reaperinvest Lease Agreement Checklist
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Review a residential lease agreement for completeness before signing
- Ensure all essential terms, disclosures, and addenda are included
- Identify missing clauses that could create problems during the tenancy
- Create a standardized checklist for consistent lease preparation
DO NOT use this skill for drafting lease agreements from scratch, commercial lease review, or legal advice. This is a completeness checklist — always consult an attorney for legal review.
Core Principle
A COMPLETE LEASE PROTECTS BOTH LANDLORD AND TENANT — EVERY MISSING CLAUSE IS A POTENTIAL DISPUTE WAITING TO HAPPEN.
Phase 1: Lease Context
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Role | "Are you the landlord or tenant reviewing this lease?" | Landlord |
| State | "What state is the property in?" | No default — state law affects requirements |
| Property type | "Single-family, apartment, condo, duplex?" | Single-family |
| Lease term | "Fixed-term or month-to-month?" | 12-month fixed |
| Special circumstances | "Any unusual terms — furnished, utilities included, roommates, pets?" | Standard unfurnished |
GATE: Confirm role and jurisdiction before applying the checklist.
Phase 2: Essential Terms Checklist
Party & Property Information
- Full legal names of all tenants (adults)
- Landlord/management company legal name and contact
- Complete property address including unit number
- Lease start date and end date
- Move-in date (if different from lease start)
Financial Terms
- Monthly rent amount
- Rent due date (typically 1st of the month)
- Accepted payment methods
- Grace period specified (number of days)
- Late fee amount and when it applies
- Security deposit amount
- Security deposit return timeline and conditions
- Any non-refundable fees (application, cleaning, admin)
- Prorated rent for partial first/last month (if applicable)
- Rent increase terms and notice requirements
Occupancy & Use
- Maximum number of occupants
- Guest policy and limitations
- Permitted use (residential only)
- Restrictions on home businesses
- Subletting and assignment policy
- Quiet hours or noise restrictions
Phase 3: Policies & Responsibilities
Maintenance & Repairs
- Landlord maintenance responsibilities defined
- Tenant maintenance responsibilities defined
- Maintenance request procedure (how to submit)
- Emergency maintenance contact and procedure
- Lawn care, snow removal, and exterior maintenance assigned
- Tenant liability for damage beyond normal wear and tear
Utilities & Services
- Which utilities landlord pays
- Which utilities tenant pays
- Utility transfer responsibility and timeline
- Shared utility arrangements (if multi-unit)
Pets
- Pet policy clearly stated (allowed/not allowed)
- Pet deposit or fee amount
- Monthly pet rent (if applicable)
- Breed, size, or number restrictions
- Pet damage liability
Insurance
- Renter's insurance requirement stated
- Minimum coverage amount specified
- Proof of insurance deadline
- Landlord named as interested party (if required)
Phase 4: Legal Protections & Addenda
Termination & Renewal
- Early termination clause and penalties
- Lease-breaking fee or buyout option
- Move-out notice period (30/60 days)
- Renewal terms (auto-renew, month-to-month conversion, or expire)
- Landlord's right to terminate and required notice
- Move-out inspection procedure
- Property condition documentation (move-in/move-out)
Required Disclosures (Verify by State)
- Lead-based paint disclosure (pre-1978 properties — federal requirement)
- Mold disclosure (where required)
- Bed bug disclosure (where required)
- Sex offender registry notification
- Flood zone disclosure
- Known defects or hazards
- Asbestos disclosure (where required)
- Shared utility disclosure (where required)
Common Addenda
- Move-in/move-out condition report
- Pet addendum (if pets allowed)
- Parking addendum (assigned spots, rules)
- Smoking policy addendum
- Mold prevention addendum
- HOA rules attachment (if applicable)
- Appliance inventory list
- Key/access device inventory
Signatures & Execution
- All adult tenants have signed
- Landlord or authorized agent has signed
- Date of execution
- Copies provided to all parties
- All addenda initialed and attached
Review Summary Template
## Lease Review Summary
**Property:** [Address]
**Reviewed by:** [Name]
**Date:** [Date]
### Status: [Complete / Missing Items / Needs Legal Review]
### Missing or Incomplete Items:
1. [Item] — [Why it matters]
2. [Item] — [Why it matters]
### Items Needing Clarification:
1. [Clause] — [What is unclear]
### Recommendations:
- [Action item 1]
- [Action item 2]
Anti-Patterns
- Using a generic online template without state customization — lease laws vary dramatically by state and even city. Generic templates miss required local provisions.
- No move-in condition report — without documented property condition at move-in, security deposit disputes are unresolvable.
- Vague maintenance responsibilities — "Tenant is responsible for upkeep" without specifics leads to disagreements.
- Missing disclosures — failing to include required disclosures can void lease provisions or create legal liability.
- No early termination clause — life happens. Having a clear buyout process is better than a messy breach.
Recovery
- Lease already signed with missing terms: Create an addendum covering the missing items. Both parties sign.
- State-specific requirements unknown: Research your state's landlord-tenant statutes or consult a local real estate attorney.
- Tenant disputes a lease term: Reference the specific clause. If the clause is genuinely ambiguous, negotiate a reasonable interpretation and document it.
- Using an outdated lease template: Review and update annually. Laws change, and your lease should reflect current requirements.
- Multiple properties with different lease versions: Standardize to one template per property type and jurisdiction. Customize only the property-specific details.