You may eventually have an extra person residing at your property, be it a significant other or a sibling. Think about asking the main leaseholder if family members, roommates or children will be living in the unit - even if they aren’t the ones paying rent or weren’t included in your tenant screening process - so you know how many people will be living there.

Any managing agents or property managers.

You should consider including clear details about: It might seem obvious that you’ll know who is living in your rental, but if you’ve only been communicating with the main leaseholder you might not know their plans for other roommates or guests. This resource is not a substitute for the advice or service of an attorney you should not rely on this resource for any purpose without consulting with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Landlord-tenant laws change rapidly and may be regulated at the federal, state and local levels. does not make any guarantees about the sufficiency of the information in or linked to from this guide, or that it’s compliant with current, applicable or local laws. Note : This guide is for informational purposes only.

Disclosures - any additional information required by law.

Rights and obligations - requirements for maintaining your property.

Security deposit - the amount, when it’s due and when it can be withheld.

Rent payments - how much the rent payments are and when they are due.

Lease terms and termination - length of the lease and details about when and how the lease terminates.

Property information - basic information about the property.

Party information - basic information about the landlord and tenant.

Here’s a list of important details to consider when thinking about a rental lease agreement:

You can use Zillow Rental Manager to create your own lease - a feature that is currently available in select states.

Be sure to consult a local attorney if you have any questions.

Laws around rental agreements vary by state. A lease should specify all requirements and expectations between you and your tenant. Before you hand over the keys to your property, both you and your tenant should consider signing a rental agreement to help prevent disputes and headaches when questions arise.

Zillow tenant move out checklist