Free Rental Agreement Templates by State (PDF + Word)

alabama alaska arizona arkansas california colorado connecticut D.C. 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

Rental agreements are contracts between landlords and tenants for leasing residential or commercial property.

These contracts are legally binding agreements that outline the terms (rights and responsibilities) required of both parties. Terms generally include start date, end date, rent amount and due date, late fees, security deposit requirements, and more.

Types of Rental Agreements

Landlords can choose from a variety of rental or purchase agreements based on their needs for the property:

Residential Lease Agreement

11 pages

A standard residential lease agreement is a contract for a tenant to use a landlord’s residential property in exchange for paying rent.

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1-Page Lease Agreement

1 page

A simple one-page lease agreement is a rental contract between a landlord and a tenant.

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Month-to-Month Rental Agreement

10 pages

A month-to-month rental agreement is a contract which allows a tenant to rent property from a landlord, for one month at a time, in exchange for a rental payment.

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Roommate Agreement

9 pages

A room rental agreement is a contract between a tenant and a roommate who occupies a portion of a rental property while sharing its common areas.

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Real Estate Purchase Agreement

16 pages

A real estate purchase agreement is a binding agreement where a seller and a buyer agree and commit to the terms of the sale of real property.

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Residential Sublease Agreement

7 pages

A residential sublease agreement is a contract whereby a lessee or tenant rents out the leased property or some part of it to another person, the sublessee.

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Commercial Lease Agreement

24 pages

A commercial lease agreement is a binding contract between a landlord and a tenant for the rental of a property specifically for business purposes like office, retail, commercial or industrial space.

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Rental Cosigner Agreement

2 pages

A rental cosigner agreement is a contract incorporated into a lease agreement between a landlord and a cosigner for the tenant.

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Rent-to-Own Agreement

10 pages

A rent-to-own agreement is an agreement between a landlord and a tenant to rent a property with the option to purchase before the lease agreement expires.

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Parking Space Lease Agreement

2 pages

An agreement to rent out a specific parking space. This is often used in conjunction with a rental agreement where the tenant also needs a place to park.

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Landlord-Tenant Utility Agreement

2 pages

A landlord-tenant utility agreement defines which utililities the tenant is responsible for paying, what date they are due, and any other specific details that may need to be included.

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Common Rental Agreement Addenda

In addition to the main portion of the rental lease agreement, landlords often include addenda that specify or disclose additional terms. Here are some of the most common ones:

Lead Paint Disclosure – Landlords of rental properties built before 1978 must disclose the presence of lead-based paint as well as provide a pamphlet detailing its dangers.
Mold Addendum – Specifies that the landlord has inspected for mold and defines the tenant’s responsibilities in preventing and reporting mold.
Asbestos Disclosure Addendum – While there is no specific law requiring a landlord to test for or disclose the presence of asbestos, this addendum can provide peace of mind to tenants in older units.
Parking Rules Addendum – Details where a tenant and their guests can park, along with the number of vehicles that can be parked outside the unit.
No Smoking Addendum – Outlines the rules against smoking in or around the unit, and may specify certain designated smoking areas.
Smoke Detector & Carbon Monoxide Addendum – Specifies the landlord’s and tenant’s responsibilities for maintaining and replacing detectors in the unit.
Tenant Guest Policy Addendum – Outlines how many guests the tenant can have, how long a guest can stay, and when a guest becomes a tenant and must be added to the lease.
Residential Liability Waiver Addendum – This general liability form specifies that a landlord is not responsible for any harm to tenants or guests or damage to their personal belongings.
Shared Utilities Agreement Addendum – This addendum specifies how utility costs will be split among multiple tenants in a single unit or a multifamily building.

Landlord-Tenant Law

In addition to creating ironclad rental agreements, landlords must have an understanding of landlord-tenant law in their state. For example, states have differing rules around security deposits, raising rent, property entry, and more.

Maximum Security Deposits

Each state has its own rules about the maximum security deposit amount landlords are allowed to collect:

State	Maximum Security Deposit
Alabama	1 month’s rent + pet deposit, property modification costs, and anything else that could add risk for the landlord (such as a tenant with prior evictions)
Alaska	2 months’ rent + pet deposit No limit if rent exceeds $2,000 per month
Arizona	1½ months’ rent 2 months rent for mobile homes
Arkansas	2 months’ rent No limit for landlords who own fewer than 6 units and do not use a property management service
California	2 months’ rent for unfurnished units 3 months’ rent for furnished + ½ months’ rent for a waterbed Subtract one month’s rent for an active service member (unless service member has a history of poor credit, damaging rental property, or at least one person on the lease is not a spouse, domestic partner, parent, or dependent) 2 months’ rent maximum for mobile homes
Colorado	1 month’s rent for mobile homes 2 months’ rent for all other housing types
Connecticut	2 months’ rent for tenants under 62) 1 month’s rent for tenants 62 years old or older) Additional deposit can be collected for a key or special equipment
Delaware	1 month’s rent + pet deposit No limit for furnished units No limit for leases shorter than 1 year
Florida	No limit
Georgia	No limit
Hawaii	1 month’s rent + pet deposit
Idaho	No limit
Illinois	1 month’s rent for mobile homes No limit for all other housing types
Indiana	No limit
Iowa	2 months’ rent
Kansas	1 month’s rent for unfurnished units 1½ months’ rent for furnished units 2 months’ rent for mobile homes +½ month’s rent for pet deposit
Kentucky	No limit
Louisiana	No limit
Maine	2 months’ rent 3 months’ rent for mobile homes
Maryland	2 months’ rent
Massachusetts	1 month’s rent
Michigan	1½ months’ rent
Minnesota	No limit
Mississippi	No limit
Missouri	2 months’ rent + pet deposit
Montana	No limit
Nebraska	1 month’s rent + pet deposit
Nevada	3 months’ rent
New Hampshire	1 month’s rent or $100, whichever is greater (single family properties if the owner only has one property and owner-occupied buildings with 5 or fewer units are exempt)
New Jersey	1½ months’ rent
New Mexico	1 month’s rent for leases shorter than 1 year No limit for leases 1 year or longer 1 month’s rent for standard mobile homes 2 months’ rent for double-wide mobile homes
New York	1 month’s rent
North Carolina	2 weeks’ rent for week-to-week 1½ months’ rent for month-to-month 2 months for longer than month-to-month
North Dakota	1 month’s rent + 2 months’ rent or $2,500 (whichever is greater) for a pet deposit 2 months’ rent for tenants with felonies or judgments
Ohio	No limit
Oklahoma	No limit
Oregon	No limit
Pennsylvania	2 months’ rent for first year 1 month’s rent for leases after the 1st year
Rhode Island	1 month’s rent + up to 1 more month’s rent for rentals with furnishings valued over $5,000
South Carolina	No limit
South Dakota	1 month’s rent + pet deposit
Tennessee	No limit
Texas	No limit
Utah	No limit
Vermont	No limit
Virginia	2 months’ rent
Washington	No limit
Washington D.C.	1 month’s rent
West Virginia	No limit
Wisconsin	No limit
Wyoming	No limit

Security Deposit Return Laws

Each state has codified how long landlords have to return a security deposit to a tenant after the lease has ended:

State	Deadline To Return Security Deposit
Alabama	60 days after the lease term ends and the tenant vacates the rental unit
Alaska	14 days if no deductions 30 days with deductions
Arizona	14 business days
Arkansas	60 days. Landlords with less than five units are exempt, unless a management service is used for the properties
California	21 days
Colorado	1 month after the tenant vacates or lease ends, which is later 72 hours if the tenant moves out for a landlord’s failure to fix a hazardous situation
Connecticut	15 days after the tenant provides their forwarding address or 30 days after the lease ends, whichever is later
Delaware	20 days
Florida	15 days if no deductions Up to 60 days with deductions (30 days after sending a list of deductions, which can be sent on the 30th day after the tenant vacates the unit)
Georgia	30 days. If the tenant can’t be found and didn’t leave a forwarding address, the security deposit becomes the property of the landlord after 90 days.
Hawaii	14 days. Landlords comply if the mailing is postmarked by the 14-day deadline.
Idaho	21 days
Illinois	30 days with deductions 45 days if no deductions
Indiana	45 days
Iowa	30 days. If there are no delivery instructions or forwarding address, the deposit becomes the property of the landlord after 1 year.
Kansas	14 days after landlord determines deductions, or 30 days after the lease term ends and tenant vacates (whichever is earlier)
Kentucky	30 days if being used for unpaid rent If tenant is owed a refund and does not respond within 60 days to a notification about returning the amount, the landlord may keep the security deposit.
Louisiana	1 month
Maine	30 days if lease agreement is written 21 days if a tenancy-at-will
Maryland	45 days
Massachusetts	30 days
Michigan	30 days (must be a check or money order)
Minnesota	21 days (or 5 days after condemnation)
Mississippi	45 days
Missouri	30 days
Montana	10 day if no deductions 30 days if deductions
Nebraska	14 days
Nevada	30 days
New Hampshire	30 days
New Jersey	30 days (with stricter exceptions for domestic violence, fire, flood, condemnation, or evacuation)
New Mexico	30 days
New York	14 days
North Carolina	30 days
North Dakota	30 days
Ohio	30 days
Oklahoma	45 days
Oregon	31 days (14 days if unit is deemed unsafe)
Pennsylvania	30 days
Rhode Island	20 days
South Carolina	30 days
South Dakota	14 days
Tennessee	No specified time frame
Texas	30 days. Deposit doesn’t need to be refunded until a forwarding address is provided
Utah	30 days
Vermont	14 days, including if the tenant abandons the property without notice
Virginia	45 days
Washington	30 days
Washington D.C.	45 days if no deductions 45 days with deductions to provide written notice + additional 30 days after written notice to return deposit
West Virginia	45 days after the next tenant moves in or 60 days after the lease ends, whichever is earlier +15 days to send notice if a contractor is required to fix damage exceeding cost of security deposit
Wisconsin	21 days
Wyoming	15 days after the tenant provides an address or 30 days after the lease ends, whichever is later +30 days if deductions are made for damage

Rent Due Grace Periods

Most states allow landlords to charge a late fee the day after rent is normally due. However, these states require a grace period before landlords can assess a financial penalty:

State	Required Grace Period for Late Fees
Arizona	5 days (mobile homes) None (other housing types)
Colorado	7 days
Connecticut	4 days (week-to-week lease agreements) 9 days (all other lease agreements)
Delaware	5 days (except the grace period is 8 days if rent can’t be paid in person within the same county as the residence)
Maine	15 days
Massachusetts	30 days
Nevada	None (week-to-week lease agreements) 3 days (all other lease agreements)
New Jersey	5 business days (certain senior tenants) None (other tenants)
New York	5 days
North Carolina	5 days
Oregon	4 days
Tennessee	5 days (if 6th day is a Sunday or holiday, due date is the next business day)
Texas	2 days
Virginia	None (with written lease agreement) 5 days (if there is no written lease agreement)
Washington	5 days
Washington D.C.	5 days

Late Rent Fee Maximums

Most states have set maximums for how much a landlord can charge in late fees. Even states without specific limits can still only charge “reasonable” amounts, or else risk being taken to court. “Reasonable” is generally defined as no more than 10% and should be related to actual cost the landlord incurs.

State	Maximum Late Rent Fee
Alabama	No maximum, must be reasonable
Alaska	Estimated cost + interest
Arizona	$5/day (mobile homes) None (other housing types)
Arkansas	No maximum
California	No maximum, must be reasonable
Colorado	$50 or 5% of the rent due (whichever is greater)
Connecticut	No maximum, must be reasonable
Delaware	5% of the monthly rent
Florida	No maximum, must be reasonable
Georgia	No maximum, must be reasonable
Hawaii	8% of the rent due
Idaho	No maximum
Illinois	No maximum, must be reasonable
Indiana	No maximum, must be reasonable
Iowa	$12/day up to $60 (rent below $700) $20/day up to $100 (rent over $700)
Kansas	No maximum, must be reasonable
Kentucky	No maximum, must be reasonable
Louisiana	No maximum, must be reasonable
Maine	4% of the monthly rent
Maryland	5% of the rent due (monthly rent payments) $3/week up to $12 (weekly rent payments)
Massachusetts	No maximum, must be reasonable
Michigan	No maximum, must be reasonable
Minnesota	8% of the rent due
Mississippi	No maximum
Missouri	No maximum
Montana	No maximum
Nebraska	No maximum, must be reasonable
Nevada	5% of the monthly rent
New Hampshire	No maximum, must be reasonable
New Jersey	No maximum, must be reasonable
New Mexico	10% of the monthly rent
New York	$50 or 5% of the monthly rent (whichever is greater)
North Carolina	$15 or 5% of a monthly payment (whichever is greater) $4 or 5% of a weekly payment (whichever is greater)
North Dakota	No maximum, must be reasonable
Ohio	No maximum, must be reasonable
Oklahoma	No maximum, must be reasonable
Oregon	Flat fee: must be reasonable Per-day fee: 6% of the flat fee 5-day period late fee: 5% of the monthly rent
Pennsylvania	No maximum, must be reasonable
Rhode Island	No maximum, must be reasonable
South Carolina	No maximum, must be reasonable
South Dakota	No maximum
Tennessee	10% of the rent due
Texas	10% of monthly rent for less than 5 units (or actual cost to landlord if it is higher) 12% of monthly rent for more than 5 units (or actual cost to landlord if it is higher)
Utah	$75 or 10% of the monthly rent
Vermont	Estimate of actual costs
Virginia	10% of the monthly rent or 10% of the rent due (whichever is less)
Washington	No maximum, must be reasonable
Washington D.C.	5% of the rent due
West Virginia	No maximum, must be reasonable
Wisconsin	No maximum, must be reasonable
Wyoming	No maximum, must be reasonable

When Can Landlords Raise Rent?

Landlords cannot raise rent during the lease, but they are allowed to raise rent at the end of a lease term. This means that a landlord can, for example, raise the rent at the end of every month for a month-to-month contract.

Some states have rent increase laws that limit how often a landlord can raise the rent:

State	When Can a Landlord Raise Rent?
California	Rent increases are limited to twice per year
Colorado	Rent increases are limited to once per year
Connecticut	Oral lease agreements are considered month-to-month, so in that case landlords can increase the rent at any time
Delaware	Rent increases on mobile home tenants are limited to once per year
Idaho	Rent increases on mobile home tenants are limited to once per six months
Maine	The rental unit must meet the warranty of habitability
Massachusetts	Lease agreements can include tax escalator clauses, i.e., statements that a tenant’s rent may be increased during the lease term by a specified percentage of the increase in real estate taxes
Michigan	Lease agreements can provide for rent increases during the lease term (with 30 days’ notice) due to an increase in utility costs, property taxes, or insurance premiums
Minnesota	Rent increases on mobile home tenants are limited to twice per year
New Jersey	Landlords cannot add language to lease agreements allowing for rent increases or increase the rent during a fixed-term lease
New York	Rent control and rent stabilization affect some units and limit the frequency of rent increases
Oregon	Landlords cannot increase the rent during the first year
Washington D.C.	If the unit is rent-controlled, landlords must meet several criteria when increasing the rent, including registration with the Rental Accommodations Division and compliance with housing regulations

Landlord Entry Laws

Many states require a specific type and amount of advance notice to the tenant before a landlord can enter a rental property. Other states simply require “reasonable” advance notice, through any method that effectively communicates the reason and time of entry.

State	Default Required Notice	Allowed Notice Types	Possible To Waive Notice Requirements?*
Alabama	2 days	Any actual notice (written posting on main door of residence is preferred)	Yes, for separately posted scheduled services
Alaska	24 hours	Any actual notice	No
Arizona	2 days	Any actual notice	Yes, when addressing a tenant repair request
Arkansas	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
California	24 hours (6 days for mailed notice)	Written notice only (with some special exceptions)	No
Colorado	“Reasonable” notice (48 hours in specific cases)	Usually written, depends on entry purpose	Yes
Connecticut	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	No
Delaware	48 hours	Written notice only (but actual notice may count in court situations)	Yes, in a separate written agreement before the start of the tenancy
Florida	24 hours for repairs, “reasonable” notice otherwise	Any actual notice	No
Georgia	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Hawaii	2 days	Any actual notice	No
Idaho	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Illinois	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Indiana	24 hours	Any actual notice	No
Iowa	24 hours	Any actual notice	No
Kansas	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	No
Kentucky (KY-URLTA communities only)	2 days	Any actual notice (written only, if billing for non-compliance)	No
Louisiana	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Maine	24 hours	Any actual notice	No
Maryland	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Massachusetts	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	No
Michigan	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Minnesota	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes, if it’s not a condition for entering or maintaining the lease
Mississippi	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Missouri	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Montana	24 hours	Any actual notice	No
Nebraska	24 hours	Any actual notice	No
Nevada	24 hours	Any actual notice	Yes, in an explicit waiver covering a single entry only
New Hampshire	“Reasonable” notice generally (48 hours in some specific cases)	Actual notice in general, written only for some specific cases	No
New Jersey	1 day	Any actual notice	Yes
New Mexico	24 hours	Any actual notice	No
New York	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes, by agreement in the lease or other contract
North Carolina	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
North Dakota	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice (written posting in/on residence is preferred)	Yes
Ohio	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	No
Oklahoma	1 day	Any actual notice	No
Oregon	24 hours	Any actual notice	Yes, with detailed requirements dependent on purpose
Pennsylvania	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Rhode Island	2 days	Any actual notice	No
South Carolina	24 hours	Any actual notice	No full waiver for notice, but some partial waivers available
South Dakota	24 hours (by custom, not strict legal requirement)	Any actual notice	Yes, but disfavored by law enforcement
Tennessee (TN-URLTA counties only)	“Reasonable” notice generally, 24 hours for property showings	Any actual notice	No
Texas	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Utah	24 hours (but tenants can’t sue if landlord fails to provide adequate notice)	Any actual notice	Yes
Vermont	48 hours	Any actual notice	Yes
Virginia	72 hours	Any actual notice	Yes, when addressing a tenant repair request
Washington	2 days (1 day for property showings)	Written notice only	No
Washington DC	48 hours	Written notice only (incl. text and email, provided that the tenant replies to the notice)	Yes, but only in writing
West Virginia	“Reasonable” notice	Any actual notice	Yes
Wisconsin	12 hours	Written notice only, personally delivered to the tenant if possible	Yes, but only if written in a special lease addendum
Wyoming	“Reasonable” notice	Any	Yes

Rental Agreement FAQs

Here are some of the most common questions landlords ask about rental agreements:

Do I Need a Rental Lease Agreement?

Landlords must have a lease agreement with their tenants in order for it to be a legal business deal.

While this agreement is almost always in writing, an oral agreement can be legally binding, provided the deal is for one year or less. Oral agreements are difficult to enforce, as there are no written rights or terms. For this reason, the vast majority of landlords use written rental lease agreements.

Can Landlords Create Their Own Rental Agreements?

Landlords can create their own lease agreements. Due to the complicated nature of lease agreements, landlords often start with a template and then have a landlord-tenant attorney look over the agreement. Then, the landlord can use the same basic template moving forward without having an attorney look it over each time.

What Information Should Be Included in a Rental Agreement?

Most rental agreements, at a minimum, should contain the following:

The names, addresses, and contact info of all parties
Address of the rental property
Start and end date of the lease
Amount of rent and security deposit
Other costs, such as utilities, HOA, internet, and more
Process and expectation for requesting repairs
Lease rules, such as smoking, pets, number of vehicles, and more
Guest rules, such as how long a guest can stay before they must be added to the lease
Condition of the property and expectations for condition upon the lease term ending
Any necessary or useful addenda for topics such as mold, asbestos, smoking, or parking rules
Signatures of the landlord and any adult tenants

Types of Rental Agreements

Common Rental Agreement Addenda

Landlord-Tenant Law

Maximum Security Deposits

Security Deposit Return Laws

Rent Due Grace Periods

Late Rent Fee Maximums

When Can Landlords Raise Rent?

Landlord Entry Laws

Rental Agreement FAQs

Do I Need a Rental Lease Agreement?

Can Landlords Create Their Own Rental Agreements?

What Information Should Be Included in a Rental Agreement?

More Property Management Resources