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🏘️ Fill in a residential lease online – free

🇺🇸 Under U.S. law

Renting out an apartment? This standard rental agreement covers rent, utilities, deposit and term clearly and reliably. Fill it in right in your browser, have both sides sign digitally, download the PDF – free and without an account.

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In brief: the residential lease

A residential lease records rent, term, security deposit and house rules. Landlord-tenant law in the US is state (and often city) law, so deposit caps, notice periods and required disclosures depend on where the property is.

Under most states’ statute of frauds, a lease for longer than one year must be in writing to be enforceable.
Security deposit caps and return deadlines are set by state law and vary widely.
Federal law requires a lead-based paint disclosure for housing built before 1978.
Rent control and just-cause eviction rules exist in some states and cities – always check local law on top of state law.

Last reviewed: July 2026

Done in 3 steps

No printing, no scanning, no “I’ll do it later”.

Fill in

Every field of the template is presented to you one by one – right in the browser, on your phone too.

Sign

Draw with your finger, scan your real signature from paper or insert your saved one.

Done

Download and send the PDF – or invite the other party to sign via link.

What’s inside

All the important points are prepared – you just fill in the blanks.

Landlord and tenant with address and contact
Premises: address, rooms, living area, keys
Furnished and storage checkboxes
Term: open-ended or fixed
Base rent, utilities, total rent and security deposit
Condition, minor repairs, pets
Field for additional agreements, signatures of both parties

Why fill it in with Tamgara?

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Completely free

No sign-up, no subscription, no watermarks. Template, filling in, signing and download – all free.

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Stays on your device

Filling in and signing happen entirely in your browser. Your document is never uploaded anywhere.

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A real signature

Draw with your finger or scan your paper signature – it ends up as clean ink in the PDF (ESIGN/UETA: simple electronic signature).

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Let others sign

Invite the other party via link: they sign in the browser, with live status and a signature report.

Ready? Your document is waiting.

Open the template and just start – a few minutes later you’ll have the finished, signed PDF.

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📠 Filled in and signed? Send the document straight from your browser as a real fax – worldwide, no fax machine, with a transmission report. 📠 More about faxing

Frequently asked questions

How much security deposit can I ask for?

It depends on your state. Some states cap the security deposit (often one or two months’ rent) and set deadlines and itemization rules for returning it; others have no cap. Check your state and local landlord-tenant law, then enter the agreed amount in the deposit field.

Is a digital signature enough for a lease?

A residential lease can generally be signed electronically, and an electronic signature is valid under the federal ESIGN Act and state e-signature laws such as UETA (in New York: ESRA). Note that under most states’ statute of frauds a lease longer than one year must be in writing – another reason to keep the signed PDF, and many people print a copy as well.

Are there disclosures I have to give the tenant?

Yes. The best-known is federal: for housing built before 1978 the landlord must provide a lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet before the lease is signed. States add their own required disclosures – for example about the deposit, mold or bed bugs – so check your state landlord-tenant law.

What does the lease cost?

The template, filling in, signing and downloading are completely free – no sign-up, no ads. Tamgara is funded through optional extras such as AI document detection; your data is never sold.

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Note: this template is a carefully prepared sample for simple everyday cases, provided without guarantee and no substitute for legal advice. Tamgara creates simple electronic signatures under the U.S. ESIGN Act and state e-signature laws such as UETA (in New York: ESRA); it is not suitable for documents that legally require written form.