Lease
Short-Term Rental Agreement
A direct booking agreement for a short stay — occupancy, house rules, damage, cancellation, and the local permissions that decide whether you can let at all.
Available product levels
Customized Agreements
$29.99Guided questions and tailored clauses for agreements that need specific protections.
When to use this document
- Letting a property directly rather than through a platform
- A repeat guest booking outside a listing site
- Setting house rules a platform's default terms do not cover
- Documenting occupancy limits and damage responsibility
Information you will need
- Host and guest, and everyone staying
- The property, dates, and check-in and check-out times
- Nightly rate, fees, taxes, and the total
- Any deposit and when it is returned
- Maximum occupancy and house rules
- Cancellation terms and how notice is given
- Whether you are permitted to let the property at all
What you receive
- A Short-Term Rental Agreement
- House rules schedule
- Signature blocks for host and guest
- Completion instructions
- PDF and editable DOCX export
Special situations
- Confirm you are permitted to let at all. Leases, HOA rules, mortgage terms, and city ordinances all restrict short-term letting, and several cities require a permit and cap the number of nights per year.
- Occupancy limits appear in ordinances, insurance policies, and building rules. Exceeding one can void your cover and breach your permit simultaneously.
- An ordinary homeowner policy frequently excludes short-term letting. Check before the first booking rather than after the first claim.
- Occupancy taxes are often required to be collected and remitted by the host, and they are not optional.
- Neighbour noise complaints are the most common route to a permit being revoked. Stated quiet hours are enforceable; general requests are not.
- A guest who stays beyond the agreed dates may acquire rights that are much harder to end than a booking.
Jurisdiction
Short-term rental regulation is predominantly local: permits, registration numbers, night caps, occupancy taxes, and outright prohibitions vary between neighbouring towns. State contract law governs the agreement while local rules govern whether you may let at all. This agreement states no cap, tax rate, or permit requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Am I allowed to rent my place short-term?
That is the first thing to check, and it is not one question but four: your lease if you rent, your HOA rules, your mortgage terms, and your city's ordinances. Cities increasingly require registration and cap nights per year, with real penalties for letting without one.
Does my home insurance cover this?
Frequently not. Ordinary homeowner and landlord policies often exclude short-term letting, and discovering that after a claim is expensive. Ask your insurer directly before the first booking.
Who collects occupancy tax?
Usually the host, and usually it must be remitted whether or not you collected it from the guest. Where you book through a platform it may handle this, but letting directly generally makes it your responsibility.
What if a guest will not leave?
This is why the dates and the termination process matter. Depending on the length of stay and your jurisdiction, an overstaying guest may acquire tenant rights, and removing them then becomes an eviction rather than a checkout.
Can I charge a cleaning fee and take cleaning from the deposit?
You can charge a cleaning fee, but deducting cleaning from the deposit as well is a frequent and justified complaint. Say clearly what the fee covers and what the deposit is for.
Related documents and guides
Answer the questions, preview the document, and pay only when you are ready to download.
Last reviewed July 29, 2026.