Can I write my own Lease Agreement?

A lease is simply an agreement between you and your tenants that covers the terms that you allow someone to rent your property. A lease can be written or verbal, but a verbal lease can be very difficult to enforce. Most leases are fairly standard and cover basic components such as rent amount, duration of lease term, resposiblities of each party and penalties for not following the terms. A landlord can start with a standard lease and modify it to meet any special needs. Off Campus Network has a sample lease form that you can use to start with.

If you decide to write your own lease make sure you include a clause that states if any condition is not legal, that the rest of the lease is still in effect. This way if you do add something that is not correct, you still may have a valid lease.

Once you have completed your lease to your satisfaction, it is best to have an attorney review your document to make sure you have not included any illegal or unenforceable conditions.