A written agreement should include all terms that are required under a lease and other specified terms that may be otherwise material or ambiguous unless put in writing. Common written leases include the following:
- Names of parties (including landlord, tenant, and other occupants)
- Duration of tenancy (month-to-month, one year, five year, etc.)
- Terms of rent (amount, date due, method of payment, late fees, grace period)
- Terms of security deposit, if exists
- Use of amenities (appliances, furniture, parking spaces, etc.)
- Terms of use of the property (business, residential, etc)
- Assigning responsibility for paying utilities
- Terms of landlord repairs and maintenance
- Events that cause default
- Result of default of lease agreement
- Terms at the end of the lease
- Terms of possible future disputes (attorney’s fees, costs, mediation, etc.)
- Conditions landlord may enter tenant’s rental property
- Result of landlord death or sale of rental property
- Other rules and regulations that applies to rental property (community rules, pets, quiet hours, other deposits, etc.)
