A rental lease agreement is used to protect both you, the landlord and, the tenant. It spells out what is expected from the tenant and landlord with respect to the rental property. It’s especially important to understand the rights of the landlord if the tenant does not follow the guidelines established in the lease agreement. See Landlord-Tenant Act.

Each state has different laws regarding this and you can find legal forms and documents for each state here.

Here is a generic rental lease agreement. Your local Realtor will also have rental agreements, or you can find them here. If you ever have any questions concerning this document or others, you should certainly seek the advice of an attorney who specializes in real property and property management law.

Have your prospective tenants fill out a Tenant application.