-duty servicemember, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act gives you the right to terminate a residential lease early, without penalty, when you receive permanent change-of-station orders, deployment orders for 90 days or more, or separation or retirement orders.⁵ You can also terminate a lease signed before entering military service.

To exercise this right, deliver written notice along with a copy of your military orders (or a letter from your commanding officer) to the landlord. You can deliver notice by hand, mail, private carrier, or electronic means.⁵ For a monthly lease, termination takes effect 30 days after the next rent payment is due following your notice.⁶

Watch for lease language that tries to limit these rights. Some landlords include minimum-mileage requirements between your current rental and your new duty station, or demand repayment of rent concessions or move-in discounts as a condition of early termination. The Department of Justice has taken the position that requiring repayment of rent concessions is an illegal early termination fee, and mileage requirements are likely unenforceable because the SCRA contains no such limitation.⁶ If your lease terminates under the SCRA, any dependent co-listed on the lease is also released.⁵

What to Do After You Sign

Store the fully executed lease somewhere safe and accessible. A cloud backup alongside a physical copy gives you a fallback if either is lost. You will need this document any time a dispute arises over what was agreed to.

Before or on your move-in date:

Contact electricity, gas, and water providers at least two weeks before move-in to transfer service into your name. Check the lease first so you do not pay for a utility already included in rent.
Coordinate when and where you will receive keys, fobs, and any access codes. Confirm how many sets you are entitled to and what a replacement costs.
Walk through the entire unit and document every scratch, stain, dent, and malfunction with dated photos or video. Many landlords provide a move-in condition form; fill it out thoroughly and keep a signed copy. This record is your strongest protection against losing your security deposit when you move out, and skipping it is the single most common mistake tenants make.

Your lease likely includes a provision about when and how the landlord can enter your unit. Most states require advance notice, commonly 24 to 48 hours, for non-emergency entry such as maintenance or inspections. Emergencies like a burst pipe are the exception. Know what the lease says so you can push back if a landlord shows up unannounced.

What Happens When the Lease Ends

The end of the lease term is governed by what the lease itself says. Some leases automatically renew for another fixed term unless you give written notice by a set deadline, often 30 to 90 days before expiration. Others convert to month-to-month once the original term ends. If the lease is silent and you keep paying rent, most jurisdictions treat you as a month-to-month tenant, with the other terms of the original lease carrying over. Read the renewal and termination language before you sign, not after, so an automatic renewal or a missed notice deadline does not catch you off guard a year from now.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 US Code 4852d – Disclosure of Information Concerning Lead Upon Transfer of Residential Property
2
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule (Section 1018 of Title X)
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 US Code 3604 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 US Code 7001 – General Rule of Validity
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 US Code 3955 – Termination of Residential or Motor Vehicle Leases
6
Department of Justice. Financial and Housing Rights