Lease Agreement Checklist

Use the NAA state-specific lease or your firm's attorney-reviewed template — not a generic form off the internet. Confirm you are on the current version; landlord-tenant law amendments roll out yearly and old templates miss required clauses.

Every adult (18+) living in the unit signs as a tenant — not as occupant. Missing a roommate from the lease leaves them unbound by the rent obligation and creates a holdover risk if the named tenant leaves.

Verify lease start and end dates, monthly rent, late fee, grace period, and any prorated first-month amount calculated from the actual move-in date. Mid-month move-ins are the most common source of first-statement disputes.

Pre-1978 buildings require the federal lead-based paint disclosure plus the EPA pamphlet — signed before lease execution. Add state-required disclosures: mold (many states), bedbug history (NYC), Megan's Law (CA), flood zone (TX, FL, NY), radon (several Northeast states).

Service animals and ESAs (with a licensed-provider letter) are not pets — no pet deposit, no pet rent, no breed restriction. Charging is a Fair Housing Act violation. Document the answer here so deposit math downstream is correct.

Attach the pet addendum specifying species, breed, weight, and any pet rent or one-time pet deposit. Confirm the pet deposit plus security deposit stays under the state's combined deposit cap (e.g., 2x monthly rent in CA unfurnished).

Route through DocuSign or the PMS e-sign module (AppFolio, Buildium). Confirm every adult tenant AND the landlord/agent signs. Save the executed PDF — partial-signature leases are a frequent gotcha at the move-out dispute stage.

Rekey or full lock change at every turnover — prior tenants, contractors, and unauthorized copies are unknowable. Some states (TX Property Code §92.156) mandate it. Log the new key code in the PMS and verify any smart-lock codes from the prior tenancy are deleted.

Press-test every detector, replace batteries, and log the test date. Working detectors at move-in are required by most state statutes; missing this can become a habitability defense if a fire or CO incident occurs during the tenancy.

Verify electric, gas, and water are switched into the tenant's name effective the lease start date. Owner-billed utility days during a transfer gap are a recurring owner-statement complaint and can leave water shut off on move-in day.

Walk room-by-room with the tenant, photograph existing condition (HappyCo or zInspector), and capture the tenant's signature on the inspection form. Without dated move-in photos AND a tenant signature, deposit deductions at move-out are nearly indefensible in court.

Save executed lease, all signed disclosures, screening reports (FCRA retention rules apply), ID copy, renter's insurance certificate, and the move-in inspection. Most states require landlord-tenant records retained 3-7 years post-tenancy.

Mark the unit Occupied in AppFolio / Buildium / Yardi, set the lease term, rent amount, and recurring charges. Vacancy days stop counting today — confirm the economic vacancy reporting reflects the actual lease start.

Most leases require 30-60 days written notice. Verify it is signed, dated, and references the move-out date. Verbal notices and texts are not enforceable in most states — push back and require written form.

If the tenant stays past lease end without renewing, run the state's required notice — 30-day in CA, 60-day in some states for tenancies over a year, 3-day in TX for non-payment after holdover. Treating holdover informally invites months of occupancy with no paper trail.

Offer the tenant the right to attend — required in CA (Civil Code §1950.5) and several other states with a pre-move-out inspection statute. Bring the move-in inspection photos for side-by-side comparison.

Photograph every room and compare to move-in baseline. Distinguish ordinary wear-and-tear (not deductible) from damage (deductible) — worn carpet at year four is wear; a burn hole is damage. Verify keys, fobs, and garage remotes returned.

Itemize each deduction with the line-item cost and supporting invoice or estimate. Vague deductions ("cleaning — $300") get reversed in small claims; itemized with receipts holds up. Confirm depreciation rules where state law requires (e.g., paint and carpet pro-ration).

Hard deadline — 14 days in NJ, 21 in CA, 30 in TX and FL, 30-60 elsewhere. Missing the window can forfeit the right to deduct entirely AND trigger 2x-3x statutory damages. Send by certified mail or trackable e-delivery to the tenant's forwarding address.