Lease
Self-Guided Legal Forms
Basic Residential Lease Form
A straightforward lease for a straightforward tenancy — rent, deposit, utilities, and the terms every rental needs.
Also called: basic residential lease, simple lease agreement, basic rental agreement.
What you walk away with
A clean multi-page PDF and DOCX after you finish — not a web-form dump. Preview the document before you pay.
- PDF export
- DOCX export
- E-sign included
- No subscription
Deposits, notice periods, entry rights, habitability, and late fees are governed by state and frequently city law, and cities often impose stricter rules than their state. This form states no cap, period, or limit.
Jurisdiction details
See how this document starts in your state
Choose the state where the document will be used. The state page shows the maintained coverage level, local-rule limits, and a builder link with the canonical state code already selected.
When this fits
Use this document when…
- Renting out a single property on ordinary terms
- A tenancy with one or two tenants and no unusual arrangements
- Replacing a handshake agreement with something written
- A landlord who knows their terms and needs them recorded
Before you start
Information you will need
- Landlord, tenant, and the premises
- Start and end dates, and what happens at the end
- Rent amount, due date, payment method, and late terms
- Security deposit and how utilities are allocated
- Occupants, pets, and maintenance responsibilities
- Entry purposes, notice method, and the governing state
What you receive
- A nine-article Residential Lease
- Signature blocks for landlord and tenant
- Completion and signing instructions
- PDF and editable DOCX export
Document questions
Questions about this document
What is a Basic Residential Lease Form?
A straightforward lease for a straightforward tenancy — rent, deposit, utilities, and the terms every rental needs.
How do I create a Basic Residential Lease Form?
Renting out a single property on ordinary terms; A tenancy with one or two tenants and no unusual arrangements; Replacing a handshake agreement with something written
What should a Basic Residential Lease Form include?
Landlord, tenant, and the premises; Start and end dates, and what happens at the end; Rent amount, due date, payment method, and late terms; Security deposit and how utilities are allocated; Occupants, pets, and maintenance responsibilities
Special situations
- This is the fill-in-the-blank form. A tenancy with a guarantor, several tenants, an appliance inventory, or unusual terms is better served by the full Residential Lease Agreement.
- Deposit caps, entry notice periods, and late fee limits are set by state and often city law. This form states none of them.
- Assistance animals are not pets and are handled under fair housing law regardless of the pet terms agreed here.
- Landlord habitability obligations are set by law and cannot be transferred to the tenant by agreement.
- Record the condition at move-in with dated photographs. It is what any deposit deduction is measured against.
Product scope
Choose the right residential lease scope
Current level
This Self-Guided Legal Forms product
Provides a complete standard residential lease form for customers who already understand the transaction.
Not included at this level
- Complete Locke clause-driven lease system
- Detailed maintenance allocation
- Extensive landlord protections
- Custom fees, HOA rules, insurance provisions, or complex defaults
Next level · $14.99
Customized Residential Lease Agreement
Customize regulated and operational tenancy terms.
- State-specific clause logic
- Custom late fees and detailed maintenance allocation
- Insurance, HOA, early termination, or property-specific rules
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the Residential Lease Agreement?
This is the shorter form for a straightforward tenancy. The full agreement adds a guarantor, joint and several liability, an appliance inventory, safety device and mould acknowledgments, subletting terms, and more. If your tenancy has any complication, use that one.
How much notice do I have to give before entering?
Set by state and often city law, and this form states none because the answer differs. It is not a period the parties may choose. Confirm it where the property is and count it from delivery, not from the date you wrote.
What can I deduct from the deposit?
Generally unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear. Ordinary wear is not deductible, and the line between wear and damage is where nearly every deposit dispute sits. A dated move-in record is what settles it.
Do I need a lease if the tenant is family?
It protects both of you, and it protects the relationship. Most disputes between people who know each other come from unwritten assumptions rather than bad faith.
What happens when the fixed term ends?
Whatever the holdover term says. Commonly the tenancy continues month to month on the same terms, which means either side can then end it on short notice — not always what a landlord expecting another year assumed.
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Not legal advice
Locke Direct helps structure documents and workflows. It does not replace a qualified lawyer for complex, unusual, or high-risk situations.
Last reviewed July 29, 2026.