All You Need To Know About Alabama Lease Agreement and Rental Agreement Form

Introduction

Renting your housing property in Alabama is a somewhat sensitive process. You need to make sure tenants abide by housing laws while retaining a healthy relationship with them. This may appear as a huge task to keep up. A lease agreement or rental agreement form can make sure trouble and/or disagreements do not set in.

This article will show you what to put in place to protect yourself (and your tenants) from any future disagreement. Let us start by stating the connection between a Lease Agreement and Rental Agreement Form

Understanding Lease Documents and Rental Agreement Form

When renting a property, it's vital to understand the legal documents that govern the landlord-tenant relationship. Two commonly used documents are lease documents and rental agreement forms. While both serve the same purpose, their duration, flexibility, and legal implications differ greatly.

Lease Agreement

What is a Lease Agreement?

A lease agreement is a written document that outlines the details of a leasing contract. The landlord offers this document to the tenant. It contains information that can protect the rights and consensus of both parties.

While leasing your rental property, a few things can go wrong. Unclear expectations like rent raise and frequency of inspection are scenarios that lead to disputes between landlords and tenants. However, a document containing an agreement between both parties can prevent such.

While a lease agreement can be oral, a written form is preferable. This is because it expresses the agreement made between the two parties. It outlines the terms and conditions of the rental.

(Also read; Breaking a Lease: What You Need to Know)

What is a Rental Agreement Form?

A rental agreement form is similar to a lease agreement form and serves the same purpose. The major difference is that it's a shorter-term agreement. It usually lasts from month to month or three to six months. It offers more flexibility in areas of rent adjustments, termination or change, and security deposit requirements.

Rental agreements are commonly used for residential rentals. A common example is short-term or seasonal rentals. This allows for easier adjustments to changing circumstances.

(Also read; Short term Rentals and Month to Month Lease Agreements)

Key Differences Between Lease Agreement Document and Rental Agreement Form

Duration

A lease agreement is for a Long-term (6-12 months) deal while a rental agreement form is for a shorter-term (month-to-month, 3-6 months) deal.

2. Flexibility

A rental agreement form is more flexible than a lease agreement

3. Legal Implications

A rental agreement form is much easier to terminate or modify. A lease agreement is binding with penalties

4. Security Deposit

A lease agreement usually requires a security deposit. A rental agreement form on the other hand may not require a security deposit.

Choosing the Right Leasing Document

When deciding between a lease document and a rental agreement form, consider the following factors:

- Length of stay:

A lease document may be more suitable if you're planning a long-term rental. For shorter stays, a rental agreement form might be more appropriate.

- Flexibility:

A rental agreement form is a better choice if you need flexibility in your rent or duration of stay.

- Legal implications:

A lease document may be preferable if you prefer a more binding contract with clear penalties.

So, both documents serve the same purpose. Your choice of the document will be dependent largely on your length of stay and the degree of flexibility you want. Let's talk in more detail about what should be contained in a lease agreement.

rental agreement form

What Should Be in a Lease Agreement?

Several elements could make up a lease agreement. Moreover, the most important details are:

1. The Full Names and Contact Details of the Landlord and Tenant

An Alabama leasing agreement should contain the full names and accessible contact of Landlord and Tenant. It should also have the landlord's address, the work the tenant does, other occupants of the rental, etc.

Also, include the details of any property management agency involved in the process. Some lease agreements also contain third-party details for safety and legal purposes.

2. Description and Usage Policy of the Rental Property

This entails the full description of the rental property. It includes the state of the rented property at the time it was leased to the tenant. It should be stated whether it was new, old, or renovated. Details of any faulty or non-functional features must also be specified.

This helps in determining damage costs in the case of legal disputes and eviction. Restrictions or limitations in the use of the rental premises must be stated. This includes banned objects, animals, or activities.

3. Rent Fee and Term:

Another important detail that must be in your lease agreement is the agreed rent fee. The duration of payment, whether it is monthly, bi-annually, or annually should also be included. Also worthy of inclusion are potential rent increases or adjustments, acceptable rental payment option(s), extra fees, etc.

4. Security Deposits and Maintenance Fee

A Security deposit is the fee paid by a renter to the landlord to cover up for unforeseen cases. It also serves as a security in case of any damage that may occur during their stay in the rented property. It excludes maintenance fees such as property maintenance, pet-related damages, and equipment repairs.

The Alabama Federal laws restrict security deposits to a maximum of one-month rental payment. Communicating such information to your renters is crucial for avoiding future disputes. Also, every tenant is supposed to know this for peace to reign

5. Eviction Policy and Notice

A lease agreement should establish the allowed extension periods in rental payments and late fee payments. Landlords should set clear deadlines and extension periods for each rental. Also, state the scenarios on which eviction of tenants will be enacted and the laws that guide such.

6. Rent Increase Terms and Conditions

No one likes to be cheated when it comes to money issues, and neither do your tenants. A lease agreement should outrightly state the conditions that can warrant a rental increase. This should include the potential periods for such an increase. Also, include the percentage or range of increase to avoid disputes in the future.

(Also read; How to go About Notice of Rent Increase)

Why You Should Own a Written Lease Agreement

A lease agreement does not need to be written. Some landlords communicate with their potential tenants about what is expected of them. That way, they reach a consensus without putting the agreements on paper. Yet, having a lease agreement comes with several benefits.

Some of the advantages include:

● Legal Binding:

With an Alabama lease agreement, you have less to worry about having your rights breached. As long as the document follows Alabama housing laws, your contract is sealed and backed by the law. This helps to prevent any discrepancies that may arise during your agreement. It also makes sure that violators are duly punished.

● Clear Communication:

Assumptions are deadly, and in a housing matter, they are costlier. An oral lease agreement can be miscommunicated and give room for deceit and cheating. Consider the case of the death of a house owner. A written agreement will help show the agreement that has been reached between the late owner and present tenants.

Creating a written or hard copy of a leasing agreement helps portray clear expectations. It also spells out the responsibilities of both parties, leaving no room for disagreements and breaches.

● Predictive Expenses:

Spelling out the duties of each party in a leasing agreement is not the only check against disagreement. It is also important that maintenance fees and responsibilities are also shared. This helps tenants to know what expenses to expect as they stay in your rented home.

With such preparation in place, performing maintenance duties will not be lagged. Your house will also retain its desirable properties for a long time.

Lease Agreement Template

There are two ways available to you to create a lease agreement document. The same process applies to a rental agreement form when you put their slight differences in mind.

First method is to design your lease agreement template while referencing the relevant authorities. We have earlier mentioned in this article some things that should be contained in a lease agreement template. Refer to the Alabama housing laws and the Federal laws on these things we mentioned. Some of them are security deposits, eviction notice policy, maintenance fees, etc.

You can then design your customized document from this template. This will ensure strict adherence to the laid down regulations.

The second method is getting a professional to do it. You can get a lease agreement template from a property management firm like Stutts Properties to create yours. An effective leasing agreement must completely and transparently explain clear expectations from both the Landlord and tenants.