Skip to form

Residential Lease Agreement

Answer a few questions to create a professional Residential Lease Agreement, ready to edit and sign.

General-purpose template. Built for Illinois from our state data, with Illinois clauses; they have not yet been reviewed by us.

Step 1 of 87 sections · answer each, then create your document

Landlord & lease dates

The date the lease obligations begin.
End date for a fixed-term lease.
Full legal name of the landlord or property owner.
Use the address where rent payments and legal notices should be sent.
Add more details optional

Landlord phone number · Landlord email. Anything you fill in here appears in your document; leave it blank to skip.

Optional contact number for day-to-day communication.
Optional email for notices if the parties agree to electronic delivery.

Tenant(s)

Full legal name of one adult tenant who will sign. Add every other adult who will sign in the next question.

No entries yet — add the first card below.

Each person added here is a tenant on the lease and gets their own signature line.
The lease prints this one address for every tenant listed above, so use an address where all of them get mail. Leave blank if you do not have it yet.
Total permitted occupants, including children.

No entries yet — add the first card below.

People who live in the unit but do not sign, such as children. Add adults who will sign under other tenants above.
Add more details optional

Tenant phone number · Tenant email. Anything you fill in here appears in your document; leave it blank to skip.

Optional contact number for the primary tenant.
Optional email for notices if the parties agree to electronic delivery.

Rental property

Street address of the rental unit (not a P.O. box).
City name as it should appear on the document.
Primary state for the rental property. Governing law usually matches this.
5-digit ZIP (or ZIP+4) for the address above.
Choose the dwelling type that best matches the unit.
Most leases use the property state. Uncheck “Same as property state” only if governing law differs.

Rent & deposit

Enter rent and deposit amounts in dollars — no cents required.

Enter the full monthly rent in dollars.
Refundable amount paid before move-in. Check your state deposit limits.
Most residential leases use the 1st.
Leave as Per state law unless you want a specific deadline that meets state minimums.
Choose when the first full month’s rent must be paid.

Fees, term & renewal

Late fees must be reasonable; some states limit the amount or require a grace period.
Optional fee when a rent payment is returned unpaid.
Choose how the tenancy continues or ends after the fixed term.
Optional early-exit right.

Pets, parking & utilities

Service and assistance animals are usually handled separately from pet policy.
Whether a parking space is part of the lease or billed separately.
If some utilities are included, list which ones next.
Add more details optional

Appliances included with the unit. Anything you fill in here appears in your document; leave it blank to skip.

Optional list of appliances provided with the unit.

Illinois provisions

Federal law requires lead-paint disclosure for pre-1978 housing.
State whether smoking is banned, outdoor-only, or allowed inside.
Overnight guests are common; long-term guests can create unauthorized-occupancy risk.
Many landlords require tenants to insure their own belongings and liability.
Most states require working detectors at the start of a tenancy.
Some jurisdictions require a mould disclosure; include it if yours does.
Some jurisdictions require a bed-bug history disclosure.
Anything else the parties have agreed that is not covered above.
Chicago has additional landlord-tenant rules beyond state law.
Add more details optional

Who handles minor repairs under $100 (e.g. light bulbs, filters) · Move-in condition notes. Anything you fill in here appears in your document; leave it blank to skip.

Day-to-day minor upkeep vs. landlord repairs.
Optional notes about condition at move-in.

Preview free · LeaseCraft membership $19.99/year or $2.99/month — unlimited documents · Cancel any time · Templates are not legal advice.

Your answers so far

Residential Lease Agreement

Draft · your answers

Parties. Landlord and tenant .

Premises. , , .

Term. From to .

Rent. per month.

Security deposit. . Pet deposit .

LandlordTenant

Your answers only. The document's own wording is written when you finish, and the free preview shows the start of it.